Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition

Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Awarded for	quality classical contemporary compositions
Country	United States
Presented by	National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First awarded	1961
Currently held by	Christopher Rouse for Symphony No. 5 (2021)
Website	grammy.com

The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition was first awarded in 1961. This award was not presented from 1967 to 1984.

The award has had several minor name changes:

From 1961 to 1962 the award was known as Best Contemporary Classical Composition
In 1963 it was awarded as Best Contemporary Composition
In 1965 it was awarded as Best Composition by a Contemporary Composer
In 1966 and 1964 it was awarded as Best Composition by a Contemporary Classical Composer
In 1985 it was awarded as Best New Classical Composition
From 1986 to 1994 it was again awarded as Best Contemporary Composition
From 1995 to 2011 it was again awarded as Best Classical Contemporary Composition
In 2012 the category was renamed into Best Contemporary Classical Composition

The Grammy is awarded to the composer(s) and the librettist (if applicable) of a classical piece composed in the last 25 years, and released for the first time during the eligibility year. The performing artist, orchestra, ensemble, etc., do not receive a Grammy (except if the performer is also the composer).

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.

Recipients

Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition^[1]
Year	Composer	Work	Nominees
1961	Aaron Copland	Orchestral Suite from The Tender Land Suite	Easley Blackwood Jr. – Symphony No. 1 Paul Hindemith – Sonata For Cello And Piano Charles Ives – Symphony No. 2 Francis Poulenc – La voix humaine Roger Sessions – Symphony No. 1 Igor Stravinsky – Threni Edgard Varèse – Density 21.5
1962	Laurindo Almeida	Discantus	Francis Poulenc – Gloria In G Major Elliott Carter – String Quartet No. 2 Gunther Schuller – Music For Brass Quintet
1962	Igor Stravinsky	Movements for Piano and Orchestra
1963	Igor Stravinsky	The Flood: A Musical Play	Edgard Varèse – Arcana Aaron Copland – Connotations Benjamin Britten – Noye's Fludde Lukas Foss – Song Of Songs William Walton – Symphony No. 2 Lukas Foss – Time Cycle
1964	Benjamin Britten	War Requiem	Samuel Barber – Andromache's Farewell John La Montaine – Concerto For Piano Heitor Villa-Lobos – Cello Concerto No. 2 Dmitri Shostakovich – Symphony No. 4 William Schuman – Symphony No. 8
1965	Samuel Barber	Piano Concerto	Darius Milhaud – A Frenchman In New York Charles Ives – A Symphony: New England Holidays Igor Stravinsky – A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer Leonard Bernstein – Symphony No. 3 "Kaddish"
1966	Charles Ives	Symphony No. 4	Leonard Bernstein – Chichester Psalms Benjamin Britten – Cantata misericordium David Diamond – String Quartet No. 4 Morton Gould – World War I Suite William Walton – Variations on a Theme by Hindemith
1985	Samuel Barber	Antony and Cleopatra	Morton Gould – Apple Waltzes Joseph Schwantner – Magabunda "Four poems of Agueda Pizarro" Frank Zappa – "The Perfect Stranger" Vincent Persichetti – Winter Cantata
1986	Andrew Lloyd Webber	Requiem	John Adams – Harmonium Philip Glass – Satyagraha George Perle – Serenade No. 3 For Piano And Chamber Orchestra Robert Starer – Violin Concerto
1987	Witold Lutosławski	Symphony No. 3	Robert Beaser – Mountain Songs: A Cycle Of American Folk Music Chick Corea – Septet Philip Glass – String Quartet No. 2, Company Ellen Taaffe Zwilich – Symphony No. 1
1988	Krzysztof Penderecki	Cello Concerto No. 2	John Adams – The Chairman Dances Milton Babbitt – Piano Concerto Joseph Schwantner – A Sudden Rainbow Roger Sessions – Symphony No. 5 Michael Tippett – The Mask Of Time
1989	John Adams	Nixon in China	Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Wadsworth – A Quiet Place William Bolcom – Symphony No. 4 Ned Rorem – String Symphony Karlheinz Stockhausen – Amour
1990	Steve Reich	Different Trains	Sofia Gubaidulina – Offertorium Witold Lutosławski – Chain 2 Witold Lutosławski – Partita Arvo Pärt – Passio
1991	Leonard Bernstein	Arias and Barcarolles	John Adams – The Wound-Dresser Henri Lazarof – Tableaux (After Kandinsky) For Piano And Orchestra Terry Riley – Salome Dances For Peace Ellen Taaffe Zwilich – Symphony No. 2
1992	John Corigliano	Symphony No. 1	Elliott Carter – Oboe Concerto Nicholas Maw – Odyssey Arvo Pärt – Miserere Dominick Argento – Te Deum
1993	Samuel Barber	The Lovers	Anthony Davis – X, The Life and Times of Malcolm X Witold Lutosławski – Piano Concerto John Tavener – The Protecting Veil Ellen Taaffe Zwilich – Flute Concerto
1994	Elliott Carter	Violin Concerto	Donald Erb – Cello Concerto Tōru Takemitsu – A Way A Lone Michael Tippett – Byzantium William Bolcom – Orphee-Serenade
1995	Stephen Albert	Cello Concerto	György Ligeti – Piano Concerto Witold Lutosławski – Symphony No. 4 Olivier Messiaen – Éclairs sur l'au-delà... Tōru Takemitsu – Fantasma/Cantos
1996	Olivier Messiaen	Concert à quatre	Gunther Schuller – Of Reminiscences and Reflections Ellen Taaffe Zwilich – Symphony No. 3 John Adams – Chamber Symphony György Ligeti – Violin Concerto
1997	John Corigliano	String Quartet No. 1	John Adams – Violin Concerto Colin Matthews – Fourth Sonata Einojuhani Rautavaara – Symphony No. 7: "Angel of Light" Gunther Schuller – Four Soundscapes
1998	John Adams	El Dorado	Lowell Liebermann – Concerto No. 2 For Piano And Orchestra Per Nørgård – Symphony No. 5 Richard Danielpour – Concerto For Orchestra Aaron Jay Kernis – Second Symphony
1999	Krzysztof Penderecki	Violin Concerto No. 2 "Metamorphosen"	John Adams – Gnarly Buttons Elliott Carter – 90+ Arvo Pärt – Kanon Pokajanen George Tsontakis – Ghost Variations
2000	Pierre Boulez	Répons	Aaron Jay Kernis – Air For Violin John Tavener – Eternity's Sunrise Thomas Adès – Asyla Andrew Imbrie – Requiem
2001	George Crumb	Star-Child	Heiner Goebbels – Surrogate Cities Nicholas Maw – Violin Concerto Ned Rorem – Evidence Of Things Not Seen Rodion Shchedrin – Concerto Cantabile
2002	Christopher Rouse	Concert de Gaudí	Poul Ruders – The Handmaid's Tale John Tavener – Total Eclipse Pierre Boulez – Sur Incises
2003	John Tavener	Lamentations & Praises	John Adams – Naïve and Sentimental Music Osvaldo Golijov – Yiddishbbuk Inscriptions For String Quartet Sofia Gubaidulina – Johannes-Passion Arvo Pärt – Orient & Occident
2004	Dominick Argento	Casa Guidi	George Rochberg – Symphony No. 5 José Serebrier – Symphony No. 3 György Kurtág – Signs, Games And Messages Benjamin Lees – Symphony No. 5 "Kalmar Nyckel"
2005	John Adams	On the Transmigration of Souls	Jennifer Higdon – Concerto For Orchestra Tigran Mansurian – "... and then I was in time again" André Previn – Violin Concerto Valentyn Silvestrov – Requiem For Larissa
2006	William Bolcom	Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience	Carlos Franzetti – Corpus Evita Ned Rorem – Nine Episodes For Four Players Osvaldo Golijov – Ayre Peter Boyer – Ellis Island: The Dream of America
2007	Osvaldo Golijov	Ainadamar	Elliott Carter – Boston Concerto Christopher Theofanidis – The Here And Now David Del Tredici – Paul Revere's Ride James MacMillan – A Scotch Bestiary
2008	Joan Tower	Made In America	Joan Albert Amargós – Northern Concerto David Chesky – Concerto For Bassoon And Orchestra Jennifer Higdon – Zaka Peter Lieberson – Neruda Songs
2009	John Corigliano	Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan	Marc-André Dalbavie – Flute Concerto Michael Gandolfi – The Garden Of Cosmic Speculation George Tsontakis – Violin Concerto No. 2 Chris Walden – Symphony No. 1, The Four Elements
2010	Jennifer Higdon	Percussion Concerto	George Crumb – The Winds Of Destiny Arvo Pärt – In Principio Roberto Sierra – Missa Latina 'Pro Pace' Yehudi Wyner – Chiavi in Mano
2011	Michael Daugherty	Deus ex Machina	Hans Werner Henze – Appassionatamente Plus Magnus Lindberg – Graffiti Arvo Pärt – Symphony No. 4 Rodion Shchedrin – The Enchanted Wanderer
2012	Robert Aldridge	Elmer Gantry	George Crumb – The Ghosts Of Alhambra Jefferson Friedman – String Quartet No. 3 Steven Mackey – Lonely Motel - Music From Slide Poul Ruders – Piano Concerto No. 2
2013	Stephen Hartke	Meanwhile - Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays	Tania León – Inura For Voices, Strings & Percussion Uģis Prauliņš – The Nightingale Einojuhani Rautavaara – Cello Concerto No. 2 Towards the Horizon Steven Stucky – August 4, 1964
2014	Maria Schneider	Winter Morning Walks	Magnus Lindberg – Piano Concerto No. 2 Arvo Pärt – Adam's Lament Esa-Pekka Salonen – Violin Concerto Caroline Shaw – Partita for 8 Voices
2015	John Luther Adams	Become Ocean	Anna Clyne – Prince of Clouds George Crumb – Voices From The Heartland Stephen Paulus – Concerto For Two Trumpets & Band Roberto Sierra – Sinfonía No. 4
2016	Stephen Paulus	Prayers and Remembrances	Gerald Barry – The Importance of Being Earnest Andrew Norman – Play Joan Tower – Stroke Julia Wolfe – Anthracite Fields
2017	Michael Daugherty	Tales of Hemingway	Jennifer Higdon – Cold Mountain Christopher Theofanidis – Bassoon Concerto Kip Winger – Conversations With Nijinsky Mason Bates – Anthology of Fantastic Zoology
2018	Jennifer Higdon	Viola Concerto	Zhou Tian – Concerto For Orchestra Adam Schoenberg – Picture Studies Tigran Mansurian – Requiem Richard Danielpour – Songs Of Solitude
2019	Aaron Jay Kernis	Violin Concerto	Jake Heggie – Great Scott Missy Mazzoli – Vespers For Violin Mason Bates – The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs Du Yun – Air Glow
2020	Jennifer Higdon	Harp Concerto	Derek Bermel – Migration Series For Jazz Ensemble & Orchestra Wynton Marsalis – Violin Concerto In D Major Andrew Norman – Sustain Caroline Shaw – Orange Julia Wolfe – Fire In My Mouth Show
2021	Christopher Rouse	Symphony No. 5	Carlisle Floyd – Prince of Players Ted Hearne – Place Thomas Adès – Piano Concerto Richard Danielpour – The Passion Of Yeshua

Multiple winners and nominees

Samuel Barber - 3 wins
John Adams - 3 wins
John Corigliano - 3 wins
Michael Daugherty - 2 wins
Krzysztof Penderecki - 2 wins
Christopher Rouse - 2 wins
Jennifer Higdon - 4 nominations, 3 wins
George Crumb - 3 nominations, 1 win
Joan Tower - 2 nominations, 1 win
Julia Wolfe - 2 nominations, no wins
Mason Bates - 2 nominations, no wins
Arvo Pärt - 2 nominations, no wins
Andrew Norman - 2 nominations, no wins

References

^ "Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees for Best Classical Contemporary Composition". The Recording Academy. Retrieved 21 August 2021.

[1] "Grammy Awards Winners & Nominees for Best Classical Contemporary Composition". The Recording Academy. Retrieved 21 August 2021.

[1]

v t e Grammy Award categories
General	Album of the Year Record of the Year Song of the Year Best New Artist Producer of the Year Songwriter of the Year
Children's, Comedy, Audio Book Narration & Storytelling, Visual Media & Music Video/Film	Best Children's Album Best Comedy Album Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media Best Score Soundtrack Album for Visual Media Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media Best Song Written for Visual Media Best Music Video Best Music Film
Classical	Best Orchestral Performance Best Opera Recording Best Choral Performance Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance Best Classical Instrumental Solo Best Classical Vocal Solo Best Classical Compendium Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Country & American Roots	Best Country Album Best Country Song Best Country Solo Performance Best Country Duo/Group Performance Best Americana Album Best American Roots Song Best Americana Performance Best American Roots Performance Best Bluegrass Album Best Folk Album Best Traditional Blues Album Best Contemporary Blues Album Best Regional Roots Music Album
Gospel & Contemporary Christian	Best Gospel Album Best Contemporary Christian Music Album Best Roots Gospel Album Best Gospel Performance/Song Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
Jazz, Traditional Pop, Contemporary Instrumental & Musical Theater	Best Jazz Vocal Album Best Alternative Jazz Album Best Latin Jazz Album Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Best Jazz Instrumental Album Best Contemporary Instrumental Album Best Jazz Solo Performance Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album Best Musical Theater Album
Latin, Global, African, Reggae & New Age, Ambient or Chant	Best Latin Pop Album Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album Best Tropical Latin Album Best Música Urbana Album Best Música Mexicana Album (including Tejano) Best Reggae Album Best Global Music Album Best New Age, Ambient Or Chant Album Best Global Music Performance Best African Music Performance
Package, Notes & Historical	Best Historical Album Best Album Notes Best Recording Package Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package
Pop & Dance/Electronic	Best Pop Vocal Album Best Dance/Electronic Album Best Pop Solo Performance Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Best Dance/Electronic Recording Best Pop Dance Recording
Production, Engineering, Composition & Arrangement	Producer of the Year, Classical Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical Best Immersive Audio Album Best Instrumental Composition Best Engineered Album, Classical Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals
R&B, Rap and Spoken Word Poetry	Best R&B Album Best Progressive R&B Album Best Rap Album Best Spoken Word Poetry Album Best R&B Performance Best Traditional R&B Performance Best Rap Performance Best Melodic Rap Performance Best R&B Song Best Rap Song
Rock, Metal & Alternative	Best Rock Album Best Rock Song Best Rock Performance Best Metal Performance Best Alternative Music Album Best Alternative Music Performance
Special Awards	Lifetime Achievement Award Trustees Award Legend Award Grammy Hall of Fame MusiCares Person of the Year