Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition

The Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary 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
• From 2012 the category will be renamed into Best Contemporary Classical Composition

The Grammy is awarded to the composer(s) of a classical piece composed in the last 25 years, and released for the first time during the eligibility year. From 2009 onwards, if the award goes to an opera composition, both the composer and the librettist (if applicable) receive the Grammy.

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

2010s

• 2013: Stephen Hartke for Meanwhile - Incidental Music to Imaginary Puppet Plays
  • Tania Leon for Inura for Voices, Strings and Percussion
  • Ugis Praulins for The Nightingale
  • Einojuhani Rautavaara for Cello Concerto No. 2 - Towards the Horizon
  • Steven Stucky for August 4, 1964

• 2012: Robert Aldridge & Herschel Garfein for Elmer Gantry
  • George Crumb for The Ghost of Alhambra
  • Jefferson Friedman for String Quartet no. 3
  • Steven Mackey for Lonely Motel - Music from Slide
  • Poul Ruders for Piano Concerto no. 2

• 2011: Michael Daugherty for Deus ex Machina (from the album Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony by Giancarlo Guerrero)

• 2010: Jennifer Higdon (composer) for Percussion Concerto, performed by Marin Alsop & London Philharmonia Orchestra

2000s

• 2009: John Corigliano (composer) for Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan, performed by JoAnn Falletta & Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

• 2008: Joan Tower (composer) for Made in America, performed by Leonard Slatkin & Nashville Symphony Orchestra

• 2007: Osvaldo Golijov (composer) for Ainadamar: Fountain Of Tears, performed by Robert Spano

• 2006: William Bolcom (composer) for Bolcom: Songs Of Innocence And Of Experience, performed by Leonard Slatkin

• 2005: John Adams (composer) for On the Transmigration of Souls, performed by Lorin Maazel, the Brooklyn Youth Chorus, New York Choral Artists & the New York Philharmonic

• 2004: Dominick Argento (composer) for "Argento: Casa Guidi", performed by Frederica von Stade, Eiji Oue & the Minnesota Orchestra

• 2003: Steve Barnett (producer), Preston Smith (engineer), John Tavener (composer), Joseph Jennings (conductor), Chanticleer & the Handel & Haydn Society of Boston for Tavener: Lamentations and Praises

• 2002: Christopher Rouse (composer), Muhai Tang (conductor), Sharon Isbin & the Gulbenkian Orchestra for Concert de Gaudí for Guitar and Orchestra

• 2001: George Crumb (composer) & Thomas Conlin for Crumb: Star-Child

• 2000: Pierre Boulez (composer) & the Ensemble Inter-Contemporain for Boulez: Répons

1990s

• 1999: Krzysztof Penderecki (composer & conductor), Anne-Sophie Mutter & the London Symphony Orchestra for Penderecki: Violin Concerto No. 2, Metamorphosen

• 1998: John Adams (composer), Kent Nagano (conductor) & the Hallé Orchestra for Adams: El Dorado

• 1997: John Corigliano (composer) & the Cleveland Quartet for Corigliano: String Quartet

• 1996: Olivier Messiaen (composer) & Myung-Whun Chung (conductor) for Messiaen: Concert a Quatre

• 1995: Stephen Albert (composer), David Zinman (conductor) & Yo-Yo Ma for Albert: Cello Concerto

• 1994: Elliott Carter (composer), Oliver Knussen (conductor) & the London Symphony Orchestra for Carter: Violin Concerto

• 1993: Samuel Barber (composer), Andrew Schnenck (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Barber: The Lovers

• 1992: John Corigliano (composer), Daniel Barenboim (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Corigliano: Symphony No. 1

• 1991: Leonard Bernstein (composer), Judy Kaye & William Sharp for Bernstein: Arias & Barcarolles

• 1990: Steve Reich (composer) & the Kronos Quartet for Reich: Different Trains

1980s

• 1989: John Adams (composer), Edo de Waart (conductor) & the San Francisco Symphony for Adams: Nixon in China

• 1988: Krzysztof Penderecki (composer & conductor), Mstislav Rostropovich & the Philharmonia Orchestra for Penderecki: Cello Concerto No. 2

• 1987: Witold Lutosławski (composer) & Esa-Pekka Salonen (conductor) for Lutosławski: Symphony No. 3

• 1986: Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer), Sarah Brightman & Plácido Domingo for Lloyd Webber: Requiem

• 1985: Samuel Barber (composer) & Christian Badea (conductor) for Antony and Cleopatra

1960s

• 1966: Charles Ives (composer) for Ives: Symphony No. 4, conducted by Leopold Stokowski

• 1965: Samuel Barber (composer) for Concerto, performed by John Browning

• 1964: Benjamin Britten (composer & conductor) & the London Symphony Orchestra for Britten: War Requiem

• 1963: Igor Stravinsky (composer and conductor) for Stravinsky: The Flood

• 1962: Laurindo Almeida (composer and artist) for Discantus & Igor Stravinsky (composer and artist) for Stravinsky: Movements for Piano and Orchestra

• 1961: Aaron Copland (composer & conductor) & the Boston Symphony Orchestra for Orchestral Suite from The Tender Land Suite