| Year [I] | Performing artist(s) | Work | Nominees | Ref. |
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| 1961 | Henry Mancini | The Blues and the Beat | | [1] |
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| 1962 | Stan Kenton | Kenton's West Side Story | | [2] |
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| 1963 | Adventures in Jazz | | [3] |
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| 1964 | Woody Herman | Encore: Woody Herman, 1963 | | [4] |
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| 1965 | Laurindo Almeida | Guitar from Ipanema | | [5] |
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| 1966 | Duke Ellington | Ellington '66 | | [6] |
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| 1967 | Not awarded | |
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| 1968 | Duke Ellington | The Far East Suite | | |
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| 1969 | Duke Ellington | ...And His Mother Called Him Bill | | |
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| 1970 | Quincy Jones | Walking in Space | | |
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| 1971 | Miles Davis | Bitches Brew | | |
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| 1972 | Duke Ellington | New Orleans Suite | | |
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| 1973 | Togo Brava Suite | | |
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| 1974 | Woody Herman | Giant Steps | | |
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| 1975 | Thundering Herd | | |
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| 1976 | Michel Legrand & Phil Woods | Images | | |
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| 1977 | Duke Ellington | The Ellington Suites | | |
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| 1978 | Count Basie | Prime Time | | |
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| 1979 | The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra | Live in Munich | | [7] |
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| 1980 | Duke Ellington | Duke Ellington at Fargo, 1940 Live | | [8] |
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| 1981 | Count Basie | On the Road | | |
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| 1982 | Gerry Mulligan | Walk on the Water | | |
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| 1983 | Count Basie | Warm Breeze | | |
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| 1984 | Rob McConnell | All in Good Time | | |
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| 1985 | Count Basie | 88 Basie Street | | [9] |
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| 1986 | Bob Wilber & John Barry | The Cotton Club | | |
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| 1987 | Doc Severinsen | The Tonight Show Band with Doc Severinsen | | |
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| 1988 | Mercer Ellington | Digital Duke | | |
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| 1989 | Gil Evans | Bud and Bird | | |
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| 1990 | Miles Davis | Aura | | |
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| 1991 | Frank Foster | "Basie's Bag" | | |
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| 1992 | Dizzy Gillespie | Live at the Royal Festival Hall | | |
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| 1993 | McCoy Tyner | The Turning Point | | [10] |
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| 1994 | Miles Davis & Quincy Jones | Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux | | [11] |
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| 1995 | McCoy Tyner | Journey | | [12] |
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| 1996 | Tom Scott, GRP All-Star Big Band | All Blues | | [13] |
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| 1997 | Grover Mitchell | Live at Manchester Craftsmen's Guild | | |
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| 1998 | Joe Henderson | Big Band | | [14] |
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| 1999 | Grover Mitchell, Count Basie Orchestra | Count Plays Duke | | [15] |
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| 2000 | Bob Florence | Serendipity 18 | | [16] |
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| 2001 | Joe Lovano | 52nd Street Themes | | [17] |
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| 2002 | Bob Mintzer Big Band | Homage to Count Basie | | [18] |
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| 2003 | Dave Holland | What Goes Around | | [19] |
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| 2004 | Michael Brecker | Wide Angles | | [20] |
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| 2005 | Maria Schneider | Concert in the Garden | | |
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| 2006 | Dave Holland | Overtime | | [21] |
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| 2007 | Randy Brecker with Michael Brecker, Jim Beard, Will Lee, Peter Erskine, Marcio Doctor & Vince Mendoza conducting The WDR Big Band Köln | Some Skunk Funk | | [22] |
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| 2008 | Terence Blanchard | A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina) | | [23] |
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| 2009 | Vanguard Jazz Orchestra | Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard | | [24] |
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| 2010 | New Orleans Jazz Orchestra | Book One | | |
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| 2011 | Mingus Big Band | Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard | | |
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| 2012 | Christian McBride Big Band | The Good Feeling | | |
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| 2013 | Arturo Sandoval | Dear Diz (Every Day I Think of You) | | |
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| 2014 | Randy Brecker, Włodek Pawlik Trio, Kalisz Philharmonic | Night in Calisia | | [25] |
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| 2015 | Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band | Life in the Bubble | | [26] |
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| 2016 | Maria Schneider Orchestra | The Thompson Fields | | [27] |
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| 2017 | Ted Nash Big Band | Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom | | [28] |
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| 2018 | Christian McBride Big Band | Bringin' It | - John Beasley – Monk'estra Vol. 2
- Alan Ferber Big Band – Jigsaw
- Vince Mendoza & the WDR Big Band Cologne – Homecoming
- Chuck Owen & the Jazz Surge – Whispers on the Wind
| [29] |
|---|
| 2019 | John Daversa Big Band featuring DACA Artists | American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom | | [30] |
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| 2020 | Brian Lynch Big Band | The Omni-American Book Club | | [31] |
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| 2021 | Maria Schneider Orchestra | Data Lords | | [32] |
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| 2022 | Christian McBride Big Band | For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver | | [33] |
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| 2023 | Steven Feifke, Bijon Watson & the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra | The Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra | | [34] |
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| 2024 | Count Basie Orchestra conducted by Scotty Barnhart | Basie Swings The Blues | | [35] |
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| 2025 | Dan Pugach Big Band | Bianca Reimagined: Music For Paws And Persistence | | [36] |
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| 2026 | Winner TBA on 1 February 2026 | | | [37] |
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