The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Performance has been awarded since 1959. Before 1979 the award title did not specify instrumental performances and was presented for instrumental or vocal performances. The award has had several minor name changes:
- In 1959 the award was known as Best Jazz Performance, Individual
- In 1960 it was awarded as Best Jazz Performance - Soloist
- From 1961 to 1971 the award was combined with the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
- From 1972 to 1978 it was awarded as Best Jazz Performance by a Soloist
- From 1979 to 1988 it was awarded as Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
- From 1989 to 1990 it was awarded as Best Jazz Instrumental Performance Soloist (on a jazz recording)
- In 1991 it was awarded as Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist
- From 1992 to 2008 it was awarded as Best Jazz Instrumental Solo
- From 2009 to 2023, it was awarded as Best Improvised Jazz Solo
- Since 2024, it has been awarded as Best Jazz Performance
Recipients
right|upright|thumb|Two-time winner [[Ella Fitzgerald.]]
right|upright|thumb|Two-time winner [[Bill Evans.]]
right|upright|thumb|1974 award-winner [[Art Tatum.]]
right|upright|thumb|Two-time winner [[Dizzy Gillespie.]]
right|upright|thumb|Four-time winner [[Oscar Peterson.]]
right|upright|thumb|1982 winner [[John Coltrane.]]
right|upright|thumb|Three-time winner [[Miles Davis.]]
right|upright|thumb|Three-time winner [[Wynton Marsalis.]]
right|upright|thumb|Six-time winner [[Michael Brecker.]]
right|upright|thumb|Three-time winner [[Herbie Hancock.]]
right|upright|thumb|Two-time winner [[Terence Blanchard.]]
right|upright|thumb|Eight-time winner [[Chick Corea.]]
{| class="wikitable"
! width="7%" | Year
! width="25%" | Performing artist(s)
! width="25%" | Work
! width="35%" class=unsortable|Nominees
! width="5%" class=unsortable|Ref.
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1959
| rowspan="2"|Ella Fitzgerald
| Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Duke Ellington Songbook
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1960
| Ella Swings Lightly
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1972
| Bill Evans Trio
| The Bill Evans Album
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1973
| Gary Burton
| Alone at Last
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1974
| Art Tatum
| God Is in the House
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1975
| Charlie Parker
| First Recordings!
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1976
| Dizzy Gillespie
| Oscar Peterson and Dizzy Gillespie
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1977
| Count Basie
| Basie & Zoot
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1978
| rowspan="3" |Oscar Peterson
| The Giants
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1979
| Oscar Peterson Jam – Montreux '77
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1980
| Jousts
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1981
| Bill Evans
| I Will Say Goodbye
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1982
| John Coltrane
| Bye Bye Blackbird
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1983
| Miles Davis
| We Want Miles
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1984
| rowspan="3"|Wynton Marsalis
| Think of One
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1985
| Hot House Flowers
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1986
| Black Codes (From the Underground)
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1987
| Miles Davis
| Tutu
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1988
| Dexter Gordon
| The Other Side of Round Midnight
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1989
| Michael Brecker
| Don't Try This at Home
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1990
| Miles Davis
| Aura
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1991
| Oscar Peterson
| The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1992
| Stan Getz
| "I Remember You"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1993
| rowspan="2"|Joe Henderson
| "Lush Life"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1994
| "Miles Ahead"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1995
| Benny Carter
| "Prelude to a Kiss"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1996
| rowspan="2"|Michael Brecker
| "Impressions"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1997
| "Cabin Fever"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1998
| Doc Cheatham & Nicholas Payton
| "Stardust"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|1999
| Gary Burton & Chick Corea
| "Rhumbata"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2000
| Wayne Shorter
| "In Walked Wayne"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2001
| Pat Metheny
| "(Go) Get It"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2002
| Michael Brecker
| "Chan's Song"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2003
| Herbie Hancock
| "My Ship"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2004
| Chick Corea
| "Matrix"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2005
| Herbie Hancock
| "Speak Like a Child"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2006
| Sonny Rollins
| "Why Was I Born?"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2007
| rowspan="2" | Michael Brecker
| "Some Skunk Funk"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2008
| "Anagram"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2009
| rowspan="2" | Terence Blanchard
| "Be-Bop"
|
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2010
| "Dancin' 4 Chicken"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Gerald Clayton – "All Of You"
- Roy Hargrove – "Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey"
- Martial Solal – "On Green Dolphin Street"
- Miguel Zenón – "Villa Palmeras"
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2011
| Herbie Hancock
| "A Change Is Gonna Come"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Alan Broadbent – "Solar"
- Keith Jarrett – "Body and Soul"
- Hank Jones – "Lonely Woman"
- Wynton Marsalis – "Van Gogh"
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2012
| Chick Corea
| "500 Miles High"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Randy Brecker – "All or Nothing at All"
- Ron Carter – "You Are My Sunshine"
- Fred Hersch – "Work"
- Sonny Rollins – "Sonnymoon for Two"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2013
| Gary Burton & Chick Corea
| "Hot House"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Ravi Coltrane – "Cross Roads"
- Chick Corea – "Alice in Wonderland"
- Kenny Garrett – "J. Mac"
- Brad Mehldau – "Ode"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2014
| Wayne Shorter
| "Orbits"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Terence Blanchard – "Don't Run"
- Paquito D'Rivera – "Song for Maura"
- Fred Hersch – "Song Without Words #4: Duet"
- Donny McCaslin – "Stadium Jazz"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2015
| Chick Corea
| "Fingerprints"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Kenny Barron – "The Eye of the Hurricane"
- Fred Hersch – "You & the Night & the Music"
- Joe Lovano – "Recorda Me"
- Brad Mehldau – "Sleeping Giant"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2016
| Christian McBride
| "Cherokee"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Joey Alexander – "Giant Steps"
- Donny McCaslin – "Arbiters of Evolution"
- Joshua Redman – "Friend or Foe"
- John Scofield – "Past Present"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2017
| John Scofield
| "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Joey Alexander – "Countdown"
- Ravi Coltrane – "In Movement"
- Fred Hersch – "We See"
- Brad Mehldau – "I Concentrate on You"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2018
| John McLaughlin
| "Miles Beyond"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Sara Caswell – "Can't Remember Why"
- Billy Childs – "Dance of Shiva"
- Fred Hersch – "Whisper Not"
- Chris Potter – "Ilimba"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2019
| John Daversa
| "Don't Fence Me In"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Regina Carter – "Some Of That Sunshine"
- Fred Hersch – "We See"
- Brad Mehldau – "De-Dah"
- Miguel Zenón – "Cadenas"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2020
| Randy Brecker
| "Sozinho"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Melissa Aldana – "Elsewhere"
- Julian Lage – "Tomorrow Is The Question"
- Branford Marsalis – "The Windup"
- Christian McBride – "Sightseeing"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2021
| rowspan="2" | Chick Corea
| "All Blues"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – "Guinevere"
- Regina Carter – "Pachamama"
- Gerald Clayton – "Celia"
- Joshua Redman – "Moe Honk"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2022
| "Humpty Dumpty (Set 2)"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah – "Sackodougou"
- Kenny Barron – "Kick Those Feet"
- Jon Batiste – "Bigger Than Us"
- Terence Blanchard – "Absence"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2023
| Wayne Shorter & Leo Genovese (soloist)
| "Endangered Species"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Ambrose Akinmusire – "Rounds (Live)"
- Gerald Albright – "Keep Holding On"
- Melissa Aldana – "Falling"
- Marcus Baylor – "Call of the Drum"
- John Beasley – "Cherokee/Koko"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2024
| Samara Joy
|"Tight"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- Adam Blackstone featuring the Baylor Project & Russell Ferranté – "Vulnerable (Live)"
- Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding – "But Not for Me"
- Jon Batiste – "Movement 18' (Heroes)"
- Lakecia Benjamin – "Basquiat"
|
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"|2025
| Samara Joy featuring Sullivan Fortner
| "Twinkle Twinkle Little Me"
|style="font-size:smaller"|
- The Baylor Project – "Walk With Me, Lord (SOUND | SPIRIT)"
- Lakecia Benjamin featuring Randy Brecker, Jeff "Tain" Watts, & John Scofield – "Phoenix Reimagined (Live)"
- Chick Corea & Béla Fleck – "Juno"
- Dan Pugach Big Band featuring Nicole Zuraitis & Troy Roberts – "Little Fears"
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
! style="text-align: center;" |2026
|Chick Corea, Christian McBride & Brian Blade
| "Windows - Live"
|
- <small>Lakecia Benjamin ft. Immanuel Wilkins & Mark Whitfield - Noble Rise</small>
- <small>Samara Joy - Peace Of Mind / Dreams Come True</small>
- <small>Michael Mayo - Four</small>
- <small>Nicole Zuraitis, Dan Pugach, Tom Scott, Idan Morim, Keyon Harrold & Rachel Eckroth - All Stars Lead To You - Live</small>
| style="text-align: center;" |
|}
Artists with multiple wins
;8 wins
- Chick Corea
;4 wins
- Oscar Peterson
;3 wins
- Gary Burton
- Miles Davis
- Wynton Marsalis
- Herbie Hancock
- Wayne Shorter
;2 wins
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Joe Henderson
- Samara Joy
- Christian McBride
Artists with multiple nominations
;15 nominations
- Chick Corea
;10 nominations
- Wynton Marsalis
;8 nominations
- Phil Woods
;7 nominations
- Miles Davis
- Branford Marsalis
- Kenny Barron
- Herbie Hancock
;6 nominations
- Gary Burton
;5 nominations
- Dizzy Gillespie
- Hank Jones
- Randy Brecker
;4 nominations
- Keith Jarrett
- Oscar Peterson
- Stan Getz
- Pepper Adams
- Tommy Flanagan
- Wayne Shorter
;3 nominations
- John Coltrane
- Freddie Hubbard
- Dexter Gordon
- Jimmy Rowles
- Ira Sullivan
- Pete Christlieb
- Charlie Haden
- Pat Metheny
- Alan Broadbent
;2 nominations
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Jonah Jones
- Andre Previn
- Bill Evans
- Jim Hall
- Art Tatum
- Sonny Stitt
- McCoy Tyner
- Hubert Laws
- Jaco Pastorius
- Zoot Sims
- Eddie Daniels
- Joe Henderson
- Benny Carter
- Joe Lovano
- Pat Martino
- Sonny Rollins
- Samara Joy