Latin Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Album


The Latin Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Album is an honor presented annually at the Latin Grammy Awards, a ceremony that recognizes excellence and creates a wider awareness of cultural diversity and contributions of Latin recording artists in the United States and internationally. The award goes to the artists for releasing albums containing at least 51% or more of instrumental tracks of Latin instrumental recordings.
The award was first presented in 2001 in the pop field under the name of Best Pop Instrumental Album when it was handed out to Nestor Torres for the album This Side Of Paradise. However it wasn't until the Latin Grammy Awards of 2004 when the instrumental field was created and the award received its current denomination Best Instrumental Album which was awarded to Yo-Yo Ma for Obrigado Brazil.
Chick Corea is the biggest winner in this category with two awards. Furthermore, musicians from the United States have received this award on four occasions. The rest of the winners come from Argentina, Cuba, Colombia and Puerto Rico. In 2013, the album Presente by Bajofondo became the first instrumental album to be nominated for Album of the Year.

History

At the first Latin Grammy Awards ceremony a category intended for instrumental recordings was presented in the pop field under the name of Best Pop Instrumental Performance for singles and tracks only. The winner was Mexican guitarist Santana for the song "El Farol", which also happened to win the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance that same year, who competed against; Raul di Blasio for "El Despertar Escandalo", Ivan Lins for "Dois Córregos", Frankie Marcos featuring Arturo Sandoval for "Oh Havana, When I Think Of You" and Nestor Torres for "Luna Latina". The following year a category was created under the name of Best Pop Instrumental Album now intended for full albums. In 2004 the category was renamed Best Instrumental Album and moved to the newly created instrumental field which now includes all forms of Latin instrumental music.

Recipients

YearPerforming artistNationalityWorkNomineesRef.
2001Nestor TorresPuerto Rico
2002Chucho ValdésCuba
2003Bajofondo Tango ClubArgentina
2004Yo-Yo MaUnited States
2005David SánchezPuerto Rico
2006Bebo ValdésCuba
2007Chick Corea and Béla FleckUnited States
2008Orquesta Filarmónica de BogotáColombia
2009Carlos Franzetti and Eddie GómezArgentina
Puerto Rico
2010Arturo SandovalUnited States
2011Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny WhiteUnited States
2012Chick Corea, Eddie Gómez and Paul MotianUnited States
Puerto Rico
2013BajofondoArgentina
Uruguay
2014Arturo O'Farrill and the Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz OrchestraMexicoFinal Night at Birdland
2015Ed Calle and MamblueVenezuelaDr. Ed Calle Presents Mamblue
2016Hamilton de HolandaBrazilSamba de Chico
2017Michel Camilo and TomatitoDominican Republic
Spain		Spain Forever
2018Miguel SisoVenezuelaIdentidad-

Each year is linked to the article about the Latin Grammy Awards held that year.