Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album

The Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards,^[1] to recording artists for quality works (songs or albums) in the Latin jazz music genre. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".^[2]

Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album
Awarded for	Quality performances in the Latin jazz music genre
Country	United States
Presented by	National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First award	1995
Currently held by	Luques Curtis, Zaccai Curtis, Willie Martinez, Camilo Molina & Reinaldo de Jesus – Cubop Lives! (2025)
Website	grammy.com

Originally called the Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Performance, the award was first presented to Arturo Sandoval in 1995. The name of the category was changed to Best Latin Jazz Album in 2001, the same year producers, engineers, and/or mixers associated with the winning work became award recipients in addition to the recording artists. According to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards, the award is presented to "vocal or instrumental albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded material", with the intent to recognize the "blending" of jazz music with Argentinian, Brazilian, Iberian-American, and Latin tango music.^[3] Beginning in 1998, members of the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (LARAS) are eligible to vote in the Latin categories including Best Latin Jazz Album.^[4]

As of 2023, Chucho Valdés has the most wins in this category, with five. Arturo O’Farrill has won four, Paquito D'Rivera has won three, and two-time recipients include Sandoval, Eliane Elias, Charlie Haden, and Eddie Palmieri (once as a collaboration called The Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project). Since its inception, the award has been presented to musicians or groups originating from Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and the United States.

The award was not presented in 2012 as part of a major overhaul of Grammy categories; Latin jazz recordings were shifted to either the Best Jazz Instrumental Album or Best Jazz Vocal Album categories. However following protests and a lawsuit made by Latin jazz musicians Bobby Sanabria, Eugene Marlow, Ben Lapidus, and Mark Levine filed by attorney Roger Maldonado, the Recording Academy reinstated the category the following year 2013 for the 55th Grammy Awards.^[5]

Recipients

Two-time award winner Arturo Sandoval, performing in 2008

1998 award winner Roy Hargrove, performing at the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam in 2006

Five-time award winner Chucho Valdés in 2007

Three-time winner, Paquito D'Rivera

Two-time award winner Charlie Haden, performing in 2007

2004 award winner Michel Camilo in 2007

Arturo O'Farrill has won four times alongside the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Year[I]	Performing artist(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
1995	Arturo Sandoval	Danzón (Dance On)	Ray Barretto & New World Spirit – Taboo Mario Bauza and the Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra – 944 Columbus Jerry González and the Fort Apache Band – Crossroads Eddie Palmieri – Palmas	[6]
1996	Jobim	Antônio Brasileiro	Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band – Pensativo Chico O'Farrill and His Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra – Pure Emotion Eddie Palmieri – Arete Patato and Changuito y Orestes – Ritmo y Candela: Rhythm at the Crossroads	[7]
1997	Paquito D'Rivera	Portraits of Cuba	Ray Barretto – My Summertime Steve Berrios and Son Bacheche – And Then Some! Terence Blanchard and Ivan Lins – The Heart Speaks Don Grolnick – Medianoche	[8]
1998	Roy Hargrove's Crisol	Habana	Conrad Herwig – The Latin Side of John Coltrane Giovanni Hidalgo – Hands of Rhythm Banda Mantiqueira – Aldeia Carlos "Patato" Valdes – Ritmo y Candela II: African Crossroads	[9]
1999	Arturo Sandoval	Hot House	Ray Barretto and New World Spirit – Contact Paquito D'Rivera and the United Nation Orchestra – Paquito D'Rivera and the United Nation Orchestra Danilo Pérez – Central Avenue David Sánchez – Obsession Chucho Valdés – Bele Bele en la Habana	[10]
2000	Poncho Sanchez	Latin Soul	Al McKibbon – Tumbao Para los Congueros di Mi Vida Bobby Rodríguez – Latin Jazz Explosion Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Cuban Quartet – Antiguo Chucho Valdés – Briyumba Palo Congo – Religion of the Congo	[11]
2001	Chucho Valdés	Live at the Village Vanguard	Bobby Sanabria Big Band – Afro-Cuban Dream... Live & in Clave Gary Burton – Libertango: The Music of Ástor Piazzolla Danilo Pérez – Motherland David Sánchez – Melaza	[12]
2002	Charlie Haden	Nocturne	Los Hombres Calientes (Irvin Mayfield and Bill Summers) – Vol. 3: New Congo Square Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio – Supernova David Sánchez – Travesía Various artists – Calle 54	[13]
2003	Dave Samuels and the Caribbean Jazz Project	The Gathering	Jane Bunnett – Alma de Santiago Duduka Da Fonseca – Samba Jazz Fantasia John Santos and the Machete Ensemble – S.F. Bay Omar Sosa – Sentir	[14]
2004	Michel Camilo, Charles Flores, and Horacio Hernández	Live at the Blue Note	Jane Bunnett – Cuban Odyssey Caribbean Jazz Project – Birds of a Feather Mark Levine and the Latin Tinge – Isla Chucho Valdés – New Conceptions	[15]
2005	Charlie Haden	Land of the Sun	Raphael Cruz – Bebop Timba Jerry Gonzalez y los Piratas del Flamenco – Jerry Gonzalez y los Piratas del Flamenco Conrad Herwig Nonet – Another Kind of Blue: The Latin Side of Miles Davis Diego Urcola – Soundances	[16]
2006	Eddie Palmieri	Listen Here!	Ray Barretto – Time Was – Time Is Caribbean Jazz Project featuring Dave Samuels – Here and Now – Live in Concert Sammy Figueroa and His Latin Jazz Explosion – ...And Sammy Walked In Omar Sosa – Mulatos	[17]
2007	The Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project	Simpático	Ignacio Berroa – Codes Edsel Gómez – Cubist Music Dafnis Prieto – Absolute Quintet Diego Urcola, Edward Simon, Avishai Cohen, Antonio Sánchez and Pernell Saturnino – Viva
2008	Paquito D'Rivera Quintet?	Funk Tango	Bobby Sanabria Big Band – Big Band Urban Folktales Sammy Figueroa and His Latin Jazz Explosion – The Magician Steve Khan – Borrowed Time Héctor Martignon – Refugee	[18]
2009	Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra	Song for Chico	Caribbean Jazz Project – Afro Bop Alliance Conrad Herwig and the Latin Side Band – The Latin Side of Wayne Shorter Nestor Torres – Nouveau Latino Papo Vázquez and The Mighty Pirates – Marooned/Aislado	[19]
2010	Bebo Valdés and Chucho Valdés	Juntos Para Siempre	Chembo Corniel – Things I Wanted to Do Geoffrey Keezer – Áurea Claudio Roditi – Brazilliance X 4 Miguel Zenón – Esta Plena	[20]
2011	Chucho Valdés and the Afro-Cuban Messengers	Chucho's Steps	Pablo Aslan – Tango Grill Hector Martignon – Second Chance Poncho Sánchez – Psychedelic Blues Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet – ¡Bien Bien!	[21]
2013	Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band	Ritmo!	Bobby Sanabria Big Band – Multiverse Chano Dominguez – Flamenco Sketches Manuel Valera New Cuban Express – New Cuban Express Luciana Souza – Duos III	[22]
2014	Paquito D'Rivera and Trio Corrente	Song for Maura	Buika – La Noche Más Larga Roberto Fonseca – Yo Omar Sosa – Eggun Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quartet – Latin Jazz – Jazz Latin	[23]
2015	Arturo O'Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra	The Offense of the Drum	Conrad Herwig ft. Joe Lovano – The Latin Side of Joe Henderson Pedrito Martinez Group – The Pedrito Martinez Group Emilio Solla and La Inestable de Brooklyn – Second Half Yosvany Terry – New Throned King	[24]
2016	Eliane Elias	Made in Brazil	Rodriguez Brothers – Impromptu Gonzalo Rubalcaba – Suite Caminos Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet – Intercambio Miguel Zenón – Identities Are Changeable	[25]
2017	Chucho Valdés	Tribute to Irakere: Live in Marciac	Andy González – Entre Colegas Brian Lynch/Various Artists – Madera Latino: A Latin Jazz Perspective on the Music of Woody Shaw Michael Spiro/Wayne Wallace/La Orquesta Sinfonietta – Canto América Trio da Paz – 30	[26]
2018	Pablo Ziegler Trio	Jazz Tango	Antonio Adolfo – Hybrido – From Rio to Wayne Shorter Jane Bunnett & Maqueque – Oddara Anat Cohen & Marcello Goncalves – Outra Coisa – The Music of Moacir Santos Miguel Zenón – Típico	[27]
2019	Dafnis Prieto Big Band	Back to the Sunset	Eddie Daniels – Heart of Brazil Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band – West Side Story Reimagined Elio Villafranca – Cinque Miguel Zenón featuring Spektral Quartet – Yo Soy La Tradición	[28]
2020	Chick Corea & the Spanish Heart Band	Antidote	Thalma de Freitas with Victor Goncalves, John Patitucci, Chico Pinheiro, Rogerio Boccato and Duduka da Fonseca – Sorte! Music by John Finbury Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis featuring Rubén Blades – Una Noche con Rubén Blades David Sánchez – Carib Miguel Zenón – Sonero: The Music of Ismael Rivera	[29]
2021	Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra	Four Questions	Afro Peruvian Jazz Orchestra – Tradiciones Chico Pinheiro – City of Dreams Gonzalo Rubalcaba & Aymée Nuviola – Viento y Tiempo – Live at Blue Note Tokyo Poncho Sánchez – Trane's Delight	[30]
2022	Eliane Elias with Chick Corea & Chucho Valdés	Mirror Mirror	Carlos Henriquez – The South Bronx Story Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – Virtual Birdland Dafnis Prieto Sextet – Transparency Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo – El Arte Del Bolero	[31]
2023	Arturo O'Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra ft. the Congra Patria Son Jarocho Collective	Fandango at the Wall in New York	Danilo Pérez featuring the Global Messengers – Crisálida Flora Purim – If You Will Arturo Sandoval – Rhythm & Soul Miguel Zenón – Música de las Américas	[32]
2024	Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo	El Arte del Bolero Vol. 2	Eliane Elias – Quietude Ivan Lins & The Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra – My Heart Speaks Bobby Sanabria Multiverse Big Band – Vox Humana Luciana Souza & Trio Corrente – Cometa	[33]
2025	Luques Curtis, Zaccai Curtis, Willie Martinez, Camilo Molina & Reinaldo de Jesus	Cubop Lives!	Michel Camilo & Tomatito – Spain Forever Again Hamilton de Holanda & Gonzalo Rubalcaba – COLLAB Eliane Elias – Time And Again Horacio "El Negro" Hernández, John Beasley, & José Gola – El Trio: Live in Italy Chucho Valdés & Royal Quartet – Cuba and Beyond Donald Vega featuring Lewis Nash, John Patitucci, & Luisito Quintero – As I Travel	[34]

^{^[I]} Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

See also

• Jazz portal
• Latin music portal

• Afro-Cuban jazz
• Billboard Latin Music Award for Latin Jazz Album of the Year
• Latin Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz/Jazz Album
• List of Grammy Award categories
• Tango (dance)