# 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, 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".
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. 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.
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.

## Recipients

| Year | Performing artist(s) | Work | Nominees |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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! |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 2016 | Eliane Elias | Made in Brazil | Rodriguez Brothers – Impromptu Gonzalo Rubalcaba – Suite Caminos Wayne Wallace Latin Jazz Quintet – Intercambio Miguel Zenón – Identities Are Changeable |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.