# Grammy Award for Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album

The Grammy Award for Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album is presented to recording artists for quality albums in the new-age music genre at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. 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 New Age Recording, the honor was first presented to Swiss musician Andreas Vollenweider at the 29th Grammy Awards in 1987 for his album Down to the Moon. Two compilation albums featuring Windham Hill Records artists were nominated that same year. The record label was founded by William Ackerman, later an award nominee and 2005 winner for the album Returning. From 1988 to 1991 the category was known as Best New Age Performance. from 1992 to 2023, the award was presented as Best New Age Album. Beginning in 2001, award recipients included the producers, engineers, and/or mixers associated with the nominated work in addition to the recording artists. From 2023, the category has been known as Best New Age, Ambient or Chant Album.
While "new-age" music can be difficult to define, journalist Steven Rea described the genre as "music that is acoustic, electronic, jazzy, folky and incorporates classical and pop elements, Eastern and Latin influences, exotic instrumentation and environmental sound effects." According to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards, the award is presented for instrumental or vocal new-age albums "containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded material", with seasonal recordings not being eligible. The addition of the award category reflected a "coming of age" of the music genre, though some musicians classified as new age dislike the term "new age" and some of its negative connotations.

## Multiple wins

As of 2015, Paul Winter holds the record for the most wins in this category, having won six times (four times as the leader of the group Paul Winter Consort). Winter is the only musician to win the award consecutively; he received an award in 1994 for Spanish Angel as a member of his ensemble and another in 1995 for Prayer for the Wild Things as a solo artist. Irish musician Enya has received four awards. Kitarō holds the record for the most nominations, with sixteen (with only one win, in 2001). All five volumes of Kitarō's Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai series were nominated for Best New Age Album.
Pianist Peter Kater held the record for most nominations without a win, with 12, until he finally won his first Grammy (for Dancing on Water) in 2018. He also holds the record from the most consecutive nominations, with 11, having been nominated every year between 2007 and 2018.
Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai is the only artist to be nominated for more than one work within the same year—for the 42nd Grammy Awards he was nominated alongside Paul Horn for Inside Monument Valley and for his own album Inner Voices.

## Recipients

| Year | Performing artist(s) | Work | Nominees | Ref. |
| 1987 | Andreas Vollenweider | Down to the Moon | Jean Michel Jarre – Rendez-Vous Paul Winter – Canyon Various artists (Windham Hill Records) – A Winter Solstice Various artists – Windham Hill Records Sampler '86 | [3] [7] |
| 1988 | Yusef Lateef | Yusef Lateef's Little Symphony | Paul Horn – Traveler Kitarō – "The Field" Montreaux – "Sweet Intentions" Patrick O'Hearn – Between Two Worlds Liz Story – "Reconciliations" | |
| 1989 | Shadowfax | Folksongs for a Nuclear Village | Suzanne Ciani – Neverland Mark Isham – Castalia Steve Khan and Rob Mounsey – Local Color Paul Winter – "Down in Belgorod" | [10] [11] [12] [13] |
| 1990 | Peter Gabriel | Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ | Enya – "Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)" Mark Isham – Tibet Andreas Vollenweider – Dancing with the Lion Paul Winter – "Icarus" | |
| 1991 | Mark Isham | Mark Isham | Acoustic Alchemy – "Caravan of Dreams" Michael Hedges – Taproot Mannheim Steamroller – Yellowstone: The Music of Nature Mysterious Voices of Bulgaria – Balkan Paul Winter – Earth: Voices of a Planet | |
| 1992 | Chip Davis | Fresh Aire 7 | David Arkenstone – In the Wake of the Wind Suzanne Ciani – Hotel Luna Ottmar Liebert – Borrasca Tangerine Dream – Canyon Dreams | |
| 1993 | Enya | Shepherd Moons | Kitarō – Dream Shadowfax – Esperanto Tangerine Dream – Rockoon Yanni – Dare to Dream | |
| 1994 | Paul Winter Consort | Spanish Angel | Clannad – Banba Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra – The Hours Between Night and Day Tangerine Dream – 220 Volt Live Yanni – In My Time | |
| 1995 | Paul Winter | Prayer for the Wild Things | Craig Chaquico – Acoustic Planet Kitarō – Mandala Michael Nesmith – The Garden Tangerine Dream – Turn of the Tides | |
| 1996 | George Winston | Forest | Suzanne Ciani – Dream Suite Kitarō – An Enchanted Evening Patrick O'Hearn – Trust Tangerine Dream – Tyranny of Beauty | |
| 1997 | Enya | The Memory of Trees | Acoustic Alchemy – Arcanum Suzanne Ciani – Pianissimo II Clannad – Lore Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra – Opium | |
| 1998 | Michael Hedges | Oracle | Enigma – Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi! Mike Oldfield – Voyager Vangelis – Oceanic Paul Winter – Canyon Lullaby | |
| 1999 | Clannad | Landmarks | William Ackerman – Sound of Wind Driven Rain Alex De Grassi – The Water Garden Kitarō – Gaia Onbashira John Tesh – Grand Passion | |
| 2000 | Paul Winter | Celtic Solstice | David Arkenstone – Citizen of the World Suzanne Ciani – Turning Paul Horn and R. Carlos Nakai – Inside Monument Valley R. Carlos Nakai – Inner Voices George Winston – Plains | |
| 2001 | Kitarō | Thinking of You | Maire Brennan – Whisper to the Wild Water Phil Coulter – Highland Cathedral David Lanz – East of the Moon R. Carlos Nakai, William Eaton, Will Clipman and Nawang Khechog – In a Distant Place | [24] [25] |
| 2002 | Enya | A Day Without Rain | Philip Aaberg – Live from Montana David Darling – Cello Blue Kitarō – Ancient Sacred Spirit – Sacred Spirit II: More Chants and Dances of the Native Americans | |
| 2003 | Tingstad and Rumbel | Acoustic Garden | William Ackerman – Hearing Voices Kitarō – An Ancient Journey R. Carlos Nakai – Fourth World Jai Uttal and the Pagan Love Orchestra – Mondo Rama | |
| 2004 | Pat Metheny | One Quiet Night | Cusco – Inner Journeys: Myths & Legends Michael Hoppé – Solace Peter Kater – Red Moon Kitarō – Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai | |
| 2005 | William Ackerman | Returning | David Arkenstone – Atlantis: A Symphonic Journey Moya Brennan – Two Horizons Peter Kater – Piano Jonathan Elias – American River | [29] [30] |
| 2006 | Paul Winter Consort | Silver Solstice | Jack DeJohnette – Music in the Key of Om Kitarō – Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 2 R. Carlos Nakai Quartet – People of Peace George Winston – Montana – A Love Story | |
| 2007 | Enya | Amarantine | Enigma – A posteriori Gentle Thunder with Will Clipman and AmoChip Dabney – Beyond Words Peter Kater – Elements Series: Fire Andreas Vollenweider – The Magical Journeys of Andreas Vollenweider | |
| 2008 | Paul Winter Consort | Crestone | Peter Kater – Faces of the Sun Kitarō – Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 3 Ottmar Liebert – One Guitar Eric Tingstad – Southwest | |
| 2009 | Jack DeJohnette | Peace Time | William Ackerman – Meditations Will Clipman – Pathfinder Peter Kater – Ambrosia Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra – The Scent of Light | |
| 2010 | David Darling | Prayer for Compassion | Jim Brickman – Faith Henta – Laserium for the Soul Peter Kater, Dominic Miller, Kenny Loggins and Jaques Morelenbaum – In a Dream Kitarō – Impressions of the West Lake | |
| 2011 | Paul Winter Consort | Miho: Journey to the Mountain | Michael Brant DeMaria – Ocean Kitarō – Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 4 R. Carlos Nakai, William Eaton and Will Clipman – Dancing Into Silence Zamora – Instrumental Oasis, Vol 4 | |
| 2012 | Pat Metheny | What's It All About | Al Conti – Northern Seas Michael Brant DeMaria – Gaia Peter Kater – Wind, Rock, Sea & Flame Zamora – Instrumental Oasis, Vol. 6 | |
| 2013 | Omar Akram | Echoes of Love | Krishna Das – Live Ananda Michael Brant DeMaria – Bindu Steven Halpern – Deep Alpha Peter Kater – Light Body Loreena McKennitt – Troubadours of the Rhine | |
| 2014 | Laura Sullivan | Love's River | Brian Eno – Lux Peter Kater – Illumination Kitarō – Final Call R. Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman – Awakening the Fire | |
| 2015 | Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman | Winds of Samsara | Paul Avgerinos – Bhakti Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai – Ritual Kitarō – Symphony Live in Istanbul Silvia Nakkach and David Darling – In Love and Longing | |
| 2016 | Paul Avgerinos | Grace | Madi Das – Bhakti Without Borders Catherine Duc – Voyager Peter Kater – Love Ron Korb – Asia Beauty | |
| 2017 | White Sun | White Sun II | John Burke – Orogen Enya – Dark Sky Island Peter Kater and Tina Guo – Inner Passion Vangelis – Rosetta | |
| 2018 | Peter Kater | Dancing on Water | Kitarō – Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Vol. 5 Steve Roach – Spiral Revelation Brian Eno – Reflection India.Arie – SongVersation: Medicine | |
| 2019 | Opium Moon | Opium Moon | Lisa Gerrard & David Kuckhermann – Hiraeth Snatam Kaur – Beloved Steve Roach – Molecules of Motion Jim Kimo West – Moku Maluhia – Peaceful Island | |
| 2020 | Peter Kater | Wings | David Arkenstone – Fairy Dreams David Darling – Homage to Kindness Sebastian Plano – Verve Deva Premal – Deva | |
| 2021 | Jim "Kimo" West | More Guitar Stories | Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal & Jesse Paris Smith – Songs from the Bardo Priya Darshini – Periphery Superposition – Form//Less Cory Wong & Jon Batiste – Meditations | |
| 2022 | Stewart Copeland & Ricky Kej | Divine Tides | Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster & Tom Eaton – Brothers Wouter Kellerman & David Arkenstone – Pangaea Opium Moon - Night + Day Laura Sullivan – Pieces of Forever | |
| 2023 | White Sun | Mystic Mirror | Will Ackerman – Positano Songs Paul Avgerinos – Joy Madi Das & Dave Stringer with Bhakti Without Borders – Mantra Americana Cheryl B. Engelhardt – The Passenger | |
| 2024 | Carla Patullo ft. Tonality & The Scorchio Quartet | So She Howls | Kirsten Agresta-Copely – Aquamarine Omar Akram – Moments of Beauty Ólafur Arnalds – Some Kind of Peace (Piano Reworks) David Darling & Hans Christian – Ocean Dreaming Ocean | |
| 2025 | Wouter Kellerman, Éru Matsumoto & Chandrika Tandon | Triveni | Ricky Kej - Break of Dawn Ryuichi Sakamoto - Opus Anoushka Shankar - Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn Radhika Vekaria - Warriors of Light | |
Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.