The Grammy Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance) has been awarded since 1997. In its early years, its title included the addition "(with or without a conductor)" and up to 2012 it was known as Best Small Ensemble Performance..

In 1991 the Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance also included small ensemble performances.

2012 overhaul and 2013 renaming In 2012 the category was combined with the Best Chamber Music Performance category.

The restructuring of these categories was a result of the Recording Academy's wish to decrease the list of categories and awards. According to the Academy, "the Chamber category was folded into the Small Ensemble category, the only distinction having been the number of players in the group (Chamber being smaller), and the fact that Small Ensemble recording could, though not necessarily, employ a conductor."

In the new structure, recordings are eligible if the ensemble contains 24 or fewer members, not including the conductor.

In 2013, the category was renamed as Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance.

The award goes to the winning ensemble and its conductor (if applicable). The producer(s) and engineer(s) also receive an award if they have worked on over 50% of playing time on the album.

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.

Winners and nominees

Year Recipient(s) WorkNomineesRef. 1997 Pierre Boulez (conductor) and the Ensemble Inter-Contemporain Boulez: ...Explosante-Fixe... 1998 Claudio Abbado (conductor), Berliner Philharmonic "Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 1 With Finale 1921, Op. 24, No. 1" 1999 Steve Reich (conductor), Steve Reich and Musicians Reich: Music for 18 Musicians 2000 Joseph Jennings (conductor) and Chanticleer Colors of Love - Works of Thomas, Stucky, Tavener & Rands 2001 Christian Gausch (producer), Wolf-Dieter Karwatky (engineer) and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Shadow Dances (Stravinsky Miniatures - Tango; Suite No. 1; Octet, etc.) 2002 Helmut Mühle (producer), Philipp Nedel (engineer), Gidon Kremer (producer & artist) and Kremerata Baltica After Mozart 2003 Steve Barnett (producer), Preston Smith (engineer), Joseph Jennings (conductor), Chanticleer & Handel & Haydn Society of Boston Tavener: Lamentations and Praises 2004 Jeff von der Schmidt (conductor) and Southwest Chamber Music "Chávez: Suite for Double Quartet" 2005 Jeff von der Schmidt (conductor) and Southwest Chamber Music Chávez - Complete Chamber Music, Vol. 2 2006 Pierre Boulez (conductor), Hilary Summers (performer), and Ensemble Intercontemporain Boulez: Le Marteau Sans Maître, Dérive 1 & 2 2007 Peter Rutenberg (conductor) and Los Angeles Chamber Singers' Cappella Padilla: Sun of Justice 2008 Yuri Bashmet (conductor) and Moscow Soloists; Michael Brammann, engineer; Philipp Nedel, producer Stravinsky: Apollo, Concerto In D; Prokofiev: 20 Visions Fugitives 2009 Charles Bruffy (conductor) and Phoenix Chorale Spotless Rose: Hymns To The Virgin Mary 2010 Paul Hillier (conductor); Robina G. Young, producer; Brad Michel, engineer/mixer and Ars Nova Copenhagen & Theatre of Voices Lang, David: The Little Match Girl Passion 2011 Jordi Savall, conductor; Hespèrion XXI & La Capella Reial de Catalunya Dinastia Borja 2012 Rinde Eckert (librettist/performer); Steven Mackey (composer/performer); David Frost, producer; Eighth Blackbird Mackey: Lonely Motel - Music from Slide 2013 Eighth Blackbird Meanwhile 2014 Brad Wells & Roomful of Teeth Roomful of Teeth 2015 Hilary Hahn & Cory Smythe In 27 Pieces: The Hilary Hahn Encores 2016 Eighth Blackbird Filament 2017 Third Coast Percussion Steve Reich 2018 Patricia Kopatchinskaja & the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Death & the Maiden 2019 Laurie Anderson & the Kronos Quartet Landfall 2020 Attacca Quartet (ensemble); Antonio Oliart & Caroline Shaw (producers); Antonio Oliart (engineer) Shaw: Orange 2021 Pacifica Quartet; James Ginsburg (producer); Bill Maylone (engineer/mixer) Contemporary Voices 2022 Yo-Yo Ma & Emanuel Ax Beethoven: Cello Sonatas - Hope Amid Tears 2023Attacca QuartetShaw: Evergreen2024Roomful of TeethRough Magic Anthony McGill & The Pacifica Quartet – American Stories Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax & Leonidas Kavakos – Beethoven For Three: Symphony No. 6 "Pastorale" and Op 1. No. 3 Third Coast Percussion – Between Breaths Catalyst Quartet – Uncovered, Vol. 3: Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, William Grant Still & George Walker2025Caroline Shaw & So PercussionRectangles and Circumstance JACK Quartet – J.L. Adams: Waves & Particles Yo-Yo Ma, Leonidas Kavakos & Emanuel Ax – Beethoven for Three: Symphony No. 4 and Op. 97, 'Archduke' Beth Willer, Christopher Cerrone & Lorelei Ensemble – Cerrone: Beaufort Scales Miró Quartet – Home2026Alan Pierson & Alarm Will SoundDennehy: Land of Winter Neave Trio - La Mer - French Piano Trios Lili Haydn & Paul Cantelon - Lullabies for the Brokenhearted Mak Grgić & Mateusz Kowalski - Slavic Sessions Third Coast Percussion - Standard Stoppages

References