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. Note: User must select the "New Age" category as the genre under the search feature. 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 for 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
1980s Year Work Artist 1987 Down to the Moon Andreas Vollenweider Canyon Paul Winter Rendez-Vous Jean Michel Jarre Windham Hill Records Sampler '86 Various Artists A Winter's Solstice Various Artists 1988 Yusef Lateef's Little Symphony Yusef Lateef Between Two Worlds Patrick O'Hearn "The Field" Kitarō "Reconciliations" Liz Story "Sweet Intentions" Montreaux Traveler Paul Horn 1989 Folksongs for a Nuclear Village Shadowfax Castalia Mark Isham "Down in Belgorod" Paul Winter Local Color Steve Khan and Rob Mounsey Neverland Suzanne Ciani
1990s Year Work Artist 1990 Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ Peter Gabriel Dancing with the Lion Andreas Vollenweider "Icarus" Paul Winter "Orinoco Flow (Sail Away)" Enya Tibet Mark Isham 1991 Mark Isham Mark Isham Balkan Mysterious Voices of Bulgaria "Caravan of Dreams" Acoustic Alchemy Earth: Voices of a Planet Paul Winter Taproot Michael Hedges Yellowstone: The Music of Nature Mannheim Steamroller 1992 Fresh Aire 7 Chip Davis (Mannheim Steamroller) Borrasca Ottmar Liebert Canyon Dreams Tangerine Dream Hotel Luna Suzanne Ciani In the Wake of the Wind David Arkenstone 1993 Shepherd Moons Enya Dare to Dream Yanni Dream Kitarō Esperanto Shadowfax Rockoon Tangerine Dream 1994 Spanish Angel Paul Winter Consort 220 Volt Live Tangerine Dream Banba Clannad The Hours Between Night + Day Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra In My Time Yanni 1995 Prayer for the Wild Things Paul Winter Acoustic Planet Craig Chaquico The Garden Michael Nesmith Mandala Kitarō Turn of the Tides Tangerine Dream 1996 Forest George Winston Dream Suite Suzanne Ciani An Enchanted Evening Kitarō Trust Patrick O'Hearn Tyranny of Beauty Tangerine Dream 1997 The Memory of Trees Enya Arcanum Acoustic Alchemy Lore Clannad Opium Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra Pianissimo II Suzanne Ciani 1998 Oracle Michael Hedges Canyon Lullaby Paul Winter Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi! Enigma Oceanic Vangelis Voyager Mike Oldfield 1999 Landmarks Clannad Gaia Onbashira Kitarō Grand Passion John Tesh Sound of Wind Driven Rain William Ackerman The Water Garden Alex De Grassi
2000s Year Work Artist 2000 Celtic Solstice Paul Winter and Friends Citizen of the World David Arkenstone Inner Voices R. Carlos Nakai Inside Monument Valley Paul Horn and R. Carlos Nakai Plains George Winston Turning Suzanne Ciani 2001 Note: Source used to verify full names of musicians. Thinking of You Kitarō East of the Moon David Lanz Highland Cathedral Phil Coulter In a Distant Place R. Carlos Nakai, William Eaton, Will Clipman and Nawang Khechog Whisper to the Wild Water Maire Brennan 2002 A Day Without Rain Enya Ancient Kitarō Cello Blue David Darling Live from Montana Philip Aaberg Sacred Spirit II: More Chants and Dances of the Native Americans Sacred Spirit 2003 Acoustic Garden Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel An Ancient Journey Kitarō Fourth World R. Carlos Nakai Hearing Voices William Ackerman Mondo Rama Jai Uttal and the Pagan Love Orchestra 2004 One Quiet Night Pat Metheny Inner Journeys: Myths & Legends Cusco Red Moon Peter Kater Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai Kitarō Solace Michael Hoppé 2005 Returning William Ackerman American River Jonathan Elias Atlantis: A Symphonic Journey David Arkenstone Piano Peter Kater Two Horizons Moya Brennan 2006 Silver Solstice Paul Winter Consort Montana: A Love Story George Winston Music in the Key of Om Jack DeJohnette People of Peace R. Carlos Nakai Quartet Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 2 Kitarō 2007 Amarantine Enya Beyond Words Gentle Thunder with Will Clipman and AmoChip Dabney Elements Series: Fire Peter Kater The Magical Journeys of Andreas Vollenweider Andreas Vollenweider A Posteriori Enigma 2008 Crestone Paul Winter Consort Faces of the Sun Peter Kater One Guitar Ottmar Liebert Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 3 Kitarō Southwest Eric Tingstad 2009 Peace Time Jack DeJohnette Ambrosia Peter Kater Meditations William Ackerman Pathfinder Will Clipman The Scent of Light Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra
2010s Year Work Artist 2010 Prayer for Compassion David Darling Faith Jim Brickman Impressions of the West Lake Kitarō In a Dream Peter Kater, Dominic Miller, Kenny Loggins and Jaques Morelenbaum Laserium for the Soul Henta 2011 Miho: Journey to the Mountain Paul Winter Consort Dancing Into Silence R. Carlos Nakai, William Eaton and Will Clipman Instrumental Oasis, Vol. 4 Zamora Ocean Michael Brant DeMaria Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 4 Kitarō 2012 What's It All About Pat Metheny Gaia Michael Brant DeMaria Instrumental Oasis, Vol. 6 Zamora Northern Seas Al Conti Wind, Rock, Sea & Flame Peter Kater 2013 Echoes of Love Omar Akram Bindu Michael Brant DeMaria Deep Alpha Steven Halpern Light Body Peter Kater Live Ananda Krishna Das Troubadours of the Rhine Loreena McKennitt 2014 Love's River Laura Sullivan Awakening the Fire R. Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman Final Call Kitarō Illumination Peter Kater Lux Brian Eno 2015 Winds of Samsara Ricky Kej and Wouter Kellerman Bhakti Paul Avgerinos In Love and Longing Silvia Nakkach and David Darling Ritual Peter Kater and R. Carlos Nakai Symphony Live in Istanbul Kitarō 2016 Grace Paul Avgerinos Asia Beauty Ron Korb Bhakti Without Borders Madi Das Love Peter Kater Voyager Catherine Duc 2017 White Sun II White Sun Dark Sky Island Enya Inner Passion Peter Kater and Tina Guo Orogen John Burke Rosetta Vangelis 2018 Dancing on Water Peter Kater Reflection Brian Eno Sacred Journey of Ku-Kai, Volume 5 Kitarō SongVersation: Medicine India.Arie Spiral Revelation Steve Roach 2019 Opium Moon Opium Moon Beloved Snatam Kaur Hiraeth Lisa Gerrard and David Kuckhermann Moku Maluhia – Peaceful Island Jim Kimo West Molecules of Motion Steve Roach
2020s Year Work Artist 2020 Wings Peter Kater Deva Deva Premal Fairy Dreams David Arkenstone Homage to Kindness David Darling Verve Sebastian Plano 2021 More Guitar Stories Jim "Kimo" West Form//Less Superposition Meditations Cory Wong and Jon Batiste Periphery Priya Darshini Songs from the Bardo Laurie Anderson, Tenzin Choegyal and Jesse Paris Smith 2022 Divine Tides Stewart Copeland and Ricky Kej Brothers Will Ackerman, Jeff Oster and Tom Eaton Night + Day Opium Moon Pangaea Wouter Kellerman and David Arkenstone Pieces of Forever Laura Sullivan 2023 Mystic Mirror White Sun Joy Paul Avgerinos Mantra Americana Madi Das and Dave Stringer with Bhakti Without Borders The Passenger Cheryl B. Engelhardt Positano Songs Will Ackerman 2024 So She Howls Carla Patullo featuring Tonality and The Scorchio Quartet Aquamarine Kirsten Agresta-Copely Moments of Beauty Omar Akram Ocean Dreaming Ocean David Darling and Hans Christian Some Kind of Peace (Piano Reworks) Ólafur Arnalds 2025 Triveni Wouter Kellerman, Eru Matsumoto and Chandrika Tandon Break of Dawn Ricky Kej Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn Anoushka Shankar Opus Ryuichi Sakamoto Warriors of Light Radhika Vekaria 2026 Nomadica Carla Patullo featuring The Scorchio Quartet and Tonality According to the Moon Cheryl B. Engelhardt, GEM and Dallas String Quartet The Colors in My Mind Chris Redding Into the Forest Jahnavi Harrison Kuruvinda Kirsten Agresta-Copely Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
Artists with multiple wins
6 wins Paul Winter
4 wins Enya
2 wins Peter Kater Ricky Kej Wouter Kellerman Pat Metheny Carla Patullo The Scorchio Quartet Tonality White Sun
Artists with multiple nominations
16 nominations Kitarō
14 nominations Peter Kater
11 nominations Paul Winter
8 nominations R. Carlos Nakai
6 nominations Enya
5 nominations David Arkenstone Suzanne Ciani Will Clipman David Darling Ottmar Liebert Tangerine Dream
4 nominations William Ackerman
3 nominations Paul Avgerinos Clannad Michael Brant DeMaria Mark Isham Ricky Kej Andreas Vollenweider George Winston
2 nominations Acoustic Alchemy Kirsten Agresta-Copely Omar Akram Madi Das Jack DeJohnette William Eaton Cheryl B. Engelhardt Enigma Brian Eno Michael Hedges Paul Horn Wouter Kellerman Ottmar Liebert Mannheim Steamroller Pat Metheny Patrick O'Hearn Opium Moon Carla Patullo Steve Roach Shadowfax Laura Sullivan Eric Tingstad Vangelis White Sun Yanni Zamora
See also List of new-age music artists List of New Age topics
References
General
Specific
External links Grammy.com: Best New Age Album at 53rd Annual Grammy Awards Pre-Telecast