Best Classical Orchestral Performance
2026 • 68th Annual Grammy Awards
Honoring recordings released between Aug 31, 2024 and Aug 30, 2025
2026 Winner is Andris Nelsons with "Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie"
Nominees 2026
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Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie
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Coleridge-Taylor: Toussaint L’Ouverture; Ballade Op. 4; Suites From '24 Negro Melodies'
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Ravel: Boléro, M. 81
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Still & Bonds
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Stravinsky: Symphony In Three Movements
Winners
| Year | Winner | Work |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Andris Nelsons | Messiaen: Turangalîla-Symphonie |
| 2025 | Gustavo Dudamel | Ortiz: Revolución Diamantina |
| 2024 | Gustavo Dudamel | Adès: Dante |
| 2023 | Michael Repper | Works By Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, Valerie Coleman |
| 2022 | Yannick Nézet-Séguin | Price: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 3 |
| 2021 | Gustavo Dudamel | Ives: Complete Symphonies |
| 2020 | Gustavo Dudamel | Norman: Sustain |
| 2019 | Andris Nelsons | Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 4 & 11 |
| 2018 | Manfred Honeck | Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio |
| 2017 | Andris Nelsons | Shostakovich: Under Stalin's Shadow - Symphonies Nos. 5, 8 & 9 |
| 2016 | Andris Nelsons | Shostakovich: Under Stalin's Shadow - Symphony No. 10 |
| 2015 | David Robertson | Adams, John: City Noir |
| 2014 | Osmo Vänskä | Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 4 |
| 2013 | Michael Tilson Thomas | Adams: Harmonielehre & Short Ride In A Fast Machine |
| 2012 | Gustavo Dudamel | Brahms: Symphony No. 4 |
| 2011 | Giancarlo Guerrero | Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina |
| 2010 | James Levine | Ravel: Daphnis Et Chloé |
| 2009 | Bernard Haitink | Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4 |
| 2008 | Leonard Slatkin | Tower: Made In America |
| 2007 | Michael Tilson Thomas | Mahler: Symphony No. 7 |
| 2006 | Mariss Jansons | Shostakovich: Sym. No. 13 |
| 2005 | Lorin Maazel | Adams: On The Transmigration Of Souls |
| 2004 | Pierre Boulez | Mahler: Symphony No. 3 |
| 2003 | Michael Tilson Thomas | Mahler: Symphony No. 6 |
| 2002 | Pierre Boulez | Boulez Conducts Varèse - Amériques, Arcana, Déserts & Ionisation |
| 2001 | Simon Rattle | Mahler: Sym. No. 10 |
| 2000 | Michael Tilson Thomas | Stravinsky: Firebird; The Rite Of Spring; Perséphone |
| 1999 | Pierre Boulez | Mahler: Symphony No. 9 |
| 1998 | Pierre Boulez | Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique; Tristia |
| 1997 | Michael Tilson Thomas | Prokofiev: Romeo And Juliet (Scenes From The Ballet) |
| 1996 | Pierre Boulez | Debussy: La Mer |
| 1995 | Pierre Boulez | Bartók: Concerto For Orchestra: Four Orchestral Pieces, Op. 12 |
| 1994 | Pierre Boulez | Bartók: The Wooden Prince |
| 1993 | Leonard Bernstein | Mahler: Symphony No. 9 |
| 1992 | Daniel Barenboim | Corigliano: Symphony No. 1 |
| 1991 | Leonard Bernstein | Shostakovich: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 7 |
| 1990 | Leonard Bernstein | Mahler: Symphony No. 3 In D Minor |
| 1989 | Louis Lane, Robert Shaw | Rorem: String Symphony; Sunday Morning; Eagles |
| 1988 | Georg Solti | Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 In D Minor |
| 1987 | Georg Solti | Liszt: A Faust Symphony |
| 1986 | Robert Shaw | Faure: Pelleas Et Melisande |
| 1985 | Leonard Slatkin | Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 In B Flat |
| 1984 | Georg Solti | Mahler: Symphony No. 9 In D |
| 1983 | James Levine | Mahler: Sym. No. 7 In E Min. (Song Of The Night) |
| 1982 | Georg Solti | Mahler: Symphony No. 2 In C Minor |
| 1981 | Georg Solti | Bruckner: Symphony No. 6 In A |
| 1980 | Georg Solti | Brahms: Symphonies (1-4) |
| 1979 | Herbert von Karajan | Beethoven: Symphonies (9) (Complete) |
| 1978 | Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor | Mahler: Symphony No. 9 In D |
| 1977 | Georg Solti, conductor | Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra |
| 1976 | Pierre Boulez, conductor | Ravel: Daphnis Et Chloe (Complete Ballet) |
| 1975 | Georg Solti, conductor | Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique |
| 1974 | Pierre Boulez, conductor | Bartók: Concerto For Orchestra |
| 1973 | Georg Solti, conductor | Mahler: Symphony No. 7 In E Minor |
| 1972 | Carlo Maria Giulini, conductor | Mahler: Symphony No. 1 In D |
| 1971 | Pierre Boulez, conductor | Stravinsky: Le Sacre Du Printemps |
| 1970 | Pierre Boulez, conductor | Boulez Conducts Debussy, Vol. 2 "Images Pour Orchestre" |
| 1969 | Pierre Boulez, conductor | Boulez Conducts Debussy (La Mer; Prelude A L'Apres-Midi D'Un Faune; Jeux) |
| 1968 | Igor Stravinsky, conductor | Stravinsky: Firebird And Petrouchka Suites |
| 1967 | Erich Leinsdorf, conductor | Mahler: Symphony No. 6 In A Minor |
| 1966 | Leopold Stokowski, conductor | Ives: Symphony No. 4 |
| 1965 | Erich Leinsdorf, conductor | Mahler: Symphony No. 5/Berg: Wozzeck Excerpts |
| 1964 | Erich Leinsdorf, conductor | Bartók: Concerto For Orchestra |
| 1963 | Igor Stravinsky, conductor | Stravinsky: The Firebird Ballet |
| 1962 | Charles Munch, conductor | Ravel: Daphnis Et Chloe |
| 1961 | Fritz Reiner, conductor | Bartók: Music For Strings, Percussion And Celeste |
| 1960 | Charles Munch, conductor | Debussy: Images For Orchestra |
| 1959 | Felix Slatkin, conductor | Gaiete Parisienne |