Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
| Year | Arranger(s) | Work | Performing (non-winning) artist(s) | Nominees
(Non-nominated) Performers are in parentheses | Ref. |
|---|
| 1963 | Marty Manning | "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" | Tony Bennett | | [1] |
|---|
| 1964 | Henry Mancini | "Days of Wine and Roses" | Henry Mancini | | [2] |
|---|
| 1965 | Peter Matz | "People" | Barbra Streisand | | [3] |
|---|
| 1966 | Gordon Jenkins | "It Was a Very Good Year" | Frank Sinatra | | [4] |
|---|
| 1967 | Ernie Freeman | "Strangers in the Night" | Frank Sinatra | | [5] |
|---|
| 1968 | Jimmie Haskell | "Ode to Billie Joe" | Bobbie Gentry | | [6] |
|---|
| 1969 | Jimmy L. Webb | "MacArthur Park" | Richard Harris | | [7] |
|---|
| 1970 | Fred Lipsius | "Spinning Wheel" | Blood, Sweat & Tears | | [8] |
|---|
| 1971 | Ernie Freeman, Art Garfunkel, Jimmie Haskell, Larry Knechtel & Paul Simon | "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | Simon and Garfunkel | | [9] |
|---|
| 1972 | Paul McCartney | "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" | Paul & Linda McCartney | | [10] |
|---|
| 1973 | Michel Legrand | "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" | Sarah Vaughan | | [11] |
|---|
| 1974 | George Martin | "Live and Let Die" | | | [12] |
|---|
| 1975 | Joni Mitchell & Tom Scott | "Down to You" | Joni Mitchell | | [13] |
|---|
| 1976 | Ray Stevens | "Misty" | Ray Stevens | | [14] |
|---|
| 1977 | James William Guercio & Jimmie Haskell | "If You Leave Me Now" | Chicago | | [15] |
|---|
| 1978 | Ian Freebairn-Smith | "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)" | Barbra Streisand | | [16] |
|---|
| 1979 | Maurice White | "Got to Get You into My Life" | Earth, Wind & Fire | | [17] |
|---|
| 1980 | | "What a Fool Believes" | The Doobie Brothers | | [18] |
|---|
| 1981 | Christopher Cross & Michael Omartian | "Sailing" | Christopher Cross | | [19] |
|---|
| 1982 | Jerry Hey & Quincy Jones | "Ai No Corrida" | Quincy Jones | | [20] |
|---|
| 1983 | Jerry Hey & David Paich, Jeff Porcaro | "Rosanna" | Toto | | [21] |
|---|
| 1984 | Nelson Riddle | "What's New?" | Linda Ronstadt | | [22] |
|---|
| 1985 | David Foster & Jeremy Lubbock | "Hard Habit to Break" | Chicago | | [23] |
|---|
| 1986 | Nelson Riddle | "Lush Life" | Linda Ronstadt | | [24] |
|---|
| 1987 | David Foster | "Somewhere" | Barbra Streisand | | [25] |
|---|
| 1988 | Frank Foster | "Deedles' Blues" | Diane Schuur & the Count Basie Orchestra | | [26] |
|---|
| 1989 | Jonathan Tunick | "No One Is Alone" | Cleo Laine | | [27] |
|---|
| 1990 | Dave Grusin | "My Funny Valentine" | Michelle Pfeiffer | | [28] |
|---|
| 1991 | Glen Ballard, Jerry Hey, Quincy Jones & Clif Magness | "The Places You Find Love" | Siedah Garrett & Chaka Khan | | [29] |
|---|
| 1992 | Johnny Mandel | "Unforgettable" | Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole | | [30] |
|---|
| 1993 | Johnny Mandel | "Here's to Life" | Shirley Horn | | [31] |
|---|
| 1994 | David Foster & Jeremy Lubbock | "When I Fall in Love" | | | [32] |
|---|
| 1995 | Hans Zimmer & Lebo M | "Circle of Life" | Carmen Twillie featuring Lebo M | | [33] |
|---|
| 1996 | Rob McConnell | "I Get a Kick Out of You" | Mel Tormé with Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass | | [34] |
|---|
| 1997 | Alan Broadbent & David Foster | "When I Fall in Love" | Natalie Cole with Nat King Cole | | [35] |
|---|
| 1998 | Slide Hampton | "Cotton Tail" | Dee Dee Bridgewater | | [36] |
|---|
| 1999 | Herbie Hancock, Robert Sadin & Stevie Wonder | "St. Louis Blues" | Herbie Hancock | | [37] |
|---|
| 2000 | | "Lonely Town" | Charlie Haden Quartet West featuring Shirley Horn | | |
|---|
| 2001 | Vince Mendoza | "Both Sides Now" | Joni Mitchell | | |
|---|
| 2002 | | "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" | Train | | |
|---|
| 2003 | | "Mean Old Man" | James Taylor | | |
|---|
| 2004 | | "Woodstock" | Joni Mitchell | | |
|---|
| 2005 | Victor Vanacore | "Over the Rainbow" | Ray Charles & Johnny Mathis | | |
|---|
| 2006 | | "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" | Chris Botti & Sting | | |
|---|
| 2007 | Jorge Calandrelli | "For Once in My Life" | Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder | | |
|---|
| 2008 | | "I'm Gonna Live Till I Die" | Queen Latifah | | |
|---|
| 2009 | Nan Schwartz | "Here's That Rainy Day" | Natalie Cole | | |
|---|
| 2010 | | "Quiet Nights" | Diana Krall | | |
|---|
| 2011 | | "Baba Yetu" | Christopher Tin, Soweto Gospel Choir and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | | |
|---|
| 2012 | Jorge Calandrelli | "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" | Tony Bennett & Queen Latifah | | |
|---|
| 2013 | Thara Memory & Esperanza Spalding | "City of Roses" | Esperanza Spalding | | |
|---|
| 2014 | | "Swing Low" | Bobby McFerrin & Esperanza Spalding | | |
|---|
| 2015 | Billy Childs | "New York Tendaberry" | Billy Childs featuring Renée Fleming & Yo Yo Ma |
| [38] |
|---|
| 2016 | Maria Schneider | "Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)" | David Bowie |
| [39] |
|---|
| 2017 | Jacob Collier | "Flintstones" | Jacob Collier |
| [40] |
|---|
| 2018 | Randy Newman | "Putin" | Randy Newman |
| [41] |
|---|
| 2019 | Randy Waldman | "Spiderman Theme" | Randy Waldman featuring Take 6 & Chris Potter |
| [42] |
|---|
| 2020 | Jacob Collier | "All Night Long" | Jacob Collier featuring Jules Buckley, Take 6 & the Metropole Orkest |
| [43] |
|---|
| 2021 | "He Won't Hold You" | Jacob Collier featuring Rapsody |
| [44] |
|---|
| 2022 | Vince Mendoza | "To The Edge of Longing (Edit Version)" | The Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Vince Mendoza & Julia Bullock |
| [45] |
|---|
| 2023 | "Songbird (Orchestral Version)" | Christine McVie |
| [46] |
|---|
| 2024 | Erin Bentlage, Jacob Collier, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor | In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning | säje ft. Jacob Collier |
| |
|---|
|
