The GRAMMYs
2026
Dec 1st, 2025
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Nominees for The GRAMMY Awards
2026
Previous Winner
Plot Armor (Taylor Eigsti)
Criteria
Albums with >75% playing time of new contemporary instrumental recordings.
Albums with >75% playing time of new contemporary instrumental recordings.
Albums with >75% playing time of new contemporary instrumental recordings.
The nominees for The GRAMMYs Best Contemporary Instrumental Album 2026 are Brightside (ARKAI), Ones & Twos (Gerald Clayton), BEATrio (Béla Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonio Sánchez), Just Us (Bob James, Dave Koz), Shayan (Charu Suri).
Read on for more information about all the nominees and their contributors..
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

Aug 22, 2025
Listen on Spotify
Brightside

Aug 22, 2025
Listen on Spotify
Brightside

Aug 22, 2025
Listen on Spotify
Brightside

Mar 7, 2025
Listen on Spotify

Mar 7, 2025
Listen on Spotify

Mar 7, 2025
Listen on Spotify

Apr 11, 2025
Listen on Spotify
Ones & Twos

Apr 11, 2025
Listen on Spotify
Ones & Twos

Apr 11, 2025
Listen on Spotify
Ones & Twos

Aug 22, 2025
Listen on Spotify
Shayan

Aug 22, 2025
Listen on Spotify
Shayan

Aug 22, 2025
Listen on Spotify
Shayan
Other awards in this field
R&B + Rap + Spoken Word Poetry
Other awards in this field
R&B + Rap + Spoken Word Poetry
Other awards in this field
R&B + Rap + Spoken Word Poetry

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Best Jazz Vocal Album

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

Best Jazz Performance

Best Jazz Performance

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

Best Latin Jazz Album

Best Latin Jazz Album

Best Alternative Jazz Album

Best Alternative Jazz Album

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

Best Musical Theater Album

Best Musical Theater Album
📨 Subscribe to NIF
Get news dropped in your inbox 👇
📨 Subscribe to NIF
Get news dropped in your inbox 👇
Latest News

Careers & People
Dec 8, 2025
1 min read
Jody Williams to Head Vince Gill’s Management Team
The exec has been Gill’s publisher for four years

Careers & People
Dec 4, 2025
1 min read
Dave Rocco Appointed Chief Creative Officer of Atlantic Music Group
In this newly created position, Rocco will oversee global strategy and creative vision for the WMG subsidiary

Careers & People
Dec 4, 2025
1 min read
Skyline Artists Closes After 35 Years
Founder and President Bruce Houghton: “Skyline had an incredible run.”









