Feb 3, 2026 12:10 AM
In Memoriam: Ken Peplowski, 1959–2026
Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2…
Cécile McLorin Salvant won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal album for For One To Love (Mack Avenue)
(Photo: Courtesy of the artist)Though the Grammy Awards telecast doesn’t start until tonight at 8 p.m. EST, the awards ceremony is well underway, and a handful of prominent jazz artists have already been declared winners.
Below is a list of the winners in the jazz category that have been announced so far. DownBeat will update this list as more results are announced, and we will have a full Grammy Awards ceremony recap posted later this week.
Best Jazz Vocal Album
Cécile McLorin Salvant, For One To Love (Mack Avenue)
Best Jazz Instrumental Album
John Scofield, Past Present (Impulse!)
Best Latin Jazz Album
Elian Elias, Made In Brazil (Concord)
Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Maria Schneider, The Thompson Fields (ArtistShare)
Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
Maria Schneider, “Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime)” from The Thompson Fields (ArtistShare)
Best Album Notes
Joni Mitchell, Love Has Many Faces: A Quartet, A Ballet, Waiting To Be Danced (Elektra Catalog Group)
Best Instrumental Composition
Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, “The Afro Latin Jazz Suite” from Cuba: The Conversation Continues (Motéma)
Best Improvised Jazz Solo
Christian McBride, “Cherokee” from Live At The Village Vanguard (Mack Avenue)
Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Snarky Puppy and Metropole Orkest, Sylva (Impulse!)
Best Blues Album
Buddy Guy, Born To Play Guitar (RCA)
Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media
Antonio Sanchez, Birdman (Milan)
For a complete list of winners, visit the Grammy website.
Peplowski first came to prominence in legacy swing bands, including the final iteration of the Benny Goodman Orchestra, before beginning a solo career in the late 1980s.
Feb 3, 2026 12:10 AM
Ken Peplowski, a clarinetist and tenor saxophonist who straddled the worlds of traditional and modern jazz, died Feb. 2…
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