The Grammy Award for Best Orchestral Performance has been awarded since 1959. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award over this time:
From 1959 to 1964 it was awarded as Best Classical Performance - Orchestra
In 1965 it was Best Performance - Orchestra
From 1966 to 1975 it returned to 'Best Classical Performance - Orchestra
From 1977 to 1978 it was awarded as Best Classical Orchestral Performance
From 1980 to 1981 it was awarded as Best Classical Orchestral Recording
In 1983 it was awarded as Best Orchestral Performance
In 1984 it was awarded as Best Orchestral Recording
From 1985 to 1987 it returned to being called Best Classical Orchestral Recording
From 1988 to 1989 it was once again called Best Orchestral Recording
From 1990 to the present it has returned to being called Best Orchestral Performance
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
Helmut Burk & Karl-August Naegler (producers), Jobst Eberhardt, Stephan Flock (engineers), Pierre Boulez (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Boulez Conducts Edgar Varčse (Amériques; Arcana; Déserts; Ionisation)
Jay David Saks, Thomas Z. Shepard (producers), James Levine (conductor) & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for Mahler: Sym. No. 7 in E Min. (Song of the Night)