Warm-white LEDs (WLEDs) with high spectral quality and efficiency are required for lighting applications, but current experimental performances are limited. We report on nanocrystal quantum dot (NQD) hybridized WLEDs with high performance that exhibit a high luminous efficacy of optical radiation exceeding 350 lm/Wopt and a high color rendering index close to 90 at a low correlated color temperature <3000 K. These spectrally engineered WLEDs are obtained using a combination of CdSe/ZnS core/shell NQD nanophosphors integrated on blue InGaN/GaN LEDs. © 2010 Optical Society of America.