This invention discloses an Excitation Emission Matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectrometer system that uses an LED array to cause excitation emission matrix fluorescence that is imaged onto a spectrograph for sample identification and analysis. By using the LED array, the spectrograph requires only high spectroscopic resolution of about 1 to 5 nm in the fluorescence emission range and low excitation light resolution of about 14 to 73 nm in the excitation range. While individual LED optical excitation spectra may contain wavelength regions that overlap, as long as the various LEDs have different excitation wavelengths and intensities, spectral overlap does not preclude data analysis. The invention provides an EEM spectroscopy system that is not a high resolution such as a laser or lamp based excitation system, but instead uses a lower resolution, lower power LED system. The invention also provides results that are comparable to existing systems with lower component cost and lower power requirements while also optically stable, small, and easy to use.