Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance


The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The award went to the artist. Only singles or tracks were eligible.
The award had quite a convoluted history:
  • From 1959 to 1960 there was an award called Best Vocal Performance, Female, which was for work in the pop field
  • In 1961 the award was separated into Best Vocal Performance Single Record Or Track and Best Vocal Performance Album, Female
  • From 1962 to 1963 the awards from the previous year were combined into Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female
  • From 1964 to 1968 the award was called Best Vocal Performance, Female
  • In 1969, the awards were combined and streamlined as the award for Best Contemporary-Pop Vocal Performance, Female
  • From 1970 to 1971 the award was known as Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Female
  • From 1972 to 1994 the award was known as Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female
  • From 1995 to 2011 it was known as Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
The award was discontinued in 2012 in a major overhaul of Grammy categories. From 2012, all solo performances in the pop category were shifted to the newly formed Best Pop Solo Performance category.
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
WWW Official Site

Recipients

YearWinnerWorkNomineesRef.
1959
1960
  • Lena Horne — Porgy & Bess
  • Peggy Lee — "Alright, Okay, You Win"
  • Pat Suzuki — Broadway '59
  • Caterina Valente — "La Strada del Amore"
    • 1961
    (Single)
  • Doris Day — "The Sound of Music"
  • Eileen Farrell — "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues"
  • Brenda Lee — "I'm Sorry"
  • Peggy Lee — "I'm Gonna Go Fishin"
    • 1961
    (Album)
  • Rosemary Clooney — Clap Hands! Here Comes Rosie!
  • Peggy Lee — Latin ala Lee!
  • Miriam Makeba — Miriam Makeba
  • Della Reese — Della
    • 1962
  • Ella Fitzgerald — "(If You Can't Sing It) You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)"
  • Billie Holiday — The Essential Billie Holiday: [Carnegie Hall Concert Recorded Live|The Essential Billie Holiday]
  • Lena Horne — Lena Horne at the Sands
  • Peggy Lee — Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee
    • 1963
  • Diahann Carroll — No Strings
  • Lena Horne — Lena...Lovely and Alive
  • Peggy Lee — "I'm a Woman"
  • Ketty Lester — Love Letters
  • Sandy Stewart — "My Coloring Book"
  • Pat Thomas — "Desafinado (Slightly Out of Tune)"
    • 1964
  • Eydie Gorme — "Blame It on the Bossa Nova"
  • Peggy Lee — I'm a Woman
  • Miriam Makeba — The World of Miriam Makeba
  • The Singing Nun — "Dominique"
    • 1965
  • Petula Clark — "Downtown"
  • Gale Garnett — "We'll Sing in the Sunshine"
  • Astrud Gilberto — "The Girl from Ipanema"
  • Nancy Wilson — "How Glad I Am"
    • 1966
  • Petula Clark — Downtown
  • Jackie DeShannon — "What the World Needs Now is Love"
  • Astrud Gilberto — The Astrud Gilberto Album
  • Nancy Wilson — Gentle Is My Love
    • 1967
  • Ella Fitzgerald — Ella at Duke's Place
  • Sandy Posey — "Born a Woman"
  • Nancy Sinatra — "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"
  • Barbra Streisand — Color Me Barbra
    • 1968
  • Vikki Carr — It Must Be Him
  • Petula Clark — "Don't Sleep in the Subway"
  • Aretha Franklin — "Respect"
  • Dionne Warwick — "Alfie"
    • 1969
  • Aretha Franklin — "I Say a Little Prayer"
  • Mary Hopkin — "Those Were the Days"
  • Merrilee Rush — "Angel of the Morning"
  • Barbra Streisand — Funny Girl
    • 1970
  • Vikki Carr — "With Pen in Hand"
  • Jackie DeShannon — "Put a Little Love in Your Heart"
  • Brenda Lee — "Johnny One Time"
  • Dusty Springfield — "Son of a Preacher Man"
  • Dionne Warwick — "This Girl's in Love with You"
    • 1971
  • Bobbie Gentry — Fancy
  • Anne Murray — "Snowbird"
  • Linda Ronstadt — "Long, Long Time"
  • Diana Ross — "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"
    • 1972
  • Joan Baez — "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"
  • Cher — "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves"
  • Janis Joplin — "Me and Bobby McGee"
  • Carly Simon — "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be"
    • 1973
  • Roberta Flack — Quiet Fire
  • Aretha Franklin — "Day Dreaming"
  • Carly Simon — Anticipation
  • Barbra Streisand — "Sweet Inspiration"/"Where You Lead"
    • 1974
  • Bette Midler — "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"
  • Anne Murray — "Danny's Song"
  • Diana Ross — "Touch Me in the Morning"
  • Carly Simon — "You're So Vain"
    • 1975
  • Roberta Flack — "Feel Like Makin' Love"
  • Carole King — "Jazzman"
  • Cleo Laine — Cleo Laine Live at Carnegie Hall
  • Joni Mitchell — Court and Spark
    • 1976
  • Judy Collins — "Send in the Clowns"
  • Olivia Newton-John — "Have You Never Been Mellow"
  • Helen Reddy — "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady"
  • Linda Ronstadt — Heart Like a Wheel
    • 1977
  • Natalie Cole — Natalie
  • Emmylou Harris — "Here, There and Everywhere"
  • Joni Mitchell — The Hissing of Summer Lawns
  • Vicki Sue Robinson — "Turn the Beat Around"
    • 1978
  • Debby Boone — "You Light Up My Life"
  • Dolly Parton — "Here You Come Again"
  • Linda Ronstadt — "Blue Bayou"
  • Carly Simon — "Nobody Does It Better"
    • 1979
  • Olivia Newton-John — "Hopelessly Devoted to You"
  • Carly Simon — "You Belong to Me"
  • Barbra Streisand — "You Don't Bring Me Flowers"
  • Donna Summer — "MacArthur Park"
    • 1980
  • Gloria Gaynor — "I Will Survive"
  • Rickie Lee Jones — "Chuck E.'s In Love"
  • Melissa Manchester — "Don't Cry Out Loud"
  • Donna Summer — Bad Girls
    • 1981
  • Irene Cara — "Fame"
  • Olivia Newton-John — "Magic"
  • Barbra Streisand — "Woman in Love"
  • Donna Summer — "On the Radio"
    • 1982
  • Kim Carnes — "Bette Davis Eyes"
  • Sheena Easton — "For Your Eyes Only"
  • Juice Newton — "Angel of the Morning"
  • Olivia Newton-John — "Physical"
    • 1983
  • Laura Branigan — "Gloria"
  • Juice Newton — "Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me"
  • Olivia Newton-John — "Heart Attack"
  • Linda Ronstadt — Get Closer
    • 1984
  • Sheena Easton — "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)"
  • Linda Ronstadt — What's New
  • Donna Summer — "She Works Hard for the Money"
  • Bonnie Tyler — "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
    • 1985
  • Sheila E. — "The Glamorous Life"
  • Sheena Easton — "Strut"
  • Cyndi Lauper — "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
  • Deniece Williams — "Let's Hear It for the Boy"
    • 1986
  • Pat Benatar — "We Belong"
  • Madonna — "Crazy for You"
  • Linda Ronstadt — Lush Life
  • Tina Turner — "We Don't Need Another Hero"
    • 1987
  • Cyndi Lauper — "True Colors"
  • Madonna — "Papa Don't Preach"
  • Tina Turner — "Typical Male"
  • Dionne Warwick — Friends
    • 1988
  • Belinda Carlisle — "Heaven Is a Place on Earth"
  • Carly Simon — Coming Around Again
  • Barbra Streisand — One Voice
  • Suzanne Vega — "Luka"
    • 1989
  • Taylor Dayne — Tell It to My Heart
  • Whitney Houston — "One Moment in Time"
  • Joni Mitchell — Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm
  • Brenda Russell — Get Here
    • 1990
  • Paula Abdul — "Straight Up"
  • Gloria Estefan — "Don't Wanna Lose You"
  • Bette Midler — "Wind Beneath My Wings"
  • Linda Ronstadt — Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind
    • 1991
  • Whitney Houston — "I'm Your Baby Tonight"
  • Bette Midler — "From a Distance"
  • Sinéad O'Connor — "Nothing Compares 2 U"
  • Lisa Stansfield — "All Around the World"
    • 1992
  • Oleta Adams — "Get Here"
  • Mariah Carey — "Emotions"
  • Amy Grant — "Baby Baby"
  • Whitney Houston — "All the Man That I Need"
    • 1993
  • Mariah Carey — MTV Unplugged
  • Celine Dion — Celine Dion
  • Annie Lennox — Diva
  • Vanessa L. Williams — "Save the Best for Last"
    • 1994
  • Mariah Carey — "Dreamlover"
  • Shawn Colvin — "I Don't Know Why"
  • k.d. lang — "Miss Chatelaine"
  • Tina Turner — "I Don't Wanna Fight"
    • 1995
  • Mariah Carey — "Hero"
  • Celine Dion — "The Power of Love"
  • Bonnie Raitt — "Longing in Their Hearts"
  • Barbra Streisand — "Ordinary Miracles"
    • 1996
  • Mariah Carey — "Fantasy"
  • Dionne Farris — "I Know"
  • Joan Osborne — "One of Us"
  • Bonnie Raitt — "You Got It"
  • Vanessa L. Williams — "Colors of the Wind"
    • 1997Toni Braxton
  • Shawn Colvin — "Get Out of This House"
  • Celine Dion — "Because You Loved Me"
  • Gloria Estefan — "Reach"
  • Jewel — "Who Will Save Your Soul"
    • 1998
  • Mariah Carey — "Butterfly"
  • Paula Cole — "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?"
  • Shawn Colvin — "Sunny Came Home"
  • Jewel — "Foolish Games"
    • 1999
  • Sheryl Crow — "My Favorite Mistake"
  • Lauryn Hill — "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"
  • Natalie Imbruglia — "Torn"
  • Sarah McLachlan — "Adia"
    • 2000
  • Christina Aguilera — "Genie in a Bottle"
  • Madonna — "Beautiful Stranger"
  • Alanis Morissette — "Thank U"
  • Britney Spears — "...Baby One More Time"
    • 2001
  • Christina Aguilera — "What a Girl Wants"
  • Madonna — "Music"
  • Aimee Mann — "Save Me"
  • Joni Mitchell — "Both Sides Now"
  • Britney Spears — "Oops!... I Did It Again"
    • 2002
  • Faith Hill — "There You'll Be"
  • Janet Jackson — "Someone to Call My Lover"
  • Sade — "By Your Side"
  • Lucinda Williams — "Essence"
    • 2003
  • Sheryl Crow — "Soak Up the Sun"
  • Avril Lavigne — "Complicated"
  • Pink — "Get the Party Started"
  • Britney Spears — "Overprotected"
    • 2004
  • Kelly Clarkson — "Miss Independent"
  • Dido — "White Flag"
  • Avril Lavigne — "I'm with You"
  • Sarah McLachlan — "Fallen"
    • 2005
  • Björk — "Oceania"
  • Sheryl Crow — "The First Cut Is the Deepest"
  • Gwen Stefani — "What You Waiting For?"
  • Joss Stone — "You Had Me"
    • 2006
  • Mariah Carey — "It's Like That"
  • Sheryl Crow — "Good Is Good"
  • Bonnie Raitt — "I Will Not Be Broken"
  • Gwen Stefani — "Hollaback Girl"
    • 2007
  • Natasha Bedingfield — "Unwritten"
  • Sheryl Crow — "You Can Close Your Eyes"
  • Pink — "Stupid Girls"
  • KT Tunstall — "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"
    • 2008
  • Christina Aguilera — "Candyman"
  • Feist — "1234"
  • Fergie — "Big Girls Don't Cry"
  • Nelly Furtado — "Say It Right"
    • 2009Adele
  • Sara Bareilles — "Love Song"
  • Duffy — "Mercy"
  • Leona Lewis — "Bleeding Love"
  • Katy Perry — "I Kissed A Girl"
  • Pink — "So What"
    • 2010Beyoncé
  • Adele — "Hometown Glory"
  • Katy Perry — "Hot n Cold"
  • Pink — "Sober"
  • Taylor Swift — "You Belong with Me"
    • 2011Lady Gaga
  • Sara Bareilles — "King of Anything"
  • Beyoncé — "Halo "
  • Norah Jones — "Chasing Pirates"
  • Katy Perry — "Teenage Dream"

    • Category facts

    ;Most Wins in Category
    Rank1st2nd3rd
    ArtistElla Fitzgerald
    Barbra Streisand    		Dionne Warwick
    Whitney Houston    		Bonnie Raitt
    Sarah McLachlan
    Norah Jones
    Christina Aguilera
    Total Wins5 wins3 wins2 wins

    ;Most Nominations
    Rank1st2nd3rd4th5th6th
    ArtistBarbra StreisandPeggy Lee
    Linda Ronstadt
    Mariah Carey    		Ella FitzgeraldOlivia Newton-John
    Dionne Warwick
    Carly Simon
    Whitney Houston
    Sheryl Crow    		Bonnie Raitt
    Christina Aguilera    		Tina Turner
    Donna Summer
    Celine Dion
    Madonna
    Pink
    Sarah McLachlan
    Bette Midler
    Joni Mitchell
    Total Nominations12 Nominations8 nominations7 nominations6 nominations5 nominations4 nominations

    ; Other facts

    Contemporary (R&R) Performance

    In 1966 the Recording Academy established a similar, but different, category in the Pop Field for Best Contemporary (rock & roll) Performances. The category went through a number of changes before being discontinued after the 1968 awards.