Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance


The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for solo, duo/groups or collaborative R&B recordings and is limited to singles or tracks only.
The award was originally awarded from 1959 to 1961 as Best Rhythm & Blues Performance and then from 1962 to 1968 as Best Rhythm & Blues Recording before being discontinued. In 2012, the award was brought back combining the previous categories for Best Female [R&B Vocal Performance], Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Urban/Alternative Performance. The restructuring of these categories was a result of the Recording Academy's wish to decrease the list of categories and awards and to eliminate the distinctions between male and female performances, and between solo and duo/groups performances.
The award goes to the artist. The producer, engineer and songwriter can apply for a Winners Certificate.

Recipients

YearPerforming artistWorkNomineesRef.
1959The Champs"Tequila"
1960Dinah Washington"What a Diff'rence a Day Makes"
  • Elvis Presley – "A Big Hunk o' Love"
  • The Coasters – "Charlie Brown"
  • Jesse Belvin – "Guess Who"
  • Nat King Cole – "Midnight Flyer"
  • 1961Ray Charles"Let the Good Times Roll"
  • Etta James – "All I Could Do Was Cry"
  • Hank Ballard & The Midnighters – "Finger Poppin' Time"
  • Muddy Waters – "Got My Mojo Working"
  • Jackie Wilson – "Lonely Teardrops"
  • LaVerne Baker – "Shake a Hand"
  • John Lee HookerTravelin'
  • Bo Diddley – "Walkin' and Talkin'"
  • 1962Ray Charles"Hit the Road Jack"
  • Ernie K-Doe – "Mother-in-Law"
  • Etta James – "The Fool That I Am"
  • Jimmy Reed – "Bright Lights, Big City"
  • Laverne Baker – "Saved"
  • 1963Ray Charles"I Can't Stop Loving You"
  • B. Bumble and the Stingers – "Nut Rocker"
  • Bobby Darin – "What'd I Say"
  • Little Eva – "The Loco-Motion"
  • Mel Torme – "Comin' Home Baby"
  • Sam Cooke – "Bring It On Home to Me"
  • 1964Ray Charles"Busted"
  • Barbara Lewis – "Hello Stranger"
  • Lenny Welch – "Since I Fell for You"
  • Little Johnny Taylor – "Part Time Love"
  • Major Lance – "Hey Little Girl"
  • Martha and the Vandellas(Love is Like a) Heat Wave
  • Sam Cooke – "Frankie and Johnny"
  • 1965Nancy Wilson"How Glad I Am"
  • Sam Cooke – "Good Times"
  • The Impressions – "Keep on Pushing"
  • The Supremes – "Baby Love"
  • Dionne Warwick – "Walk On By"
  • Joe Tex – "Hold What You've Got"
  • 1966James Brown"Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"
  • Sam Cooke – "Shake"
  • The Temptations – "My Girl"
  • Wilson Pickett – "In the Midnight Hour"
  • Jr. Walker and The All-Stars – "Shotgun"
  • 1967Ray Charles"Crying Time"
  • James Brown – "It's A Man's Man's Man's World"
  • Lou Rawls – "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing"
  • Percy Sledge – “When a Man Loves a Woman
  • Stevie Wonder – "Uptight (Everything's Alright)"
  • 1968Aretha Franklin"Respect"
  • Joe Tex – "Skinny Legs and All"
  • Lou Rawls – "Dead End Street"
  • Otis Redding – "Try a Little Tenderness"
  • Sam & Dave – "Soul Man"
  • 2012Corinne Bailey Rae"Is This Love"
  • Marsha Ambrosius — "Far Away"
  • Ledisi — "Pieces of Me"
  • Kelly Price & Stokley — "Not My Daddy"
  • Charlie Wilson — "You Are"
  • 2013Usher"Climax"
  • Estelle — "Thank You"
  • Robert Glasper Experiment & Ledisi — "Gonna Be Alright "
  • Luke James — "I Want You"
  • Miguel — "Adorn"
  • 2014Snarky Puppy featuring Lalah Hathaway"Something"
  • Tamar Braxton"Love and War"
  • Anthony Hamilton – "Best of Me"
  • Hiatus Kaiyote featuring Q-Tip – "Nakamarra"
  • Miguel featuring Kendrick Lamar – "How Many Drinks?"
  • 2015Beyoncé featuring Jay Z"Drunk in Love"
  • Chris Brown featuring Usher and Rick Ross – "New Flame"
  • Jennifer Hudson featuring R. Kelly – "It's Your World"
  • Ledisi – "Like This"
  • Usher – "Good Kisser"
  • 2016The Weeknd"Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)"
  • Tamar Braxton – "If I Don't Have You"
  • Andra Day – "Rise Up"
  • Hiatus Kaiyote – "Breathing Underwater"
  • Jeremih ft. J. Cole – "Planez"
  • 2017Solange"Cranes in the Sky"
  • BJ the Chicago Kid – "Turnin' Me Up"
  • Ro James – "Permission"
  • Musiq Soulchild – "I Do"
  • Rihanna – "Needed Me"
  • 2018Bruno Mars"That's What I Like"
  • Daniel Caesar featuring Kali Uchis – "Get You"
  • Kehlani – "Distraction"
  • Ledisi – "High"
  • SZA – "The Weekend"
  • 2019Daniel Caesar featuring H.E.R."Best Part"
  • Toni Braxton – "Long as I Live"
  • The Carters – "Summer"
  • Lalah Hathaway – "Y O Y"
  • PJ Morton – "First Began"
  • 2020Anderson.Paak featuring André 3000"Come Home"
  • Brandy & Daniel Caesar – "Love Again"
  • H.E.R. featuring Bryson Tiller – "Could've Been"
  • Lizzo featuring Gucci Mane – "Exactly How I Feel"
  • Lucky Daye – "Roll Some Mo"
  • 2021Beyoncé"Black Parade"
  • Jhené Aiko featuring John Legend – "Lightning & Thunder"
  • Jacob Collier featuring Mahalia & Ty Dolla $ign – "All I Need"
  • Brittany Howard – "Goat Head"
  • Emily King – "See Me"
  • 2022Silk Sonic"Leave the Door Open"
  • Snoh Aalegra – "Lost You"
  • Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon – "Peaches"
  • H.E.R. – "Damage"
  • 2022Jazmine Sullivan"Pick Up Your Feelings"
  • Snoh Aalegra – "Lost You"
  • Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon – "Peaches"
  • H.E.R. – "Damage"
  • 2023Muni Long"Hrs & Hrs"
  • Beyoncé – "Virgo's Groove"
  • Mary J. Blige featuring Anderson.Paak – "Here With Me"
  • Lucky Daye – "Over"
  • Jazmine Sullivan – "Hurt Me So Good"
  • 2024Coco Jones"ICU"
  • Chris Brown – "Summer Too Hot"
  • Robert Glasper featuring Sir & Alex Isley – "Back to Love"
  • Victoria Monét – "How Does It Make You Feel"
  • SZA – "Kill Bill"
  • 2025Muni Long"Made for Me (Live on BET)"
  • Jhené Aiko – "Guidance"
  • Chris Brown – "Residuals"
  • Coco Jones – "Here We Go "
  • SZA – "Saturn"
  • 2026Kehlani"Folded"
  • Justin Bieber – "Yukon"
  • Chris Brown featuring Bryson Tiller – "It Depends"
  • Leon Thomas – "Mutt (Live from NPR's Tiny Desk)"
  • Summer Walker – "Heart of a Woman"
  • Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

    Artists with multiple wins

    ;5 wins
    ;2 wins

    Artists with multiple nominations

    ;5 nominations
    ;4 nominations
    ;3 nominations
    ;2 nominations