Grammy Award for Best R&B Solo Performance

Grammy Award for Best R&B Solo Performance
"Folded" by Kehlani is the most recent recipient
Awarded forquality vocal or instrumental R&B recordings
CountryUnited States
Presented byNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
Currently held byKehlani – "Folded" (2026)
Websitegrammy.com

The Grammy Award for Best R&B Solo 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 (vocal or instrumental) 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. In 2027, a new Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance category was established, and the award was renamed Best R&B Solo Performance.

The award goes to the artist. The producer, engineer and songwriter can apply for a Winners Certificate.

Recipients

The Champs were the inaugural winners of the award.
Dinah Washington was the first female recipient of the award.
Ray Charles has the most wins in this category, winning the award five times.
The award was discontinued in 1968, Aretha Franklin being the last winner.
Corinne Bailey Rae was the recipient of the reintroduced award in 2012.
2022 co-winner Jazmine Sullivan.
Two-time winner, Muni Long. (2023 & 2025)

1950s

Year[I] Performing artist(s) Work
1959
The Champs "Tequila"
Harry Belafonte Belafonte Sings the Blues
Nat King Cole "Looking Back"
Earl Grant "The End"
Perez Prado "Patricia"

1960s

Year[I] Performing artist(s) Work
1960
Dinah Washington "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes"
Jesse Belvin "Guess Who"
The Coasters "Charlie Brown"
Nat King Cole "Midnight Flyer"
Elvis Presley "A Big Hunk o' Love"
1961
Ray Charles "Let the Good Times Roll"
LaVerne Baker "Shake a Hand"
Hank Ballard and The Midnighters "Finger Poppin' Time"
Bo Diddley "Walkin' and Talkin'"
John Lee Hooker Travelin'
Etta James "All I Could Do Was Cry"
Muddy Waters "Got My Mojo Working"
Jackie Wilson "Lonely Teardrops"
1962
Ray Charles "Hit the Road Jack"
LaVerne Baker "Saved"
Etta James "The Fool That I Am"
Ernie K-Doe "Mother-in-Law"
Jimmy Reed "Bright Lights, Big City"
1963
Ray Charles "I Can't Stop Loving You"
B. Bumble and the Stingers "Nut Rocker"
Sam Cooke "Bring It On Home to Me"
Bobby Darin "What'd I Say"
Little Eva "The Loco-Motion"
Mel Tormé "Comin' Home Baby"
1964
Ray Charles "Busted"
Sam Cooke "Frankie and Johnny"
Barbara Lewis "Hello Stranger"
Little Johnny Taylor "Part Time Love"
Major Lance "Hey Little Girl"
Martha and the Vandellas "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave"
Lenny Welch "Since I Fell for You"
1965
Nancy Wilson "How Glad I Am"
Sam Cooke "Good Times"
The Impressions "Keep on Pushing"
The Supremes "Baby Love"
Joe Tex "Hold What You've Got"
Dionne Warwick "Walk On By"
1966
James Brown "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag"
Sam Cooke "Shake"
Wilson Pickett "In the Midnight Hour"
The Temptations "My Girl"
Junior Walker and the All-Stars "Shotgun"
1967
Ray 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)"
1968
Aretha Franklin "Respect"
Lou Rawls "Dead End Street"
Otis Redding "Try a Little Tenderness"
Sam & Dave "Soul Man"
Joe Tex "Skinny Legs and All"

2010s

Year[I] Performing artist(s) Work
2012
Corinne Bailey Rae "Is This Love"
Marsha Ambrosius "Far Away"
Ledisi "Pieces of Me"
Kelly Price and Stokley "Not My Daddy"
Charlie Wilson "You Are"
2013
Usher "Climax"
Estelle "Thank You"
Robert Glasper Experiment and Ledisi "Gonna Be Alright (F.T.B.)"
Luke James "I Want You"
Miguel "Adorn"
2014
Snarky 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?"
2015
Beyoncé 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"
2016
The Weeknd "Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)"
Tamar Braxton "If I Don't Have You"
Andra Day "Rise Up"
Hiatus Kaiyote "Breathing Underwater"
Jeremih featuring J. Cole "Planez"
2017
Solange "Cranes in the Sky"
BJ the Chicago Kid "Turnin' Me Up"
Ro James "Permission"
Musiq Soulchild "I Do"
Rihanna "Needed Me"
2018
Bruno Mars "That's What I Like"
Daniel Caesar featuring Kali Uchis "Get You"
Kehlani "Distraction"
Ledisi "High"
SZA "The Weekend"
2019
Daniel 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"

2020s

Year[I] Performing artist(s) Work
2020
Anderson .Paak featuring André 3000 "Come Home"
Brandy and 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"
2021
Beyoncé "Black Parade"
Jhené Aiko featuring John Legend "Lightning & Thunder"
Jacob Collier featuring Mahalia and Ty Dolla $ign "All I Need"
Brittany Howard "Goat Head"
Emily King "See Me"
2022
Silk Sonic (TIE) "Leave the Door Open"
Jazmine Sullivan (TIE) "Pick Up Your Feelings"
Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon "Peaches"
Snoh Aalegra "Lost You"
H.E.R. "Damage"
2023
Muni 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"
2024
Coco Jones "ICU"
Chris Brown "Summer Too Hot"
Robert Glasper featuring Sir and Alex Isley "Back to Love"
Victoria Monét "How Does It Make You Feel"
SZA "Kill Bill"
2025
Muni Long "Made for Me" (Live on BET)
Jhené Aiko "Guidance"
Chris Brown "Residuals"
Coco Jones "Here We Go (Uh Oh)"
SZA "Saturn"
2026
Kehlani "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"

^[I] Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

Artists with multiple wins

Artists with multiple nominations

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Grammy Awards at a Glance". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved April 24, 2010.
  2. ↑ "Category Mapper". National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Grammy Awards restructuring". Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  4. ↑ Zelmer, Emily (June 16, 2026). "Grammys Announce Five New Categories, Including Best R&B Collaboration and Best Latin Song". Rolling Stone.
  5. ↑ Grammy Blue Book (edition 2021)
  6. ↑ "Grammy Awards 1959 (May)". Awards & Shows. Archived from the original on May 28, 2011. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Grammy Awards 1959". Awards & Shows. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Grammy Awards 1961". Awards & Shows. Archived from the original on May 28, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  9. ↑ "Grammy Awards 1962". Awards & Shows. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Grammy Awards 1963". Awards & Shows. Archived from the original on December 7, 2016. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Grammy Awards 1964". Awards & Shows.
  12. ↑ "Grammy Awards 1965". Awards & Shows.
  13. ↑ "Grammy Awards 1966". Awards and Shows. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  14. ↑ "Grammy Awards 1967". Awards and Shows. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  15. ↑ "Grammy Awards 1968". Awards & Shows. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011. Retrieved December 8, 2012.
  16. ↑ "2011 – 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards Nominees And Winners: R&B Field". The Recording Academy. November 30, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Grammys 2013: Winners List". Billboard. Retrieved April 26, 2017.
  18. ↑ "2014 Nominees" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on December 16, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  19. ↑ "57th Grammy Nominees". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  20. ↑ Billboard.com, 7 December 2015
  21. ↑ "59th Grammy Nominees". Grammy. Archived from the original on February 1, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Grammys 2018 Nominees: The Complete List". Billboard. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  23. ↑ Grammy.com, 7 December 2018
  24. ↑ Grammy.com, 22 November 2019
  25. ↑ Grammy.com, 24 November 2020
  26. ↑ Grammy.com, 23 November 2021
  27. ↑ Grammy.com, 15 November 2022
  28. ↑ Grammy.com, 10 November 2023
  29. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (November 8, 2024). "Grammy Nominations 2025: See the Full List Here". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  30. ↑ Willman, Chris (November 7, 2025). "Grammy Nominations 2026: Kendrick Lamar Leads With Nine as Lady Gaga, Bad Bunny, Sabrina Carpenter and Leon Thomas Land Among Top Nominees". Variety. Retrieved November 7, 2025.