# NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song

This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song. The award was first given in 1972, before being retired until the 1996 ceremony. In 2017 the category was divided, honoring traditional and contemporary songs separately. Since its conception, Alicia Keys holds the record for most wins in this category with five.

## Winners and nominees

Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.

### 1970s

| Year | Artist | Song | Ref |
| 1972 |
| 1972 | Isaac Hayes | "Theme from Shaft" | |
| 1973 – 79 | — | — | — |

### 1990s

| Year | Artist | Song | Ref |
| 1990 – 95 | — | — | — |
| 1996 |
| 1996 | Whitney Houston | "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" | |
| 1996 | D'Angelo | "Brown Sugar" | |
| 1996 | Coolio (featuring L.V.) | "Gangsta's Paradise" | |
| 1996 | TLC | "Waterfalls" | |
| 1996 | Michael Jackson | "You Are Not Alone" | |
| 1997 | | | |
| 1997 | R. Kelly | "I Believe I Can Fly" | |
| 1997 | Tracy Chapman | "Give Me One Reason" | |
| 1997 | Fugees | "Killing Me Softly" | |
| 1997 | Blackstreet (featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen) | "No Diggity" | |
| 1997 | Toni Braxton | "Un-Break My Heart" | |
| 1998 | | | |
| 1998 | Boyz II Men | "A Song for Mama" | |
| 1998 | Babyface | "Every Time I Close My Eyes" | |
| 1998 | Erykah Badu | "On & On" | |
| 1998 | En Vogue | "Don't Let Go (Love)" | |
| 1998 | God's Property (featuring Kirk Franklin and Cheryl James) | "Stomp" | |
| 1999 | | | |
| 1999 | Kirk Franklin | "Lean on Me" | |
| 1999 | Aretha Franklin | "A Rose Is Still a Rose" | |
| 1999 | K-Ci & JoJo | "All My Life" | |
| 1999 | Lauryn Hill | "Doo Wop (That Thing)" | |
| 1999 | Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey | "When You Believe" | |

### 2000s

| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2000 |
| 2000 | Eric Benét (featuring Tamia) | "Spend My Life with You" |
| 2000 | Lauryn Hill | "Everything is Everything" |
| 2000 | Whitney Houston | "My Love Is Your Love" |
| 2000 | Lenny Kravitz | "Fly Away" |
| 2000 | Chanté Moore | "Chanté's Got a Man" |
| 2001 | | |
| 2001 | Yolanda Adams | "Open My Heart" |
| 2002 | | |
| 2002 | Alicia Keys | "A Woman's Worth" |
| 2002 | Alicia Keys | "Fallin'" |
| 2002 | Jill Scott | "He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat)" |
| 2002 | Musiq Soulchild | "Love" |
| 2002 | Michael Jackson | "You Rock My World" |
| 2003 | | |
| 2003 | Kirk Franklin | "Brighter Day" |
| 2003 | India Arie | "Little Things" |
| 2003 | Erykah Badu (featuring Common) | "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" |
| 2003 | Mary J. Blige | "No More Drama" |
| 2003 | Missy Elliott | "Work It |
| 2004 | | |
| 2004 | Luther Vandross | "Dance with My Father" |
| 2004 | Beyoncé (feat. Jay Z) | "Crazy in Love" |
| 2004 | Outkast | "Hey Ya!" |
| 2004 | Outkast | "The Way You Move" |
| 2005 | | |
| 2005 | Alicia Keys | "If I Ain't Got You" |
| 2005 | Jill Scott | "Golden" |
| 2005 | Usher (featuring Lil Jon and Ludacris) | "Yeah!" |
| 2006 | | |
| 2006 | Alicia Keys | "Unbreakable" |
| 2006 | Mariah Carey | "We Belong Together" |
| 2006 | Common | "Testify" |
| 2006 | Destiny's Child | "Stand Up for Love" |
| 2006 | Kanye West | "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" |
| 2007 | | |
| 2007 | India Arie | "I Am Not My Hair" |
| 2007 | Gnarls Barkley | "Crazy" |
| 2007 | Beyoncé | "Irreplaceable" |
| 2007 | Mary J. Blige | "Be Without You" |
| 2007 | John Legend | "Save Room" |
| 2008 | | |
| 2008 | Alicia Keys | "Like You'll Never See Me Again" |
| 2008 | India Arie | "Beautiful Flower" |
| 2008 | Mary J. Blige | "Just Fine" |
| 2008 | Rihanna (featuring Jay Z) | "Umbrella" |
| 2008 | Kanye West | "Stronger" |
| 2009 | | |
| 2009 | will.i.am | "Yes We Can" |
| 2009 | Beyoncé | "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" |
| 2009 | Jennifer Hudson | "Spotlight" |
| 2009 | Alicia Keys | "Superwoman" |
| 2009 | John Legend | "Green Light" |

### 2010s

| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2010 |
| 2010 | Mary Mary | "God in Me" |
| 2010 | Jamie Foxx (featuring T-Pain) | "Blame It" |
| 2010 | Jay Z (featuring Alicia Keys) | "Empire State of Mind" |
| 2010 | Maxwell | "Bad Habits" |
| 2010 | Maxwell | "Pretty Wings" |
| 2011 |
| 2011 | Fantasia | "Bittersweet" |
| 2011 | CeeLo Green | "Fuck You" |
| 2011 | Alicia Keys | "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" |
| 2011 | Maxwell | "Fistful of Tears" |
| 2011 | Sade | "Soldier of Love" |
| 2012 |
| 2012 | Kirk Franklin | "I Smile" |
| 2012 | Adele | "Someone Like You" |
| 2012 | Beyoncé | "Best Thing I Never Had" |
| 2012 | CeeLo Green (featuring Melanie Fiona) | "Fool for You" |
| 2012 | Jill Scott (featuring Anthony Hamilton) | "So in Love" |
| 2013 |
| 2013 | Whitney Houston and R. Kelly | "I Look to You" |
| 2013 | Kem | "Be Mine for Christmas" |
| 2013 | Kem | "Glorify the King" |
| 2013 | Kem | "You're on My Mind" |
| 2013 | Bruno Mars | "Locked Out of Heaven" |
| 2014 |
| 2014 | John Legend | "All of Me" |
| 2014 | Alicia Keys (featuring Maxwell) | "Fire We Make" |
| 2014 | Bruno Mars | "Treasure" |
| 2014 | Janelle Monáe (featuring Erykah Badu) | "Q.U.E.E.N." |
| 2014 | Robin Thicke (featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams) | "Blurred Lines" |
| 2015 |
| 2015 | Alicia Keys | "We Are Here" |
| 2015 | Beyoncé | "Pretty Hurts" |
| 2015 | Aloe Blacc | "The Man" |
| 2015 | Kendrick Lamar | "i" |
| 2015 | Usher | "Good Kisser" |
| 2016 |
| 2016 | Jill Scott | "Back Together" |
| 2016 | Lauryn Hill | "Feeling Good" |
| 2016 | Seal | "Every Time I'm with You" |
| 2016 | Jazmine Sullivan | "Let It Burn" |
| 2016 | Charlie Wilson | "Goodnight Kisses" |
| 2017 |
| 2017 | Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams | "I See Victory" |
| 2017 | Anthony Hamilton | "Amen" |
| 2017 | Tamela Mann | "God Provides" |
| 2017 | Maxwell | "Lake by the Ocean" |
| 2017 | Solange | "Cranes in the Sky" |
| 2017 | Beyoncé (featuring Kendrick Lamar) | "Freedom" |
| 2017 | Common (featuring Bilal) | "Letter to the Free" |
| 2017 | Bruno Mars | "24K Magic" |
| 2017 | Sounds of Blackness (featuring High School for Recording Arts) | "Royalty" |
| 2017 | Beyoncé | Formation |
| 2018 | | |
| 2018 | Bruno Mars | "That's What I Like" |
| 2018 | Ledisi | "High" |
| 2018 | MAJOR. | "Honest" |
| 2018 | John Legend | "Surefire" (Piano Version) |
| 2018 | Mary J. Blige | "U + Me (Love Lesson)" |
| 2018 | Kendrick Lamar | "HUMBLE." |
| 2018 | JAY-Z | "The Story of O.J." |
| 2018 | Mali Music | "Gonna Be Alright" |
| 2018 | Jazmine Sullivan x Bryson Tiller | "Insecure" |
| 2018 | SZA feat. Travis Scott | "Love Galore" |
| 2019 |
| 2019 | Ella Mai | "Boo'd Up" |
| 2019 | John Legend feat. BloodPop | "A Good Night" |
| 2019 | Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B | "Finesse (Remix)" |
| 2019 | Childish Gambino | "This Is America" |
| 2019 | H.E.R. | "As I Am" |
| 2019 | Toni Braxton | "Long as I Live" |
| 2019 | Andra Day | "Amen" |
| 2019 | MAJOR. | "Better With You In It" |
| 2019 | Leon Bridges | "Beyond" |
| 2019 | Tori Kelly feat. Kirk Franklin | "Never Alone" |

### 2020s

| Year | Artist | Song |
| 2020 |
| 2020 | Beyoncé | "Before I Let Go" |
| 2020 | H.E.R. | "Hard Place" |
| 2020 | Lizzo | "Juice" |
| 2020 | Normani | "Motivation" |
| 2020 | Khalid | "Talk" |
| 2020 | Beyoncé | "Spirit" |
| 2020 | Fantasia | "Enough" |
| 2020 | Lizzo | "Jerome" |
| 2020 | Cynthia Erivo | "Stand Up" |
| 2020 | India Arie | "Steady Love" |