# Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album

The Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for high quality works on albums in the urban contemporary subgenre within the R&B field. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the Recording Academy of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
This category was one of the three newly created categories for the 55th Annual Grammy Awards as Best Urban Contemporary Album. In June 2020, the Recording Academy announced a renaming and redefining of the category. Its new name was Best Progressive R&B Album, with immediate effect, "to appropriately categorize and describe this subgenre. This change includes a more accurate definition to describe the merit or characteristics of music compositions or performances themselves within the genre of R&B." Adding to this, the description of this category is now as follows: "[t]his category is intended to highlight albums that include the more progressive elements of R&B and may include samples and elements of hip-hop, rap, dance, and electronic music. It may also incorporate production elements found in pop, euro-pop, country, rock, folk, and alternative."
According to Recording Academy president Harvey Mason Jr. in the same press release, these changes reflected "the current state of the music industry and how it's evolved over the past 12 months." In the weeks leading up to this decision, the label "urban" to indicate music made by African American musicians, songwriters and producers had come under fire.
The award goes to the artist, producer and engineer/mixer, provided they are credited with more than 50% of playing time on the album. A producer and engineer with less than 50% of playing time, as well as the mastering engineer, can apply for a "Winners Certificate".

## Controversies

Some African American musicians have disputed the use of the term "urban contemporary", seen as a "catchall for music created by Black artists, regardless of genre". In a backstage interview given after his first Grammy win (for Best Rap Album), artist Tyler, the Creator stated that "[i]t sucks that whenever we — and I mean guys that look like me — do anything that's genre-bending or that's anything, they always put it in a rap or urban category", adding that "I don't like that 'urban' word — it's just a politically correct way to say the n-word to me".

## Recipients

| Year | Performing artist(s) | Work | Nominees | Ref. |
| 2013 | Frank Ocean James Ryan Ho, Frank Ocean and Om'Mas Keith, producers; Jeff Ellis, James Ryan Ho and Frank Ocean, engineers/mixers | Channel Orange | Chris Brown – Fortune Miguel – Kaleidoscope Dream | [9] [10] |
| 2014 | Rihanna Kuk Harrell, producer; Kuk Harrell, Manny Marroquin and Marcos Tovar, engineers/mixers | Unapologetic | Tamar Braxton – Love and War Fantasia – Side Effects of You Salaam Remi – One: In the Chamber Mack Wilds – New York: A Love Story | [11] [10] |
| 2015 | Pharrell Williams Pharrell Williams, producer; Andrew Coleman, Mick Guzauski and Mike Larson, engineers/mixers | Girl | Jhené Aiko – Sail Out Beyoncé – Beyoncé Chris Brown – X Mali Music – Mali Is... | [12] [10] |
| 2016 | The Weeknd Carlo "Illangelo" Montagnese and the Weeknd, producers | Beauty Behind the Madness | The Internet – Ego Death Kehlani – You Should Be Here Lianne La Havas – Blood Miguel – Wildheart | [13] [10] |
| 2017 | Beyoncé Beyoncé, producer; Stuart White, engineer/mixer | Lemonade | Gallant – Ology King – We Are King Anderson Paak – Malibu Rihanna – Anti | [14] [10] |
| 2018 | The Weeknd Cirkut, Doc McKinney and the Weeknd, producers; Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Doc McKinney and Josh Smith, engineers/mixers | Starboy | 6lack – Free 6lack Childish Gambino – "Awaken, My Love!" Khalid – American Teen SZA – Ctrl | [15] [10] |
| 2019 | The Carters The Carters, producers; Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton and Stuart White, engineers/mixers | Everything Is Love | Miguel – War & Leisure Chloe x Halle – The Kids Are Alright Chris Dave and the Drumhedz – Chris Dave and the Drumhedz Meshell Ndegeocello – Ventriloquism | [16] [10] |
| 2020 | Lizzo Ricky Reed, producer; Manny Marroquin and Ethan Shumaker, engineers/mixers | Cuz I Love You (Deluxe) | Steve Lacy – Apollo XXI Georgia Anne Muldrow – Overload NAO – Saturn Jessie Reyez – Being Human in Public | [17] [10] |
| 2021 | Thundercat Flying Lotus and Thundercat, producers; Daddy Kev and Flying Lotus, engineers/mixers | It Is What It Is | Jhené Aiko – Chilombo Chloe x Halle – Ungodly Hour Free Nationals – Free Nationals Robert Glasper – Fuck Yo Feelings | |
| 2022 | Lucky Daye Dernst "D'Mile" Emile, producer; John Kercy, engineer/mixer | Table for Two | Eric Bellinger – New Light Cory Henry – Something to Say Hiatus Kaiyote – Mood Valiant Terrace Martin, Robert Glasper, 9th Wonder and Kamasi Washington – Dinner Party: Dessert Masego – Studying Abroad: Extended Stay | |
| 2023 | Steve Lacy Steve Lacy, producer; Neal H Pogue and Karl Wingate, engineers/mixers | Gemini Rights | Cory Henry – Operation Funk Terrace Martin – Drones Moonchild – Starfruit Tank and the Bangas – Red Balloon | |
| 2024 | SZA Rob Bisel and Carter Lang, producers; Rob Bisel, engineer/mixer | SOS | 6lack – Since I Have a Lover Diddy – The Love Album: Off the Grid Terrace Martin and James Fauntleroy – Nova Janelle Monáe – The Age of Pleasure | |
| 2025 | AverySunshine | So Glad to Know You | Durand Bernarr – En Route Childish Gambino – Bando Stone & the New World Kehlani – Crash | |
| 2025 | NxWorries | Why Lawd? | Durand Bernarr – En Route Childish Gambino – Bando Stone & the New World Kehlani – Crash | |
Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

## Artists with multiple wins
### 2 wins

* Beyoncé (one as The Carters)
* The Weeknd