# Grammy Award for Best R&B Album

The Grammy Award for Best R&B Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality works on albums in the R&B music genre. 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".
According to the category description guide for the 54th Grammy Awards, the award is reserved for albums "containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded contemporary R&B vocal tracks" which may also "incorporate production elements found in rap music".
From 2003 to 2011, a separate category was formed, the Best Contemporary R&B Album, meant for R&B albums that had modern hip-hop stylings to them, while more traditional and less electronic-styled R&B music still fell under the Best R&B Album category. After the 2011 Grammy season, the Best Contemporary R&B Album category was discontinued and recordings that previously fell under this category were shifted back to the Best R&B Album category. This was part of a major overhaul of the Grammy Award categories. In 2013, a sister category titled Best Progressive R&B Album, then titled Best Urban Contemporary Album was debuted.
The award goes to the artist, producer and engineer/mixer, provided they are credited with at least 50% of playing time on the album. (The lead performing artist is the only one who receives the official nomination). A producer or engineer who are responsible for less than 50% of playing time, as well as the mastering engineer, can apply for a Winners Certificate. Before 2001, only the performing artist received a nomination and/or an award.
Alicia Keys and John Legend are the biggest recipients in this category with three wins. TLC, D'Angelo, Robert Glasper, and Chris Brown have won the award twice. Mary J. Blige holds the record for the most nominations, with six in total. In 2015, Norwegian singer Bern/hoft became the first non-American artist to be nominated.

## Recipients

| Year | Performing artist(s) | Work | Nominees |
| 1995 | Boyz II Men | II | Anita Baker – Rhythm of Love Tevin Campbell – I'm Ready Gladys Knight – Just for You Me'Shell NdegéOcello – Plantation Lullabies Luther Vandross – Songs |
| 1996 | TLC | CrazySexyCool | Mary J. Blige – My Life D'Angelo – Brown Sugar Prince – The Gold Experience Barry White – The Icon Is Love |
| 1997 | Tony Rich | Words | Oleta Adams – Moving On Maxwell – Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite Curtis Mayfield – New World Order Me'Shell NdegéOcello – Peace Beyond Passion |
| 1998 | Erykah Badu | Baduizm | Babyface – The Day Mary J. Blige – Share My World Boyz II Men – Evolution Patti LaBelle – Flame Whitney Houston – The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album |
| 1999 | Lauryn Hill | The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill | Erykah Badu – Live Brandy – Never Say Never Aretha Franklin – A Rose Is Still a Rose Maxwell – Embrya |
| 2000 | TLC | FanMail | Mary J. Blige – Mary Whitney Houston – My Love Is Your Love R. Kelly – R. Brian McKnight – Back at One |
| 2001 | D'Angelo | Voodoo | Boyz II Men – Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya Toni Braxton – The Heat Joe – My Name Is Joe Jill Scott – Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 Sisqó – Unleash the Dragon |
| 2002 | Alicia Keys | Songs in A Minor | Aaliyah – Aaliyah India.Arie – Acoustic Soul Mary J. Blige – No More Drama Destiny's Child – Survivor |
| 2003 | India.Arie | Voyage to India | Joe – Better Days Musiq – Juslisen Raphael Saadiq – Instant Vintage Remy Shand – The Way I Feel |
| 2004 | Luther Vandross | Dance with My Father | Erykah Badu – Worldwide Underground Blu Cantrell – Bittersweet Aretha Franklin – So Damn Happy The Isley Brothers – Body Kiss |
| 2005 | Alicia Keys | The Diary of Alicia Keys | Anita Baker – My Everything Al Green – I Can't Stop Prince – Musicology Jill Scott – Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 |
| 2006 | John Legend | Get Lifted | Fantasia – Free Yourself Earth, Wind & Fire – Illumination Alicia Keys – Unplugged Stevie Wonder – A Time to Love |
| 2007 | Mary J. Blige | The Breakthrough | Jamie Foxx – Unpredictable India.Arie – Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship Prince – 3121 Lionel Richie – Coming Home |
| 2008 | Chaka Khan | Funk This | Ledisi – Lost & Found Musiq Soulchild – Luvanmusiq Jill Scott – The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 Tank – Sex, Love & Pain |
| 2009 | Jennifer Hudson | Jennifer Hudson | Eric Benét – Love & Life Boyz II Men – Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA Al Green – Lay It Down Raphael Saadiq – The Way I See It |
| 2010 | Maxwell | BLACKsummers'night | Anthony Hamilton – The Point of It All India.Arie – Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics Ledisi – Turn Me Loose Charlie Wilson – Uncle Charlie |
| 2011 | John Legend and The Roots | Wake Up! | Raheem DeVaughn – The Love & War MasterPeace Fantasia – Back to Me Jaheim – Another Round Monica – Still Standing |
| 2012 | Chris Brown | F.A.M.E. | El DeBarge – Second Chance Ledisi – Pieces of Me Kelly Price – Kelly R. Kelly – Love Letter |
| 2013 | Robert Glasper Experiment | Black Radio | Anthony Hamilton – Back to Love R. Kelly – Write Me Back Tamia – Beautiful Surprise Tyrese – Open Invitation |
| 2014 | Alicia Keys | Girl On Fire | Faith Evans – R&B Divas John Legend – Love in the Future Chrisette Michele – Better TGT – Three Kings |
| 2015 | Toni Braxton & Babyface | Love, Marriage & Divorce | Bernhoft – Islander Aloe Blacc – Lift Your Spirit Robert Glasper Experiment – Black Radio 2 Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Give The People What They Want |
| 2016 | D'Angelo & The Vanguard | Black Messiah | Leon Bridges – Coming Home Andra Day – Cheers to the Fall Jazmine Sullivan – Reality Show Charlie Wilson – Forever Charlie |
| 2017 | Lalah Hathaway | Lalah Hathaway Live | BJ The Chicago Kid – In My Mind Terrace Martin – Velvet Portraits Mint Condition – Healing Season Mýa – Smoove Jones |
| 2018 | Bruno Mars | 24K Magic | Daniel Caesar – Freudian Ledisi – Let Love Rule PJ Morton – Gumbo Musiq Soulchild – Feel the Real |
| 2019 | H.E.R. | H.E.R. | Toni Braxton – Sex & Cigarettes Leon Bridges – Good Thing Lalah Hathaway – Honestly PJ Morton – Gumbo Unplugged (Live) |
| 2020 | Anderson .Paak | Ventura | BJ the Chicago Kid – 1123 Lucky Daye – Painted Ella Mai – Ella Mai PJ Morton – Paul |
| 2021 | John Legend Gerry "The Gov" Brown, Bobby Campbell & Hotae Alexander Jang (engineers/mixers) | Bigger Love | Ant Clemons – Happy 2 Be Here Giveon – Take Time Luke James – To Feel Love/d Gregory Porter – All Rise |
| 2022 | Jazmine Sullivan ZsuZsu Cook, Peter Edge & Trevor Jerideau (producers) Joe Gallagher & Justin Miles (engineers/mixers) | Heaux Tales | Snoh Aalegra – Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies Jon Batiste – We Are Leon Bridges – Gold-Diggers Sound H.E.R. – Back of My Mind |
| 2023 | Robert Glasper Robert Glasper (producer) Keith "Qmillion" Lewis (engineer/mixer) | Black Radio III | Mary J. Blige – Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe) Chris Brown – Breezy (Deluxe) Lucky Daye – Candydrip PJ Morton – Watch the Sun |
| 2024 | Victoria Monét Dernst "D'Mile" Emile II & Victoria Monét (producers) John Kercy, Kyle Mann, Victoria Monét & Todd Robinson (engineers/mixers) | Jaguar II | Babyface – Girls Night Out Coco Jones – What I Didn't Tell You (Deluxe) Emily King – Special Occasion Summer Walker – Clear 2: Soft Life EP |
| 2025 | Chris Brown Producer, engineer and mixer tbd | 11:11 (Deluxe) | Lalah Hathaway – Vantablack Muni Long – Revenge Lucky Daye – Algorithm Usher – Coming Home |
Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.