# Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance

The Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance (previously called Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female) was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality R&B songs. Awards in several categories are distributed annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences 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 52nd Grammy Awards, the award was presented to artists that performed "newly recorded solo R&B vocal performances". Solo numbers by members of an established group were not eligible for the award as "separate entries from the duo or group performances." Albums were also considered for the accolade until 1992.
As a part of the major overhaul of Grammy categories, the award was discontinued in 2011. The Female R&B Vocal Performance category, Male R&B Vocal Performance category and all duo/group vocal performances in the R&B category shifted to the Best R&B Performance category in 2012.
The award for the Best Female R&B Vocal Performance was first presented to Aretha Franklin at the 10th Grammy Awards ceremony in 1968 for the song "Respect". Franklin received the most wins with eleven, followed by Anita Baker with five. Franklin also holds the record for the most nominations with twenty-three, while Chaka Khan is second with eight nominations. Fantasia Barrino became the final recipient of the award, when her song "Bittersweet" won the award in 2011. The award was presented to artists from the United States each year.

## Recipients

| Year | Performing artists | Work | Nominees |
| 1968 | Aretha Franklin | "Respect" | Etta James – "Tell Mama" Gladys Knight – "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" Nina Simone – "You'll Go to Hell" Carla Thomas – "The Queen Alone" |
| 1969 | Aretha Franklin | "Chain of Fools" | Barbara Acklin – "Love Makes a Woman" Erma Franklin – "Piece of My Heart" Etta James – "Security" Ella Washington – "He Called Me Baby" |
| 1970 | Aretha Franklin | "Share Your Love with Me" | Gloria Taylor – "You Gotta Pay the Price" Ruth Brown - "Yesterday" Tina Turner – The Hunter Dee Dee Warwick – "Foolish Fool" |
| 1971 | Aretha Franklin | "Don't Play That Song" | Esther Phillips – "Set Me Free" Nina Simone – Black Gold Candi Staton – "Stand by Your Man" Dee Dee Warwick – "She Didn't Know" |
| 1972 | Aretha Franklin | "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | Jean Knight – "Mr. Big Stuff" Janis Joplin – Pearl Freda Payne – Contact Diana Ross – "(I Love You) Call Me" |
| 1973 | Aretha Franklin | Young, Gifted And Black | Merry Clayton – "Oh No Not My Baby" Esther Phillips – From a Whisper to a Scream Candi Staton – "In the Ghetto" Betty Wright – "Clean Up Woman" |
| 1974 | Aretha Franklin | "Master of Eyes (The Deepness of Your Eyes)" | Etta James – Etta James Ann Peebles – "I Can't Stand the Rain" Esther Phillips – "Alone Again (Naturally)" Sylvia – "Pillow Talk" |
| 1975 | Aretha Franklin | "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing" | Shirley Brown – "Woman to Woman" Thelma Houston – "You've Been Doing Wrong for So Long" Millie Jackson – "(If Loving You Is Wrong) I Don't Want to Be Right" Etta James – "St. Louis Blues" Ann Peebles – "You Keep Me Hangin' On" Tina Turner – Tina Turns the Country On! |
| 1976 | Natalie Cole | "This Will Be" | Gloria Gaynor – "Never Can Say Goodbye" Gwen McCrae – "Rockin' Chair" Esther Phillips – "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" Shirley & Company – "Shame, Shame, Shame" |
| 1977 | Natalie Cole | "Sophisticated Lady (She's a Different Lady)" | Aretha Franklin – "Something He Can Feel" Dorothy Moore – "Misty Blue" Melba Moore – "Lean On Me" Diana Ross – "Love Hangover" |
| 1978 | Thelma Houston | "Don't Leave Me This Way" | Natalie Cole – "I've Got Love on My Mind" Aretha Franklin – "Break It to Me Gently" Dorothy Moore – "I Believe You" Diana Ross – "Your Love Is So Good for Me" |
| 1979 | Donna Summer | "Last Dance" | Alicia Bridges – "I Love the Nightlife" Natalie Cole – "Our Love" Aretha Franklin – Almighty Fire Chaka Khan – "I'm Every Woman" |
| 1980 | Dionne Warwick | "Déjà Vu" | Natalie Cole – I Love You So Minnie Riperton – Minnie Amii Stewart – "Knock on Wood" Donna Summer – "Dim All the Lights" Anita Ward – "Ring My Bell" |
| 1981 | Stephanie Mills | "Never Knew Love Like This Before" | Roberta Flack – Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway Aretha Franklin – "I Can't Turn You Loose" Minnie Riperton – Love Lives Forever Diana Ross – "Upside Down" |
| 1982 | Aretha Franklin | "Hold On! I'm Comin'" | Patti Austin – "Razzamatazz" Chaka Khan – What Cha' Gonna Do for Me Teena Marie – It Must Be Magic Stephanie Mills – Stephanie |
| 1983 | Jennifer Holliday | "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" | Aretha Franklin – "Jump to It" Diana Ross – "Muscles" Patrice Rushen – "Forget Me Nots" Donna Summer – "Love Is in Control (Finger on the Trigger)" Deniece Williams – "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" |
| 1984 | Chaka Khan | Chaka Khan | Aretha Franklin – Get It Right Jennifer Holliday – Feel My Soul Patti LaBelle – "The Best Is Yet to Come" Stephanie Mills – Merciless Deniece Williams – I'm So Proud |
| 1985 | Chaka Khan | "I Feel for You" | Patti Austin – Patti Austin Shannon – "Let the Music Play" Tina Turner – "Let's Stay Together" Deniece Williams – "Let's Hear It for the Boy" |
| 1986 | Aretha Franklin | "Freeway of Love" | Whitney Houston – "You Give Good Love" Chaka Khan – I Feel for You Patti LaBelle – "New Attitude" Teena Marie – "Lovergirl" |
| 1987 | Anita Baker | Rapture | Aretha Franklin – "Jumpin' Jack Flash" Janet Jackson – Control Chaka Khan – Destiny Patti LaBelle – Winner in You |
| 1988 | Aretha Franklin | Aretha | Natalie Cole – Everlasting Whitney Houston – "For the Love of You" Jody Watley – "Looking for a New Love" Nancy Wilson – Forbidden Lover |
| 1989 | Anita Baker | "Giving You the Best That I Got" | Taylor Dayne – "I'll Always Love You" Pebbles – "Girlfriend" Karyn White – "The Way You Love Me" Vanessa Williams – "The Right Stuff" |
| 1990 | Anita Baker | Giving You the Best That I Got | Natalie Cole – Good to Be Back Aretha Franklin – Through the Storm Janet Jackson – "Miss You Much" Vanessa Williams – "Dreamin'" |
| 1991 | Anita Baker | Compositions | Regina Belle – "Make It Like It Was" Janet Jackson – "Alright" Patti LaBelle – "I Can't Complain" Pebbles – "Giving You the Benefit" |
| 1992 | Lisa Fischer Patti LaBelle | "How Can I Ease the Pain" Burnin' | Aretha Franklin – What You See Is What You Sweat Gladys Knight – Good Woman Vanessa Williams – "Running Back to You" |
| 1993 | Chaka Khan | The Woman I Am | Oleta Adams – "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" Whitney Houston – "I Belong to You" Shanice – "I Love Your Smile" Vanessa Williams – "The Comfort Zone" |
| 1994 | Toni Braxton | "Another Sad Love Song" | *Aretha Franklin – "Someday We'll All Be Free" Whitney Houston – "I'm Every Woman" Janet Jackson – "That's The Way Love Goes" Patti LaBelle – "All Right Now" |
| 1995 | Toni Braxton | "Breathe Again" | Anita Baker – "Body and Soul" Aretha Franklin – "A Deeper Love" Gladys Knight – "I Don't Want to Know" Meshell Ndegeocello – "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)" |
| 1996 | Anita Baker | "I Apologize" | Brandy – "Baby" Toni Braxton – "I Belong To You" Mariah Carey – "Always Be My Baby" Vanessa Williams – "The Way That You Love" |
| 1997 | Toni Braxton | "You're Makin' Me High" | Brandy – "Sittin' Up in My Room" Mary J. Blige – "Not Gon' Cry" Tamia – "You Put a Move on My Heart" Whitney Houston – "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" |
| 1998 | Erykah Badu | "On & On" | Chaka Khan – "Summertime" Mariah Carey – "Honey" Patti LaBelle – "When You Talk About Love" Whitney Houston – "I Believe in You and Me" |
| 1999 | Lauryn Hill | "Doo Wop (That Thing)" | Aaliyah – "Are You That Somebody?" Aretha Franklin – "A Rose Is Still a Rose" Erykah Badu – "Tyrone" Janet Jackson – "I Get Lonely" |
| 2000 | Whitney Houston | "It's Not Right but It's Okay" | Brandy – "Almost Doesn't Count" Mary J. Blige – "All That I Can Say" Faith Evans – "Love Like This" Macy Gray – "Do Something" |
| 2001 | Toni Braxton | "He Wasn't Man Enough" | Aaliyah – "Try Again" Erykah Badu – "Bag Lady" Kelly Price – "As We Lay" Jill Scott – "Gettin' in the Way" |
| 2002 | Alicia Keys | "Fallin'" | Aaliyah – "Rock the Boat" India.Arie – "Video" Mary J. Blige – "Family Affair" Blu Cantrell – "Hit 'em Up Style (Oops!)" Jill Scott – "A Long Walk" |
| 2003 | Mary J. Blige | "He Think I Don't Know" | Aaliyah – "More Than a Woman" Ashanti – "Foolish" Eartha – "I'm Still Standing" Jill Scott – "He Loves Me (Lyzel in E Flat)" |
| 2004 | Beyoncé Knowles | "Dangerously in Love 2" | Ashanti – "Rain on Me" Erykah Badu – "Back in the Day" Mary J. Blige – "Ooh!" Heather Headley – "I Wish I Wasn't" |
| 2005 | Alicia Keys | "If I Ain't Got You" | Janet Jackson – "I Want You" Teena Marie – "I'm Still in Love" Jill Scott – "Whatever" Angie Stone – "U-Haul" |
| 2006 | Mariah Carey | "We Belong Together" | Amerie – "1 Thing" Fantasia – "Free Yourself" Alicia Keys – "Unbreakable" Beyoncé – "Wishing on a Star" |
| 2007 | Mary J. Blige | "Be Without You" | India.Arie – "I Am Not My Hair" Natalie Cole – "Day Dreaming" Beyoncé – "Ring the Alarm" Mariah Carey – "Don't Forget About Us" |
| 2008 | Alicia Keys | "No One" | Mary J. Blige – "Just Fine" Fantasia – "When I See U" Chrisette Michele – "If I Have My Way" Jill Scott – "Hate On Me" |
| 2009 | Alicia Keys | "Superwoman" | Beyoncé – "Me, Myself and I (Live)" Keyshia Cole – "Heaven Sent" Jennifer Hudson – "Spotlight" Jazmine Sullivan – "Need U Bad" |
| 2010 | Beyoncé Knowles | "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" | Melanie Fiona – "It Kills Me" Lalah Hathaway – "That Was Then" Ledisi – "Goin' Thru Changes" Jazmine Sullivan – "Lions, Tigers & Bears" |
| 2011 | Fantasia Barrino | "Bittersweet" | Faith Evans – "Gone Already" Monica – "Everything to Me" Kelly Price – "Tired" Jazmine Sullivan – "Holding You Down (Goin' in Circles)" |
Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.