# Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance

The Grammy Award for Best R&B 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.
The award goes to the artist. The producer, engineer and songwriter can apply for a Winners Certificate.

## Recipients

| Year | Performing artist(s) | Work | Nominees |
| 1959 | The Champs | "Tequila" | Harry Belafonte – Belafonte Sings the Blues Nat King Cole – "Looking Back" Perez Prado – "Patricia" Earl Grant – "The End" |
| 1960 | Dinah Washington | "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" | Elvis Presley – "A Big Hunk o' Love" The Coasters – "Charlie Brown" Jesse Belvin – "Guess Who" Nat King Cole – "Midnight Flyer" |
| 1961 | Ray Charles | "Let the Good Times Roll" | Etta James – "All I Could Do Was Cry" Hank Ballard & The Midnighters – "Finger Poppin' Time" Muddy Waters – "Got My Mojo Working" Jackie Wilson – "Lonely Teardrops" LaVerne Baker – "Shake a Hand" John Lee Hooker – Travelin' Bo Diddley – "Walkin' and Talkin'" |
| 1962 | Ray Charles | "Hit the Road Jack" | Ernie K-Doe – "Mother-in-Law" Etta James – "The Fool That I Am" Jimmy Reed – "Bright Lights, Big City" Laverne Baker – "Saved" |
| 1963 | Ray Charles | "I Can't Stop Loving You" | B. Bumble and the Stingers – "Nut Rocker" Bobby Darin – "What'd I Say" Little Eva – "The Loco-Motion" Mel Torme – "Comin' Home Baby" Sam Cooke – "Bring It On Home to Me" |
| 1964 | Ray Charles | "Busted" | Barbara Lewis – "Hello Stranger" Lenny Welch – "Since I Fell for You" Little Johnny Taylor – "Part Time Love" Major Lance – "Hey Little Girl" Martha and the Vandellas – (Love is Like a) Heat Wave Sam Cooke – "Frankie and Johnny" |
| 1965 | Nancy Wilson | "How Glad I Am" | Sam Cooke – "Good Times" The Impressions – "Keep on Pushing" The Supremes – "Baby Love" Dionne Warwick – "Walk On By" Joe Tex – "Hold What You've Got" |
| 1966 | James Brown | "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" | Sam Cooke – "Shake" The Temptations – "My Girl" Wilson Pickett – "In the Midnight Hour" Jr. 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" | Joe Tex – "Skinny Legs and All" Lou Rawls – "Dead End Street" Otis Redding – "Try a Little Tenderness" Sam & Dave – "Soul Man" |
| 2012 | Corinne Bailey Rae | "Is This Love" | Marsha Ambrosius — "Far Away" Ledisi — "Pieces of Me" Kelly Price & Stokley — "Not My Daddy" Charlie Wilson — "You Are" |
| 2013 | Usher | "Climax" | Estelle — "Thank You" Robert Glasper Experiment & 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 ft. 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" |
| 2020 | Anderson .Paak featuring André 3000 | "Come Home" | Brandy & 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 & Ty Dolla $ign – "All I Need" Brittany Howard – "Goat Head" Emily King – "See Me" |
| 2022 | Silk Sonic | "Leave the Door Open" | Snoh Aalegra – "Lost You" Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon – "Peaches" H.E.R. – "Damage" |
| 2022 | Jazmine Sullivan | "Pick Up Your Feelings" | Snoh Aalegra – "Lost You" Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar & Giveon – "Peaches" 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 & 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" |
Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.