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 Isaac Hayes "Theme from Shaft" 1973 – 79 colspan="3"
1990s Year Artist Song Ref 1990 – 95 colspan="3" 1996 Whitney Houston "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" D'Angelo "Brown Sugar" Coolio "Gangsta's Paradise" TLC "Waterfalls" Michael Jackson "You Are Not Alone" 1997 R. Kelly "I Believe I Can Fly" Tracy Chapman "Give Me One Reason" Fugees "Killing Me Softly" Blackstreet "No Diggity" Toni Braxton "Un-Break My Heart" 1998 Boyz II Men "A Song for Mama" Babyface "Every Time I Close My Eyes" Erykah Badu "On & On" En Vogue "Don't Let Go (Love)" God's Property "Stomp" 1999 Kirk Franklin "Lean on Me" Aretha Franklin "A Rose Is Still a Rose" K-Ci & JoJo "All My Life" Lauryn Hill "Doo Wop (That Thing)" Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey "When You Believe"
2000s Year Artist Song Ref 2000 Eric Benét "Spend My Life with You" Lauryn Hill "Everything is Everything" Whitney Houston "My Love Is Your Love" Lenny Kravitz "Fly Away" Chanté Moore "Chanté's Got a Man" 2001 Yolanda Adams "Open My Heart" 2002 Alicia Keys "A Woman's Worth" Alicia Keys "Fallin'" Jill Scott "He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat)" Musiq Soulchild "Love" Michael Jackson "You Rock My World" 2003 Kirk Franklin "Brighter Day" India Arie "Little Things" Erykah Badu "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" Mary J. Blige "No More Drama" Missy Elliott "Work It 2004 Luther Vandross "Dance with My Father" Beyoncé "Crazy in Love" Outkast "Hey Ya!" "The Way You Move" 2005 Alicia Keys "If I Ain't Got You" Jill Scott "Golden" Usher "Yeah!" 2006 Alicia Keys "Unbreakable" Mariah Carey "We Belong Together" Common "Testify" Destiny's Child "Stand Up for Love" Kanye West "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" 2007 India Arie "I Am Not My Hair" Gnarls Barkley "Crazy" Beyoncé "Irreplaceable" Mary J. Blige "Be Without You" John Legend "Save Room" 2008 Alicia Keys "Like You'll Never See Me Again" India Arie "Beautiful Flower" Mary J. Blige "Just Fine" Rihanna "Umbrella" Kanye West "Stronger" 2009 will.i.am "Yes We Can" Beyoncé "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" Jennifer Hudson "Spotlight" Alicia Keys "Superwoman" John Legend "Green Light"
2010s Year Artist Song Ref 2010 Mary Mary "God in Me" Jamie Foxx "Blame It" Jay Z "Empire State of Mind" Maxwell "Bad Habits" "Pretty Wings" 2011 Fantasia "Bittersweet" CeeLo Green "Fuck You" Alicia Keys "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)" Maxwell "Fistful of Tears" Sade "Soldier of Love" 2012 Kirk Franklin "I Smile" Adele "Someone Like You" Beyoncé "Best Thing I Never Had" CeeLo Green "Fool for You" Jill Scott "So in Love" 2013 Whitney Houston and R. Kelly "I Look to You" Kem "Be Mine for Christmas" "Glorify the King" "You're on My Mind" Bruno Mars "Locked Out of Heaven" 2014 John Legend "All of Me" Alicia Keys "Fire We Make" Bruno Mars "Treasure" Janelle Monáe "Q.U.E.E.N." Robin Thicke "Blurred Lines" 2015 Alicia Keys "We Are Here" Beyoncé "Pretty Hurts" Aloe Blacc "The Man" Kendrick Lamar "i" Usher "Good Kisser" 2016 Jill Scott "Back Together" Lauryn Hill "Feeling Good" Seal "Every Time I'm with You" Jazmine Sullivan "Let It Burn" Charlie Wilson "Goodnight Kisses" 2017 Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams "I See Victory" Anthony Hamilton "Amen" Tamela Mann "God Provides" Maxwell "Lake by the Ocean" Solange "Cranes in the Sky" Beyoncé "Freedom" Common "Letter to the Free" Bruno Mars "24K Magic" Sounds of Blackness "Royalty" Beyoncé Formation 2018 Bruno Mars "That's What I Like" Ledisi"High"MAJOR."Honest"John Legend"Surefire" Mary J. Blige"U + Me (Love Lesson)"Kendrick Lamar"HUMBLE."JAY-Z "The Story of O.J."Mali Music"Gonna Be Alright"Jazmine Sullivan x Bryson Tiller "Insecure"SZA feat. Travis Scott"Love Galore" 2019 Ella Mai "Boo'd Up"John Legend feat. BloodPop "A Good Night"Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B "Finesse (Remix)"Childish Gambino"This Is America"H.E.R. "As I Am"Toni Braxton"Long as I Live"Andra Day"Amen"MAJOR."Better With You In It" Leon Bridges"Beyond"Tori Kelly feat. Kirk Franklin"Never Alone"
2020s Year Artist Song Ref 2020 Beyoncé "Before I Let Go"H.E.R."Hard Place"Lizzo "Juice"Normani"Motivation"Khalid "Talk"Beyoncé"Spirit"Fantasia"Enough"Lizzo"Jerome" Cynthia Erivo"Stand Up"India Arie"Steady Love"
Multiple wins and nominations Wins
5 wins Alicia Keys 3 wins Beyoncé
2 wins Kirk Franklin Whitney Houston Kendrick Lamar R. Kelly
Nominations
10 nominations Alicia Keys
9 nominations Beyoncé
5 nominations Kirk Franklin John Legend Bruno Mars Maxwell
4 nominations India Arie Mary J. Blige
3 nominations Erykah Badu Common Whitney Houston
Kem Kendrick Lamar Jill Scott
2 nominations Fantasia CeeLo Green Anthony Hamilton H.E.R. Lauryn Hill R. Kelly Lizzo MAJOR. Jazmine Sullivan Usher Kanye West Pharrell Williams
References