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 and they receive a statuette on the night of the telecast. The producer and engineer/mixer, however, are determined after the telecast and will have to wait before they receive their statuette. This process may take up to several months - the winning producers and engineers/mixers of the 2024 Grammy winner Chris Brown's 11:11 (Deluxe) still remain undetermined as of February 2026. A producer or engineer who is 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

1990s Year Work Performing artist(s) 1995 II Boyz II Men I'm Ready Tevin Campbell Just for You Gladys Knight Plantation Lullabies Me'Shell NdegéOcello Rhythm of Love Anita Baker Songs Luther Vandross 1996 CrazySexyCool TLC Brown Sugar D'Angelo The Gold Experience Prince The Icon Is Love Barry White My Life Mary J. Blige 1997 Words Tony Rich Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite Maxwell Moving On Oleta Adams New World Order Curtis Mayfield Peace Beyond Passion Me'Shell NdegéOcello 1998 Baduizm Erykah Badu The Day Babyface Evolution Boyz II Men Flame Patti LaBelle The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album Whitney Houston Share My World Mary J. Blige 1999 The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Lauryn Hill Embrya Maxwell Live Erykah Badu Never Say Never Brandy A Rose Is Still a Rose Aretha Franklin

2000s Year Work Performing artist(s) 2000 FanMail TLC Back at One Brian McKnight Mary Mary J. Blige My Love Is Your Love Whitney Houston R. R. Kelly 2001 Voodoo D'Angelo Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya Boyz II Men The Heat Toni Braxton My Name Is Joe Joe Unleash the Dragon Sisqó Who Is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 Jill Scott 2002 Songs in A Minor Alicia Keys Aaliyah Aaliyah Acoustic Soul India.Arie No More Drama Mary J. Blige Survivor Destiny's Child 2003 Voyage to India India.Arie Better Days Joe Instant Vintage Raphael Saadiq Juslisen Musiq The Way I Feel Remy Shand 2004 Dance with My Father Luther Vandross Bittersweet Blu Cantrell Body Kiss The Isley Brothers So Damn Happy Aretha Franklin Worldwide Underground Erykah Badu 2005 The Diary of Alicia Keys Alicia Keys Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2 Jill Scott I Can't Stop Al Green Musicology Prince My Everything Anita Baker 2006 Get Lifted John Legend Free Yourself Fantasia Illumination Earth, Wind & Fire A Time to Love Stevie Wonder Unplugged Alicia Keys 2007 The Breakthrough Mary J. Blige 3121 Prince Coming Home Lionel Richie Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship India.Arie Unpredictable Jamie Foxx 2008 Funk This Chaka Khan Lost & Found Ledisi Luvanmusiq Musiq Soulchild The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3 Jill Scott Sex, Love & Pain Tank 2009 Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Hudson Lay It Down Al Green Love & Life Eric Benét Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA Boyz II Men The Way I See It Raphael Saadiq

2010s Year Work Performing artist(s) 2010 BLACKsummers'night Maxwell The Point of It All Anthony Hamilton Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics India.Arie Turn Me Loose Ledisi Uncle Charlie Charlie Wilson 2011 Wake Up! John Legend and The Roots Another Round Jaheim Back to Me Fantasia The Love & War MasterPeace Raheem DeVaughn Still Standing Monica 2012 F.A.M.E. Chris Brown Kelly Kelly Price Love Letter R. Kelly Pieces of Me Ledisi Second Chance El DeBarge 2013 List of 2013 nominees Black Radio Robert Glasper Experiment Back to Love Anthony Hamilton Beautiful Surprise Tamia Open Invitation Tyrese Write Me Back R. Kelly 2014 Girl on Fire Alicia Keys Better Chrisette Michele Love in the Future John Legend R&B Divas Faith Evans Three Kings TGT 2015 Love, Marriage & Divorce Toni Braxton and Babyface Black Radio 2 Robert Glasper Experiment Give the People What They Want Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Islander Bernhoft Lift Your Spirit Aloe Blacc 2016 Black Messiah D'Angelo and The Vanguard Cheers to the Fall Andra Day Coming Home Leon Bridges Forever Charlie Charlie Wilson Reality Show Jazmine Sullivan 2017 Lalah Hathaway Live Lalah Hathaway Healing Season Mint Condition In My Mind BJ the Chicago Kid Smoove Jones Mýa Velvet Portraits Terrace Martin 2018 24K Magic Bruno Mars Feel the Real Musiq Soulchild Freudian Daniel Caesar Gumbo PJ Morton Let Love Rule Ledisi 2019 H.E.R. H.E.R. Good Thing Leon Bridges Gumbo Unplugged (Live) PJ Morton Honestly Lalah Hathaway Sex & Cigarettes Toni Braxton

2020s Year Work Performing artist(s) 2020 Ventura Anderson .Paak 1123 BJ the Chicago Kid Ella Mai Ella Mai Painted Lucky Daye Paul PJ Morton 2021 Bigger Love John Legend All Rise Gregory Porter Happy 2 Be Here Ant Clemons Take Time Giveon To Feel Love/d Luke James 2022 Heaux Tales Jazmine Sullivan Back of My Mind H.E.R. Gold-Diggers Sound Leon Bridges Temporary Highs in the Violet Skies Snoh Aalegra We Are Jon Batiste 2023 Black Radio III Robert Glasper Breezy (Deluxe) Chris Brown Candydrip Lucky Daye Good Morning Gorgeous (Deluxe) Mary J. Blige Watch the Sun PJ Morton 2024 Jaguar II Victoria Monét Clear 2: Soft Life EP Summer Walker Girls Night Out Babyface Special Occasion Emily King What I Didn't Tell You (Deluxe) Coco Jones 2025 11:11 (Deluxe) Chris Brown Algorithm Lucky Daye Coming Home Usher Revenge Muni Long Vantablack Lalah Hathaway 2026 Mutt Leon Thomas Beloved Giveon The Crown Ledisi Escape Room Teyana Taylor Why Not More? Coco Jones Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.

Artists with multiple wins

3 wins Alicia Keys John Legend

2 wins TLC D'Angelo Robert Glasper Chris Brown

Artists with multiple nominations

6 nominations Mary J. Blige

5 nominations Ledisi

4 nominations Boyz II Men India.Arie Alicia Keys PJ Morton

3 nominations D'Angelo Babyface Erykah Badu Toni Braxton Leon Bridges Chris Brown Robert Glasper Lalah Hathaway R. Kelly John Legend Lucky Daye Maxwell Musiq Soulchild Prince Jill Scott

2 nominations Anita Baker BJ the Chicago Kid Fantasia Aretha Franklin Giveon Al Green H.E.R. Anthony Hamilton Whitney Houston Joe Coco Jones Me'Shell NdegéOcello Raphael Saadiq Jazmine Sullivan TLC Luther Vandross Charlie Wilson

Grammy Award for Best R&B Album

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