The Grammy Award for Best R&B Solo 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. In 2027, a new Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance category was established, and the award was renamed Best R&B Solo Performance.
The award goes to the artist. The producer, engineer and songwriter can apply for a Winners Certificate.Grammy Blue Book (edition 2021)
Recipients
1950s Year Performing artist(s) Work 1959 The Champs "Tequila" Harry Belafonte Belafonte Sings the Blues Nat King Cole "Looking Back" Earl Grant "The End" Perez Prado "Patricia"
1960s Year Performing artist(s) Work 1960 Dinah Washington "What a Diff'rence a Day Makes" Jesse Belvin "Guess Who" The Coasters "Charlie Brown" Nat King Cole "Midnight Flyer" Elvis Presley "A Big Hunk o' Love" 1961 Ray Charles "Let the Good Times Roll" LaVerne Baker "Shake a Hand" Hank Ballard and The Midnighters "Finger Poppin' Time" Bo Diddley "Walkin' and Talkin'" John Lee Hooker Travelin' Etta James "All I Could Do Was Cry" Muddy Waters "Got My Mojo Working" Jackie Wilson "Lonely Teardrops" 1962 Ray Charles "Hit the Road Jack" LaVerne Baker "Saved" Etta James "The Fool That I Am" Ernie K-Doe "Mother-in-Law" Jimmy Reed "Bright Lights, Big City" 1963 Ray Charles "I Can't Stop Loving You" B. Bumble and the Stingers "Nut Rocker" Sam Cooke "Bring It On Home to Me" Bobby Darin "What'd I Say" Little Eva "The Loco-Motion" Mel Tormé "Comin' Home Baby" 1964 Ray Charles "Busted" Sam Cooke "Frankie and Johnny" Barbara Lewis "Hello Stranger" Little Johnny Taylor "Part Time Love" Major Lance "Hey Little Girl" Martha and the Vandellas "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" Lenny Welch "Since I Fell for You" 1965 Nancy Wilson "How Glad I Am" Sam Cooke "Good Times" The Impressions "Keep on Pushing" The Supremes "Baby Love" Joe Tex "Hold What You've Got" Dionne Warwick "Walk On By" 1966 James Brown "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" Sam Cooke "Shake" Wilson Pickett "In the Midnight Hour" The Temptations "My Girl" Junior 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" Lou Rawls "Dead End Street" Otis Redding "Try a Little Tenderness" Sam & Dave "Soul Man" Joe Tex "Skinny Legs and All"
2010s Year Performing artist(s) Work 2012 Corinne Bailey Rae "Is This Love" Marsha Ambrosius "Far Away" Ledisi "Pieces of Me" Kelly Price and Stokley "Not My Daddy" Charlie Wilson "You Are" 2013 Usher "Climax" Estelle "Thank You" Robert Glasper Experiment and 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" 2016Billboard.com, 7 December 2015 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 featuring 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" 2019Grammy.com, 7 December 2018 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"
2020s Year Performing artist(s) Work 2020Grammy.com, 22 November 2019 Anderson .Paak featuring André 3000 "Come Home" Brandy and 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" 2021Grammy.com, 24 November 2020 Beyoncé "Black Parade" Jhené Aiko featuring John Legend "Lightning & Thunder" Jacob Collier featuring Mahalia and Ty Dolla $ign "All I Need" Brittany Howard "Goat Head" Emily King "See Me" 2022Grammy.com, 23 November 2021 Silk Sonic (TIE) "Leave the Door Open" Jazmine Sullivan (TIE) "Pick Up Your Feelings" Justin Bieber featuring Daniel Caesar and Giveon "Peaches" Snoh Aalegra "Lost You" H.E.R. "Damage" 2023Grammy.com, 15 November 2022 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" 2024Grammy.com, 10 November 2023 Coco Jones "ICU" Chris Brown "Summer Too Hot" Robert Glasper featuring Sir and 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" 2026 Kehlani "Folded" Justin Bieber "Yukon" Chris Brown featuring Bryson Tiller "It Depends" Leon Thomas "Mutt" (Live from NPR's Tiny Desk) Summer Walker "Heart of a Woman" Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
Artists with multiple wins
5 wins Ray Charles
2 wins Beyoncé Bruno Mars Anderson .Paak Muni Long
Artists with multiple nominations
5 nominations Ray Charles
4 nominations Beyoncé Chris Brown Daniel Caesar Sam Cooke Ledisi
3 nominations H.E.R. Anderson .Paak SZA Usher
2 nominations Jhené Aiko LaVern Baker Justin Bieber Tamar Braxton James Brown Nat King Cole Lalah Hathaway Hiatus Kaiyote Etta James Coco Jones Jay-Z Kehlani Muni Long Lucky Daye Bruno Mars Miguel Lou Rawls Jazmine Sullivan Joe Tex Bryson Tiller
See also Grammy Award for Best R&B Collaboration or Duo/Group Performance Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance Grammy Award for Best R&B Song
References