Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance

The Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance was awarded between 1968 and 2011. The award has had several minor name changes:

• In 1968 it was awarded as Best R&B Solo Vocal Performance, Male
• From 1969 to 1994 it was awarded as Best R&B Vocal Performance, Male
• Since 1995 it has been awarded as Best Male R&B Vocal Performance

The award category was discontinued in 2012 as part of a major overhaul of the Grammy categories. It was merged with Best Female R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals into a single category for Best R&B Performance.

Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.

Recipients

Year	Winner(s)	Performance	Nominees	Ref.
1967	Charles, RayRay Charles	"Crying Time"	"It's A Man's Man's Man's World" – James Brown "Love Is a Hurtin' Thing" – Lou Rawls "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" – Stevie Wonder "When a Man Loves a Woman" – Percy Sledge
1968	Rawls, LouLou Rawls	"Dead End Street"	"Funky Broadway" – Wilson Pickett "Higher and Higher" – Jackie Wilson "Skinny Legs and All" – Joe Tex "Try A Little Tenderness" – Otis Redding
1969	Redding, OtisOtis Redding	"(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay"	"For Once in My Life" – Stevie Wonder "(You Keep Me) Hangin' On" – Joe Simon "I Heard It through the Grapevine" – Marvin Gaye "Who's Making Love" – Johnnie Taylor
1970	Simon, Joe !Joe Simon	"The Chokin' Kind"	Doing His Thing – Ray Charles The Ice Man Cometh – Jerry Butler Live & Well – B.B. King "Your Good Thing (Is About to End)" – Lou Rawls
1971	King, B.B.B.B. King	"The Thrill Is Gone"	"Get Me Back On Time, Engine Number 9" – Wilson Pickett "Patches" – Clarence Carter "Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours" – Stevie Wonder "War" – Edwin Starr
1972	Rawls, LouLou Rawls	"A Natural Man"	"Ain't Nobody Home" – B.B. King Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) – Marvin Gaye Never Can Say Goodbye – Isaac Hayes We Can Work It Out – Stevie Wonder
1973	Paul, BillyBilly Paul	"Me and Mrs. Jones"	"Drowning in the Sea of Love" – Joe Simon "Freddie's Dead" – Curtis Mayfield "I Gotcha" – Joe Tex "Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma" – Ray Charles
1974	Wonder, StevieStevie Wonder	"Superstition"	"Call Me (Come Back Home)" – Al Green "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby" – Barry White "Keep on Truckin'" – Eddie Kendricks "Let's Get It On" – Marvin Gaye
1975	Wonder, StevieStevie Wonder	"Boogie on Reggae Woman"	"Boogie Down" – Eddie Kendricks "Hang on in There Baby" – Johnny Bristol Marvin Gaye Live! – Marvin Gaye "Rock Your Baby" – George McCrae
1976	Charles, RayRay Charles	Living for the City	Chocolate Chip – Isaac Hayes "L.O.V.E." – Al Green "Love Won't Let Me Wait" – Major Harris "Supernatural Thing, Part I" – Ben E. King
1977	Wonder, StevieStevie Wonder	"I Wish"	"Disco Lady" – Johnnie Taylor "Groovy People" – Lou Rawls "I Need You, You Need Me" – Joe Simon "I Want You" – Marvin Gaye "Lowdown" – Boz Scaggs
1978	Rawls, LouLou Rawls	Unmistakably Lou	"A Real Mother For Ya" – Johnny "Guitar" Watson "Ain't Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman)" – Joe Tex "Got To Give It Up (Part 1)" – Marvin Gaye "It's Just a Matter of Time" – B.B. King
1979	Benson, GeorgeGeorge Benson	"On Broadway"	"Close the Door" – Teddy Pendergrass "Dance with Me" – Peter Brown "I Can See Clearly Now" – Ray Charles "When You Hear Lou, You've Heard It All" – Lou Rawls
1980	Jackson, MichaelMichael Jackson	"Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough"	"Cruisin'" – Smokey Robinson "Don't Let Go" – Isaac Hayes "Love Ballad" – George Benson "Mama Can't Buy You Love" – Elton John "Some Enchanted Evening" – Ray Charles
1981	Benson, GeorgeGeorge Benson	Give Me the Night	"Let's Get Serious" – Jermaine Jackson "Master Blaster (Jammin')" – Stevie Wonder "Never Givin' Up" – Al Jarreau One in a Million You – Larry Graham
1982	Ingram, JamesJames Ingram	"One Hundred Ways"	"I Can't Live Without Your Love" – Teddy Pendergrass Never Too Much – Luther Vandross "She's a Bad Mama Jama (She's Built, She's Stacked)" – Carl Carlton Street Songs – Rick James
1983	Gaye, MarvinMarvin Gaye	"Sexual Healing"	"Do I Do" – Stevie Wonder "Forever, For Always, For Love" – Luther Vandross "The Other Woman" – Ray Parker, Jr. "Turn Your Love Around" – George Benson
1984	Jackson, MichaelMichael Jackson	"Billie Jean"	"International Lover" – Prince Midnight Love – Marvin Gaye "Party Animal" – James Ingram Stay With Me Tonight – Jeffrey Osborne
1985	Ocean, BillyBilly Ocean	"Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)"	Don't Stop – Jeffrey Osborne In the Name of Love – Bill Withers It's Your Night – James Ingram "The Woman In Red" – Stevie Wonder
1986	Wonder, StevieStevie Wonder	In Square Circle	Chinese Wall – Philip Bailey High Crime – Al Jarreau "The Night I Fell in Love" – Luther Vandross "You Are My Lady" – Freddie Jackson
1987	Brown, JamesJames Brown	"Living in America"	"Give Me The Reason" – Luther Vandross Love Zone – Billy Ocean "The Rain" – Oran "Juice" Jones "Since I Fell For You" – Al Jarreau
1988	Robinson, SmokeySmokey Robinson	"Just to See Her"	Bad – Michael Jackson "In The Midnight Hour" – Wilson Pickett "Lies" – Jonathan Butler "Skeletons" – Stevie Wonder
1989	D'Arby, Terence TrentTerence Trent D'Arby	Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby	Any Love – Luther Vandross Characters – Stevie Wonder Joy – Teddy Pendergrass "Nite and Day" – Al B. Sure!
1990	Brown, BobbyBobby Brown	"Every Little Step"	"Batdance" – Prince Heart's Horizon – Al Jarreau "She Won't Talk to Me" – Luther Vandross "We've Saved The Best For Last" – Smokey Robinson
1991	Vandross, LutherLuther Vandross	"Here and Now"	Johnny Gill – Johnny Gill "Misunderstanding" – Al B. Sure! "Round and Round" – Tevin Campbell "Whip Appeal" – Babyface
1992	Vandross, LutherLuther Vandross	Power of Love/Love Power	"Can You Stop the Rain" – Peabo Bryson "Gotta Have You" – Stevie Wonder "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?" – Teddy Pendergrass "Kissing You" – Keith Washington Love Over-Due – James Brown
1993	Jarreau, AlAl Jarreau	Heaven and Earth	"Humpin' Around" – Bobby Brown "Jam" – Michael Jackson "Lost in the Night" – Peabo Bryson T.E.V.I.N. – Tevin Campbell
1994	Charles, RayRay Charles	"A Song for You"	"Can We Talk" – Tevin Campbell "For the Cool in You" – Babyface "How Deep Is Your Love" – Luther Vandross "Voodoo" – Teddy Pendergrass
1995	Babyface !Babyface	"When Can I See You"	"Always and Forever" – Luther Vandross "I'm Ready" – Tevin Campbell "Practice What You Preach" – Barry White "Wait for the Magic" – Al Jarreau
1996	Wonder, StevieStevie Wonder	"For Your Love"	"Baby's Home" – Barry White "Brown Sugar" – D'Angelo "I Hate U" – Prince "This Is How We Do It" – Montell Jordan
1997	Vandross, LutherLuther Vandross	"Your Secret Love"	"A Change Is Gonna Come" – Al Green "Lady" – D'Angelo "Like a Woman" – Tony Rich Project "New World Order" – Curtis Mayfield
1998	Kelly, R.R. Kelly	"I Believe I Can Fly"	"Back To Living Again" – Curtis Mayfield "For You" – Kenny Lattimore "When You Call On Me / Baby That's When I Come Runnin'" – Luther Vandross "You Make Me Wanna..." – Usher
1999	Wonder, StevieStevie Wonder	"St. Louis Blues"	"I Know" – Luther Vandross "Maybe You" – Maxwell "My Way" – Usher "The Only One for Me" – Brian McKnight
2000	White, BarryBarry White	"Staying Power"	"Did You Ever Know" – Peabo Bryson "Fortunate" – Maxwell "Sweet Lady" – Tyrese "When A Woman's Fed Up" – R. Kelly
2001	D'Angelo !D'Angelo	"Untitled (How Does It Feel)"	"I Wanna Know" – Joe "I Wish" – R. Kelly "Stay or Let It Go" – Brian McKnight "Thong Song" – Sisqo
2002	Usher !Usher	"U Remind Me"	"Lifetime" – Maxwell "Love" – Musiq Soulchild "Love of My Life" – Brian McKnight "Missing You" – Case
2003	Usher !Usher	"U Don't Have to Call"	"Halfcrazy" – Musiq Soulchild "Let's Stay Home Tonight" – Joe "Take a Message" – Remy Shand "The World's Greatest" – R. Kelly
2004	Vandross, LutherLuther Vandross	"Dance with My Father"	"How You Gonna Act Like That" – Tyrese "Shoulda, Woulda, Coulda" – Brian McKnight "Step in the Name of Love" – R. Kelly "Superstar" – Ruben Studdard
2005	Prince !Prince	"Call My Name"	"Burn" – Usher "Charlene" – Anthony Hamilton "Happy People" – R. Kelly "What We Do Here" – Brian McKnight
2006	Legend, JohnJohn Legend	"Ordinary People"	"Creepin'" – Jamie Foxx "Let Me Love You" – Mario "So What the Fuss" – Stevie Wonder "Superstar" – Usher
2007	Legend, JohnJohn Legend	"Heaven"	"Black Sweat" – Prince "Got You Home" – Luther Vandross "I Call It Love" – Lionel Richie "So Sick" – Ne-Yo
2008	Prince !Prince	"Future Baby Mama"	"Because of You" – Ne-Yo "B.U.D.D.Y." – Musiq Soulchild "Please Don't Go" – Tank "Woman" – Raheem DeVaughn
2009	Ne-Yo !Ne-Yo	"Miss Independent"	"Can't Help but Wait" – Trey Songz "Here I Stand" – Usher "Take You Down" – Chris Brown "You're the Only One" – Eric Benét
2010	Maxwell !Maxwell	"Pretty Wings"	"The Point Of It All" – Anthony Hamilton "SoBeautiful" – Musiq Soulchild "There Goes My Baby" – Charlie Wilson "Under" – Pleasure P
2011	Usher !Usher	"There Goes My Baby"	"Finding My Way Back" – Jaheim "Second Chance" – El DeBarge "We're Still Friends" – Musiq Soulchild "Why Would You Stay" – Kem

Category Records

Most Wins

Rank	1st	2nd	3rd
Artist	Stevie Wonder	Luther Vandross	Lou Rawls Usher
Total Wins	7 Wins	4 wins	3 wins

Most Nominations

Rank	1st	2nd	3rd
Artist	Stevie Wonder	Luther Vandross	Marvin Gaye Usher
Total Wins	16 nominations	15 nominations	8 nominations

External links

• Official Site of the Grammy Awards