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	Ray 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	Lou 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	Otis 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	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	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	Lou 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	Billy 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	Stevie 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	Stevie 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	Ray 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	Stevie 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	Lou 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	George 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	Michael 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	George 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	James 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	Marvin 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	Michael Jackson	"Billie Jean"	"International Lover" – Prince Midnight Love – Marvin Gaye "Party Animal" – James Ingram Stay With Me Tonight – Jeffrey Osborne
1985	Billy 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	Stevie 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	James 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	Smokey Robinson	"Just to See Her"	"Bad" – Michael Jackson "In The Midnight Hour" – Wilson Pickett "Lies" – Jonathan Butler "Skeletons" – Stevie Wonder
1989	Terence 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	Bobby 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	Luther Vandross	"Here and Now"	Johnny Gill – Johnny Gill "Misunderstanding" – Al B. Sure! "Round and Round" – Tevin Campbell "Whip Appeal" – Babyface
1992	Luther 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	Al 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	Ray 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	"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	Stevie 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	Luther 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	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	Stevie Wonder	"St. Louis Blues"	"I Know" – Luther Vandross "Maybe You" – Maxwell "My Way" – Usher "The Only One for Me" – Brian McKnight
2000	Barry 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	"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	"U Remind Me"	"Lifetime" – Maxwell "Love" – Musiq Soulchild "Love of My Life" – Brian McKnight "Missing You" – Case
2003	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	Luther 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	"Call My Name"	"Burn" – Usher "Charlene" – Anthony Hamilton "Happy People" – R. Kelly "What We Do Here" – Brian McKnight
2006	John Legend	"Ordinary People"	"Creepin'" – Jamie Foxx "Let Me Love You" – Mario "So What the Fuss" – Stevie Wonder "Superstar" – Usher
2007	John Legend	"Heaven"	"Black Sweat" – Prince "Got You Home" – Luther Vandross "I Call It Love" – Lionel Richie "So Sick" – Ne-Yo
2008	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	"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	"Pretty Wings"	"The Point Of It All" – Anthony Hamilton "SoBeautiful" – Musiq Soulchild "There Goes My Baby" – Charlie Wilson "Under" – Pleasure P
2011	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