Grammy Award for Best R&B Song

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Grammy Award for Best R&B Song

The Grammy Award for Best R&B Song (sometimes known as the R&B Songwriter's Award) has been awarded since 1969. From 1969 to 2000, it was known as the Grammy Award for Best Rhythm and Blues Song. Beyoncé has won it a record five times, while Babyface, Stevie Wonder, Bill Withers and Alicia Keys have three wins each.

Quick Facts Awarded for, Country ...
Grammy Award for Best R&B Song
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"Saturn" by SZA (pictured), Rob Bisel, Carter Lang, Jared Solomon & Scott Zhang is the most recent recipient
Awarded forQuality R&B songs
CountryUnited States
Presented byNational Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First award1969
Currently held byRob Bisel, Carter Lang, Solána Rowe, Jared Solomon & Scott Zhang, "Saturn" (SZA) (2025)
Websitegrammy.com
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The award goes to the songwriter. If the winning song contains samples or interpolations of songs, the original songwriter and publisher can apply for a Winner’s Certificate. Only Sza has won back to back from 2024 up to 2025[1] The performing artist does not receive an award unless they are also credited as a songwriter.

Years reflect the year in which the grammy Awards were presented, for music released in the previous year.

Recipients

Otis Redding, one of the inaugural winners of the award.
Steve Cropper, one of the inaugural winners of the award.
Five-time award-winning artist Beyoncé, she is the most awarded artist in the category.
Three-time award winner, Bill Withers.
Three-time award winner, Stevie Wonder.
1977 co-winner Boz Scaggs.
Two-time winner Jay Graydon.
Two-time winner Bill Champlin.
1985 winner, Prince.
Two-time winner, Anita Baker.
1991 co-winner, MC Hammer.
Three-time winner Babyface holds the record of most nominations in the category, with fourteen.
1994 winner, Janet Jackson.
1999 winner, Lauryn Hill.
Three-time winner Alicia Keys.
2003 winner, Erykah Badu.
2006 winner, Mariah Carey.
2012 co-winner, CeeLo Green.
2013 winner, Miguel.
Two-time winner Jay Z.
2016 winner, D'Angelo.
2021 co-winner, Robert Glasper.
2021 co-winner, H.E.R.
An asterisk (*) indicates this recording also won Song of the Year.
SZA has won this award twice consecutively in 2024 and 2025.
More information Year[I], Recipient(s) ...
Year[I] Recipient(s) Work Performing artist(s) Nominees
(Performer(s) in parentheses)[II]
Ref.
1969 Otis Redding
Steve Cropper
"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" Otis Redding
[2]
1970 Richard Lewis Spencer "Color Him Father" The Winstons
[3]
1971 Ronald Dunbar
General Johnson
"Patches" Clarence Carter
[4]
1972 Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine" Bill Withers
[5]
1973 Barrett Strong
Norman Whitfield
"Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" The Temptations [6]
1974 Stevie Wonder "Superstition" Stevie Wonder [7]
1975 Stevie Wonder "Living for the City" Stevie Wonder [8]
1976 Harry Wayne Casey
Willie Clarke
Richard Finch
Betty Wright
"Where Is the Love" Betty Wright
[9]
1977 Boz Scaggs
David Paich
"Lowdown" Boz Scaggs [10]
1978 Leo Sayer
Vini Poncia
"You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" Leo Sayer
[11]
1979 Paul Jabara "Last Dance" Donna Summer [12]
1980 David Foster
Jay Graydon
Bill Champlin
"After the Love Has Gone" Earth, Wind & Fire [13]
1981 Reggie Lucas
James Mtume
"Never Knew Love Like This Before" Stephanie Mills [14]
1982 Bill Withers
William Salter
Ralph MacDonald
"Just the Two of Us" Grover Washington Jr. & Bill Withers [15]
1983 Jay Graydon
Steve Lukather
Bill Champlin
"Turn Your Love Around" George Benson
[16]
1984 Michael Jackson "Billie Jean" Michael Jackson
[17]
1985 Prince "I Feel for You" Chaka Khan
[18]
1986 Jeffrey E. Cohen
Narada Michael Walden
"Freeway of Love" Aretha Franklin
[19]
1987 Anita Baker
Louis A. Johnson
Gary Bias
"Sweet Love" Anita Baker [20]
1988 Bill Withers "Lean on Me" Club Nouveau
[21]
1989 Anita Baker
Randy Holland
Skip Scarborough
"Giving You the Best That I Got" Anita Baker
[22]
1990 Kenny Gamble
Leon Huff
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" Simply Red [23]
1991 MC Hammer
Rick James
Alonzo Miller
"U Can't Touch This" MC Hammer
[24]
1992 Marcus Miller
Luther Vandross
Teddy Vann
"Power of Love/Love Power" Luther Vandross [25]
1993 Babyface
L.A. Reid
Daryl Simmons
"End of the Road" Boyz II Men [26]
1994 Janet Jackson
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
"That's the Way Love Goes" Janet Jackson [27]
1995 Babyface "I'll Make Love to You" Boyz II Men [28]
1996 Stevie Wonder "For Your Love" Stevie Wonder
[29]
1997 Babyface "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)" Whitney Houston [30]
1998 R. Kelly "I Believe I Can Fly" R. Kelly
[31]
1999 Lauryn Hill "Doo Wop (That Thing)" Lauryn Hill [32]
2000 Kandi Burruss
Kevin Briggs
Tameka Cottle
"No Scrubs" TLC
[33]
2001 Beyoncé
Rodney Jerkins
LaShawn Daniels
Fred Jerkins III
LeToya Luckett
LaTavia Roberson
Kelly Rowland
"Say My Name" Destiny's Child
[34]
2002 Alicia Keys "Fallin'" * Alicia Keys [35]
2003 Erykah Badu
Glenn Standridge
James Poyser
Madukwu Chinwah
Raphael Saadiq
Lonnie Lynn
Robert Ozuna
"Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" Erykah Badu featuring Common
  • Michael Archer, Bobby Ozuna, Raphael Saadiq, & Glenn Standridge for "Be Here" (Raphael Saadiq featuring D'Angelo)
  • Marsha Ambrosius, Darren "Limitless" Henson, Keith "Keshon" Pelzer, & Natalie Stewart for "Floetic" (Floetry)
  • Will Baker, Andrew Ramsey, Shannon Sanders, & India Simpson for "Good Man" (India.Arie)
  • Remy Shand for "Take a Message" (Remy Shand)
[36]
2004 Beyoncé
Jay Z
Rich Harrison
"Crazy in Love" Beyoncé featuring Jay Z [37]
2005 Alicia Keys
Harold Lilly
Kanye West
"You Don't Know My Name" Alicia Keys [38]
2006 Mariah Carey
Johntá Austin
Manuel Seal Jr.
Jermaine Dupri
"We Belong Together" Mariah Carey [39]
2007 Bryan-Michael Cox
Jason Perry
Johntá Austin
Mary J. Blige
"Be Without You" Mary J. Blige [40]
2008 Alicia Keys
Dirty Harry
Kerry "Krucial" Brothers
"No One" Alicia Keys
[41]
2009 Mikkel Eriksen
Tor Hermansen
Ne-Yo
"Miss Independent" Ne-Yo
[42]
2010 Thaddis Harrell
Beyoncé Knowles
Terius Nash
Christopher Stewart
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" * Beyoncé
[43]
2011 John Legend "Shine" John Legend & The Roots
[44]
2012 CeeLo Green
Melanie Fiona
Jack Splash
"Fool for You" CeeLo Green featuring Melanie Fiona
[45]
2013 Miguel Pimentel "Adorn" Miguel [45]
2014 James Fauntleroy
Jerome Harmon
Timothy Mosley
Justin Timberlake
"Pusher Love Girl" Justin Timberlake [46]
2015 Shawn Carter
Rasool Diaz
Noel Fisher
Jerome Harmon
Beyoncé Knowles
Timothy Mosley
Andre Eric Proctor
Brian Soko
"Drunk in Love" Beyoncé (featuring Jay Z)
[47]
2016 D'Angelo
Gina Figueroa
Kendra Foster
"Really Love" D'Angelo & The Vanguard
[48]
2017 Hod David
Musze
"Lake by the Ocean" Maxwell [49]
2018 Christopher Brody Brown
James Fauntleroy
Philip Lawrence
Bruno Mars
Ray Charles McCullough II
Jeremy Reeves
Ray Romulus
Jonathan Yip
"That's What I Like" * Bruno Mars
[50]
2019 Larrance Dopson
Joelle James
Ella Mai
Dijon McFarlane
"Boo'd Up" Ella Mai
[51]
2020 PJ Morton "Say So" PJ Morton featuring JoJo
[52]
2021 Robert Glasper, Meshell Ndegeocello & Gabriella Wilson "Better Than I Imagined" Robert Glasper featuring H.E.R. & Meshell Ndegeocello
[53]
2022 Brandon Anderson, Christopher Brody Brown, Dernst Emile II & Bruno Mars "Leave the Door Open" * Silk Sonic [54]
2023 Denisia "Blu June" Andrews, Beyoncé, Brittany "Chi" Coney, Terius "The-Dream" Gesteelde-Diamant, Morten Ristorp, Nile Rodgers and Raphael Saadiq "Cuff It" Beyoncé
[55]
2024 Kenny B. Edmonds, Blair Ferguson, Khris Riddick-Tynes, Solána Rowe and Leon Thomas "Snooze" SZA
[56]
2025 Rob Bisel, Carter Lang, Solána Rowe, Jared Solomon & Scott Zhang "Saturn" SZA
[57]
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  • ^[I] Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
  • ^[II] The performing artist is only listed but does not receive the award.

Category facts

  • Most Wins
More information Rank, 1st ...
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  • Most Nominations
More information Rank, 1st ...
Rank 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Artist Babyface Beyoncé Stevie Wonder Leon Huff, Luther Vandross Rodney Jerkins, L.A. Reid, Daryl Simmons
Total Nominations 14 nominations 9 nominations 8 nominations 7 nominations 6 nominations
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See also

References

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