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
From 1995 to 2011 it was 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

thumb|upright|[[Ray Charles was the first recipient of the award. He won the award three times.]]

thumb|upright|[[Stevie Wonder has most nominations in this category, with 16 nominations. He also has the most wins with seven.]]

thumb|upright|Singer [[James Brown won the award in 1987.]]

thumb|upright|Artist [[Prince (musician)|Prince won the award two times.]]

thumb|upright|Eight time nominee [[Usher (musician)|Usher won the award three times. He was the last winner in this category.]]

thumb|upright|Two time winner [[John Legend.]]

{| class="wikitable sortable"

! scope="col" style="width:5em;" | Year

! scope="col" style="width:200px;" | Winner(s)

! scope="col" style="width:225px;" | Performance

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Nominees

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Ref.

! scope=row|1967

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1968

|"Dead End Street"

"Funky Broadway" – Wilson Pickett
"Higher and Higher" – Jackie Wilson
"Skinny Legs and All" – Joe Tex
"Try A Little Tenderness" – Otis Redding

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1969

|"(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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1970

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1971

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1972

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1973

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1974

|rowspan=2|

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1975

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1976

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1977

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1978

|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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1979

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1980

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1981

|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

| style="text-align:center;"|

! scope=row|1982

|"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

| style="text-align:center;"|