This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Song. The award was first given in 1972, before being retired until the 1996 ceremony. In 2017 the category was divided, honoring traditional and contemporary songs separately. Since its conception, Alicia Keys holds the record for most wins in this category with five.
Winners and nominees
Winners are listed first and highlighted in bold.
1970s
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:11%;"| Year
! style="width:42%;"| Artist
! style="width:42%;"| Song
! style="width:5%;"| Ref
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 1972
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Isaac Hayes
| "Theme from Shaft"
| align="center"|
|-
| align="center"| 1973 – 79
| colspan="3"
|}
1990s
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:11%;"| Year
! style="width:42%;"| Artist
! style="width:42%;"| Song
! style="width:5%;"| Ref
|-
| align="center"| 1990 – 95
| colspan="3"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 1996
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Whitney Houston
| "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)"
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| D'Angelo
| "Brown Sugar"
|-
| Coolio
| "Gangsta's Paradise"
|-
| TLC
| "Waterfalls"
|-
| Michael Jackson
| "You Are Not Alone"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 1997
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| R. Kelly
| "I Believe I Can Fly"
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Tracy Chapman
| "Give Me One Reason"
|-
| Fugees
| "Killing Me Softly"
|-
| Blackstreet
| "No Diggity"
|-
| Toni Braxton
| "Un-Break My Heart"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 1998
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Boyz II Men
| "A Song for Mama"
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Babyface
| "Every Time I Close My Eyes"
|-
| Erykah Badu
| "On & On"
|-
| En Vogue
| "Don't Let Go (Love)"
|-
| God's Property
| "Stomp"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 1999
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Kirk Franklin
| "Lean on Me"
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Aretha Franklin
| "A Rose Is Still a Rose"
|-
| K-Ci & JoJo
| "All My Life"
|-
| Lauryn Hill
| "Doo Wop (That Thing)"
|-
| Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey
| "When You Believe"
|}
2000s
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:11%;"| Year
! style="width:42%;"| Artist
! style="width:42%;"| Song
! style="width:5%;"| Ref
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2000
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Eric Benét
| "Spend My Life with You"
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Lauryn Hill
| "Everything is Everything"
|-
| Whitney Houston
| "My Love Is Your Love"
|-
| Lenny Kravitz
| "Fly Away"
|-
| Chanté Moore
| "Chanté's Got a Man"
|-
| rowspan="2" align="center"| 2001
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Yolanda Adams
| "Open My Heart"
| rowspan="2" align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2002
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Alicia Keys
| "A Woman's Worth"
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Alicia Keys
| "Fallin'"
|-
| Jill Scott
| "He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat)"
|-
| Musiq Soulchild
| "Love"
|-
| Michael Jackson
| "You Rock My World"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2003
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Kirk Franklin
| "Brighter Day"
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| India Arie
| "Little Things"
|-
| Erykah Badu
| "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)"
|-
| Mary J. Blige
| "No More Drama"
|-
| Missy Elliott
| "Work It
|-
| rowspan="5" align="center"| 2004
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Luther Vandross
| "Dance with My Father"
| rowspan="5" align="center"|
|-
| Beyoncé
| "Crazy in Love"
|-
| rowspan="2"| Outkast
| "Hey Ya!"
|-
| "The Way You Move"
|-
| rowspan="4" align="center"| 2005
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Alicia Keys
| "If I Ain't Got You"
| rowspan="4" align="center"|
|-
| Jill Scott
| "Golden"
|-
| Usher
| "Yeah!"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2006
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Alicia Keys
| "Unbreakable"
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Mariah Carey
| "We Belong Together"
|-
| Common
| "Testify"
|-
| Destiny's Child
| "Stand Up for Love"
|-
| Kanye West
| "Diamonds from Sierra Leone"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2007
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| India Arie
| "I Am Not My Hair"
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Gnarls Barkley
| "Crazy"
|-
| Beyoncé
| "Irreplaceable"
|-
| Mary J. Blige
| "Be Without You"
|-
| John Legend
| "Save Room"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2008
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Alicia Keys
| "Like You'll Never See Me Again"
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| India Arie
| "Beautiful Flower"
|-
| Mary J. Blige
| "Just Fine"
|-
| Rihanna
| "Umbrella"
|-
| Kanye West
| "Stronger"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2009
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| will.i.am
| "Yes We Can"
| rowspan="6" align="center"|
|-
| Beyoncé
| "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
|-
| Jennifer Hudson
| "Spotlight"
|-
| Alicia Keys
| "Superwoman"
|-
| John Legend
| "Green Light"
|}
2010s
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:11%;"| Year
! style="width:42%;"| Artist
! style="width:42%;"| Song
! style="width:5%;"| Ref
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2010
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Mary Mary
| "God in Me"
| rowspan="5" align="center"|
|-
| Jamie Foxx
| "Blame It"
|-
| Jay Z
| "Empire State of Mind"
|-
| rowspan="2"| Maxwell
| "Bad Habits"
|-
| "Pretty Wings"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2011
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Fantasia
| "Bittersweet"
| rowspan="5" align="center"|
|-
| CeeLo Green
| "Fuck You"
|-
| Alicia Keys
| "Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)"
|-
| Maxwell
| "Fistful of Tears"
|-
| Sade
| "Soldier of Love"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2012
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Kirk Franklin
| "I Smile"
| rowspan="5" align="center"|
|-
| Adele
| "Someone Like You"
|-
| Beyoncé
| "Best Thing I Never Had"
|-
| CeeLo Green
| "Fool for You"
|-
| Jill Scott
| "So in Love"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2013
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Whitney Houston and R. Kelly
| "I Look to You"
| rowspan="5" align="center"|
|-
| rowspan="3"| Kem
| "Be Mine for Christmas"
|-
| "Glorify the King"
|-
| "You're on My Mind"
|-
| Bruno Mars
| "Locked Out of Heaven"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2014
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| John Legend
| "All of Me"
| rowspan="5" align="center"|
|-
| Alicia Keys
| "Fire We Make"
|-
| Bruno Mars
| "Treasure"
|-
| Janelle Monáe
| "Q.U.E.E.N."
|-
| Robin Thicke
| "Blurred Lines"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2015
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Alicia Keys
| "We Are Here"
| rowspan="5" align="center"|
|-
| Beyoncé
| "Pretty Hurts"
|-
| Aloe Blacc
| "The Man"
|-
| Kendrick Lamar
| "i"
|-
| Usher
| "Good Kisser"
|-
| rowspan="6" align="center"| 2016
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Jill Scott
| "Back Together"
| rowspan="5" align="center"|
|-
| Lauryn Hill
| "Feeling Good"
|-
| Seal
| "Every Time I'm with You"
|-
| Jazmine Sullivan
| "Let It Burn"
|-
| Charlie Wilson
| "Goodnight Kisses"
|-
| rowspan="11" align="center"| 2017
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Kim Burrell and Pharrell Williams
| "I See Victory"
| rowspan="11" align="center"|
|-
| Anthony Hamilton
| "Amen"
|-
| Tamela Mann
| "God Provides"
|-
| Maxwell
| "Lake by the Ocean"
|-
| Solange
| "Cranes in the Sky"
|-
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Beyoncé
| "Freedom"
|-
| Common
| "Letter to the Free"
|-
| Bruno Mars
| "24K Magic"
|-
| Sounds of Blackness
| "Royalty"
|-
| Beyoncé
| Formation
|-
| rowspan="11" align="center"| 2018
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Bruno Mars
| "That's What I Like"
| rowspan="10" align="center"|
|-
|Ledisi
|"High"
|-
|MAJOR.
|"Honest"
|-
|John Legend
|"Surefire"
|-
|Mary J. Blige
|"U + Me (Love Lesson)"
|-
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
|Kendrick Lamar
|"HUMBLE."
|-
|JAY-Z
|"The Story of O.J."
|-
|Mali Music
|"Gonna Be Alright"
|-
|Jazmine Sullivan x Bryson Tiller
|"Insecure"
|-
|SZA feat. Travis Scott
|"Love Galore"
|-
| rowspan="11" align="center"| 2019
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Ella Mai
| "Boo'd Up"
| rowspan="10" align="center"|
|-
|John Legend feat. BloodPop
|"A Good Night"
|-
|Bruno Mars feat. Cardi B
|"Finesse (Remix)"
|-
|Childish Gambino
|"This Is America"
|-
|H.E.R.
|"As I Am"
|-
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
|Toni Braxton
|"Long as I Live"
|-
|Andra Day
|"Amen"
|-
|MAJOR.
|"Better With You In It"
|-
|Leon Bridges
|"Beyond"
|-
|Tori Kelly feat. Kirk Franklin
|"Never Alone"
|}
2020s
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;"
|- style="background:#bebebe;"
! style="width:11%;"| Year
! style="width:42%;"| Artist
! style="width:42%;"| Song
! style="width:5%;"| Ref
|-
| rowspan="11" align="center"| 2020
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
| Beyoncé
| "Before I Let Go"
| rowspan="10" align="center"|
|-
|H.E.R.
|"Hard Place"
|-
|Lizzo
|"Juice"
|-
|Normani
|"Motivation"
|-
|Khalid
|"Talk"
|-
|- style="background:#B0C4DE"
|Beyoncé
|"Spirit"
|-
|Fantasia
|"Enough"
|-
|Lizzo
|"Jerome"
|-
|Cynthia Erivo
|"Stand Up"
|-
|India Arie
|"Steady Love"
|}
Multiple wins and nominations
Wins
; 5 wins
- Alicia Keys
; 3 wins
- Beyoncé
; 2 wins
- Kirk Franklin
- Whitney Houston
- Kendrick Lamar
- R. Kelly
Nominations
; 10 nominations
- Alicia Keys
; 9 nominations
- Beyoncé
; 5 nominations
- Kirk Franklin
- John Legend
- Bruno Mars
- Maxwell
; 4 nominations
- India Arie
- Mary J. Blige
; 3 nominations
- Erykah Badu
- Common
- Whitney Houston
- Kem
- Kendrick Lamar
- Jill Scott
; 2 nominations
- Fantasia
- CeeLo Green
- Anthony Hamilton
- H.E.R.
- Lauryn Hill
- R. Kelly
- Lizzo
- MAJOR.
- Jazmine Sullivan
- Usher
- Kanye West
- Pharrell Williams