Are you prepared for the 2019 Grammy Awards? In fact, particularly since this 12 months’s ceremony celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Greatest R&B Album award.
We just lately ran by means of the temporary historical past of the eminent honor with a number of details about this 12 months’s nominees. To maintain the celebration going, we rounded up 25 extra previous and current details which have made this class considered one of a form.
Lauryn Hill
It was a historic evening for Lauryn Hill on the 41st Annual Grammy Awards in 1998. Not solely did she make historical past as the primary girl to win 5 awards in a single evening, however she can be the primary (and solely) R&B/soul act to win Album of the 12 months and Greatest R&B Album (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill).
Ledisi
With 4 noteworthy nominations, Ledisi is probably the most nominated artist with out a Greatest R&B Album win. She obtained her final nod on this class again in 2018 for Let Love Rule.
Age Ain’t Nothing However a Quantity
Chaka Khan gained a pair of Grammys on the 50th annual ceremony in 2007. Her Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis-helmed album Funk This took house the Greatest R&B Album honor at age 53, touchdown her recognition because the oldest solo winner.
Most Nominated Artist
Mary J. Blige gained her first Grammy for Greatest R&B Album for her 2005 acclaimed album The Breakthrough. The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul vied for the award with 4 earlier releases: My Life (1996), Share My World (1998), Mary (2000) and No Extra Drama (2002). With 5 issues whole, Blige is famous as probably the most nominated artist on this class.
Aaliyah
The late singer obtained two posthumous Grammy nominations in 2002 on the 44th Grammy Awards. Her self-titled third album made historical past by turning into the primary studio launch by a posthumous act to be acknowledged for Greatest R&B Album.
Idol Love
Whereas rock-soul diva Fantasia is the primary American Idol contest winner to be nominated for Greatest R&B Album, Jennifer Hudson is the competitors present’s first alum to simply accept the award.
Offered by considered one of her idols Whitney Houston, Hudson accepted her first profession Grammy for her self-titled debut in 2008 on the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.
Even Beat the Odds
The Greatest R&B Album class usually spotlights 5 releases by 5 R&B/soul acts. But, the nominations for the inaugural award in 1995 highlighted albums by six R&B/soul artists. This additionally occurred in 1998 and 2001.
The Gospel Reality
On the 40th Annual Grammy Awards in 1998, Whitney Houston’s contribution to The Preacher’s Spouse was nominated for Greatest R&B Album. Houston wasn’t happy about her nods, as she felt the soundtrack was omitted from its respective class. “Principally, it was my gospel album, and it was excluded from the gospel class altogether,” Houston informed Leisure Tonight. “I’m not going this 12 months. I’m sick of labor being finished and folks not recognizing it.”
Regardless of not correctly categorizing Houston’s work, The Preacher’s Spouse: Authentic Soundtrack Album – famous because the best-selling gospel album – turned the primary film rating to obtain a nod for Greatest R&B Album.
Lalah Hathaway
Lalah Hathaway is a class pioneer. Her 2017 win for her eponymous reside album makes her the primary (and solely) artist to take house this trophy for a reside launch.
Six Spectacular Debuts
To this point, within the 25-year award historical past, Tony Wealthy, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, John Legend, and Jennifer Hudson are the one artists to win this honor for his or her debut studio album. Wealthy is the primary debut LP recipient, successful for his 1996 Phrases (a.ok.a. The Tony Wealthy Mission) album.
R. Kelly
R. Kelly’s R. album has the shortest title of any Greatest R&B Album nominee in Grammy historical past.
Greatest New Artist
Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keys, and John Legend every have gained Greatest New Artist and Greatest R&B Album.
Meshell Ndegeocello
Ten-time Grammy nominee Meshell Ndegeocello is the primary artist to be nominated for each Greatest R&B Album and Greatest Up to date Album. She obtained a nod for the previous class in 1995 for Plantation Lullabies, whereas making it as one of many first-ever Greatest Up to date Album finalists for Cookie: The Anthropological Mixtape in 2003.
Alicia Keys
And the winner for probably the most Grammy love for Greatest R&B Album goes to …. Alicia Keys. Out of her 4 profession nominations, this incomparable musician has gained three for the next studio albums: Songs in A Minor (2002), The Diary of Alicia Keys (2005), and Woman on Hearth (2014).
Toni Braxton and Babyface
Who stated historical past can’t be made twice in a single 12 months? In 2015, Toni Braxton and Babyface turned the primary duo to be nominated for Greatest R&B Album for his or her duets album Love, Marriage & Divorce. The joint album, which seems on Rated R&B’s 50 Greatest R&B Albums of the 2010s, gained the award on the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, making them the primary pair to win. It additionally marked their first victory on this class.
H.E.R.
Again in 2019, H.E.R gained Greatest R&B Album for her self-titled compilation album. It marked the primary time a set of music – that wasn’t a correct studio album – took house this award.
Welcome Again
The neo-soul futurist with the longest wait in between a Greatest R&B Album win is D’Angelo. He first gained in 2001 for Voodoo, whereas he earned his second honor 15 years later for Black Messiah in 2016.
On the nomination tip, Babyface has the longest hole between first and second nod. The legendary musician scored his first nomination for The Day in 1998 on the 40th Grammy Awards. He wasn’t within the album race once more till 2014 for his Love, Marriage, & Divorce album with Toni Braxton.
Bernhoft
Again in 2015, Norwegian act Bernhoft was nominated for Greatest R&B Album for Islander. He’s the primary non-American artist to obtain a nod on this class.
All Ladies
It was the 12 months of the lady on the 44th Annual Grammy Awards in 2002, as all 5 Greatest R&B Album nominees had been girls. Competing towards Aaliyah, Mary J. Blige, India.Arie, and Future’s Baby, Alicia Keys got here out because the winner for Songs In A Minor.
Maxwell
In 1999, Maxwell obtained his second nomination for Greatest R&B Album for Embrya. The neo-soul titan was the one male act within the album race. Maxwell stays the one lone male nominee to compete towards all feminine performers.
Survived the Sophomore Droop
TLC, D’Angelo and Alicia Keys are the one three acts to win Greatest R&B Album for his or her second albums. Ought to BJ The Chicago Child win this 12 months, he’ll make the fourth performer.
John Legend
John Legend is the primary male artist to win Greatest R&B Album twice, incomes his first for Get Lifted in 2006 and his second for Wake Up! with The Roots in 2011. Nonetheless, Legend holds the document for a two-time male winner on this class with D’Angelo.
Mary J. Blige
Two years after taking house the award for Greatest R&B Album, the legendary R&B singer gained Greatest Up to date Album for 2007’s Rising Pains. She is the one artist to win each awards.
Luther Vandross
The late legend gained massive on the 46th Annual Grammy Awards in 2004, taking house 4 trophies. His closing album Dance with My Father gained Greatest R&B Album. Vandross earned his solely different nod on this class in 1995 for Songs.
2020 Nominees
What do Ella Mai, BJ The Chicago Child, PJ Morton, Anderson .Paak, and Fortunate Daye all have in widespread? Other than being nominated for Greatest R&B Album, they’ll all be first-time winners on this class.
Hosted by Alicia Keys, the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards airs reside on Sunday, January 26 at eight p.m. EST / 5 p.m. EST on CBS.