2025 Grammys Predictions: Best R&B Song & Performance Nominees
There are five categories devoted to R&B nestled in the R&B, rap and spoken poetry field at the 67th annual Grammy Awards. Here, we preview three of them — best R&B performance, best R&B song and best traditional R&B performance. We’ll preview the other two — best R&B album and best progressive R&B album — later this week.
Best R&B Performance
Though a version of the category has existed since the very first Grammy ceremony in 1959, best R&B performance boasts a particularly tumultuous history. The awarded was given out annually until 1968, when additional categories divided by gender were introduced. Women and men would compete in separate R&B performance categories until a major overhaul ahead of the 2012 ceremony that combined the existing categories of best female R&B vocal performance, best male R&B vocal performance, best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal and best urban/alternative performance.
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Since the best R&B performance was streamlined and reintroduced in 2012, just three artists have won twice: Beyoncé (2015 and 2021), Bruno Mars (2018 and 2022) and Anderson .Paak (2020 and 2022). This year six artists have a chance to join that club, including defending champ Coco Jones, Muni Long, Usher, Corinne Bailey Rae, Lalah Hathway and H.E.R.
Earlier this year, Jones triumphed with her Billboard chart-topping “ICU,” which spent four weeks atop Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay (chart dated May 27, 2023). For the current Grammy cycle, she’s in contention with a pair of tracks: her featured turn on BJ the Chicago Kid‘s “Spend the Night” and her own “Here We Go (Uh Oh).” According to the 2025 Grammys rulebook, an artist can only receive one nomination in best R&B performance, so Jones won’t be able to pull double duty here. Either way, her chances are strong; BJ is a seven-time nominee, while “Here We Go” became her second song to reach the top 10 on Adult R&B Airplay (No. 8).
Usher is another artist who will suffer from the “one nomination per artist” rule. A previous winner for “Climax” back in 2013, he’s back in contention with three songs: his guest appearance on Victoria Monét‘s “SOS (Sex On Sight),” his Color Purple H.E.R. duet “Risk It All,” and his own Pheelz-assisted “Ruin.” Given Monét’s three-Grammy haul at the 2023 ceremony and the chart-topping airplay run of “Risk It All,” either of those two tracks are the A-Town icon’s strongest shots. Similarly, H.E.R. could pull off a nod with either “Risk It All” or Lila Iké’s “He Loves Us Both,” but the former is her best bet.
Corinne Bailey Rae (2012) and Lalah Hathaway (2014) were the first two women to win this category since the 2012 restructuring. Bailey Rae could reap a bid for “Fly Away” (with Eric Benét), while Hathaway could earn a nod for “So in Love.” And then there was Muni Long. The 2023 winner of this category — for her breakout hit “Hrs & Hrs” — is in contention with a live version of one of the year’s biggest R&B crossover hits, “Made for Me,” which reached No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Several artists could earn their first nods in this category this year, including Tems (“Burning”), Leon Thomas (“Mutt”), Tinashe (“Nasty”), Ravyn Lenae (“One Wish”), Blxst (“Dance With the Devil”), October London (“She Keeps Calling”), Partynextdoor (“No Chill”) and Normani (“All Yours”).
Some previous Grammy winners and nominees to keep an eye on: SZA (“Saturn”), NxWorries and Thundercat (“Keep Her”), Mary J. Blige and Fabolous (“Breathing”), Childish Gambino (“In the Night”), Chris Brown (“Residuals”), Chl?e and Halle (“Want Me”), Ledisi (“Good Life”), Lucky Daye (“HERicane”), PJ Morton (“Please Be Good”), Terrace Martin, Alex Isley and Robert Glasper (“I Left My Heart In Ladera”), Bryson Tiller (“Persuasion”), Marsha Ambrosius (“One Night Stand”) and Jeymes Samuel, D’Angelo and Jay-Z (“I Want You Forever”).
Our Fearless Forecast
There’s a chance the entire 2024 lineup could repeat, but we’re predicting: “Residuals” (Chris Brown), “SOS (Sex On Sight)” (Victoria Monét & Usher), “Saturn” (SZA), “Made for Me — Live on BET” (Muni Long) and “Keep Her” (NxWorries & Thundercat).
Best R&B Song
For the last five Grammy ceremonies, the nominees for best R&B song and best R&B performance haven’t overlapped much. In fact, the 2022 ceremony is the only instance this decade where three or more songs earned nods in both categories. As a reminder, best R&B song is awarded to the songwriter, while best R&B performance goes to the recording artist.
In addition to the aforementioned tracks, here are a few more songs to look out for. Halle pulled off a surprise nod with “Angel” last year and she could do it again with “Because I Love You,” which was co-written by RAYE. SZA triumphed here with “Snooze” last year, and both she (“Saturn”) and co-writer Leon Thomas (“Mutt”) are in contention this year. Beyoncé is the most-awarded songwriter (five) in this category, and she could earn her 10th nod here with her Dolly Parton-assisted “Tyrant.” Notably, as Parton is not a credited songwriter on “Tyrant,” she would not receive a nomination should the song make the final five. Bruno Mars has won here twice before (2018 and 2022), and he could earn a third nomination in this category thanks to Lucky Daye’s chart-topping “That’s You,” which he co-wrote with Daye and six-time Grammy winner D’Mile.
Since live versions are only eligible in performance categories, Muni Long is contention here with “Ruined Me,” the latest single from her Revenge album. That song has already become her fifth consecutive top 10 hit on Adult R&B Airplay and is gaining traction across social media. Like Long, Tinashe had a crossover R&B hit this year with “Nasty,” which could earn her the first Grammy nod of her career.
Some other names to look out for: Mavis Staples (“Worthy”), Brittany Howard (“I Don’t), Meshell Ndegeocello (“Love”), Sampha (“Only”) and Gary Clark Jr. & Stevie Wonder (“What About The Children”).
Our Fearless Forecast
We’re predicting: “Saturn” (SZA), “Because I Love You” (Halle), “That’s You” (Lucky Daye), “Nasty” (Tinashe) and “Tyrant” (Beyoncé & Dolly Parton).
Best Traditional R&B Performance
Since best traditional R&B performance — a category honoring recordings that adhere to classic R&B/soul sonic signifiers as opposed to more contemporary approaches to the genre — was first awarded in 1999, two artists have emerged as the all-time winners.
Beyoncé and Lalah Hathaway each have three wins to their name in this category. While Queen Bey does not have a song contending here this year, Hathaway could snag her fourth win if her Michael McDonald-assisted “No Lie” scores a nod. There are a number of high-profile duets to keep an eye on here, including Eric Benét and Tamar Braxton (“Something We Can Make Love To”), Chl?e and Ty Dolla $ign (“Might As Well”), Clark Jr. & Wonder (“What About the Children”), Keyon Harrold and PJ Morton (“Beautiful Day”), Kamasi Washington and BJ The Chicago Kid (“Together”) and Louis York and Tamia (“Three Little Words”). The Benét-Braxton team-up received a lot of love in R&B circles, and the Chl?e-Ty link-up highlights the perseverance of traditional R&B amongst the newest generation of crooners.
Muni Long’s name is sure to pop up across the R&B field this cycle, and “Make Me Forget,” which became her first Adult R&B Airplay chart-topper in August, is her entry in this category. Last year’s winners — PJ Morton and Susan Carol (“Good Morning”) — could return with solo songs of their own. Morton is contending with “I Found You,” while Carol entered “Karma.”
Some other names to look out for: Brittany Howard (“I Don’t”), Marsha Ambrosius (“Wet”), Jacob Collier, John Legend and Tori Kelly (“Bridge Over Troubled Water”), Kenyon Dixon (“Can I Have This Groove”), Meshell Ndegeocello (“Love”), Lucky Daye (“That’s You”), NxWorries, Snoop Dogg & October London (“FromHere”) and Usher (“Please U”).
Our Fearless Forecast
Here goes nothing: “That’s You” (Lucky Daye), “FromHere” (NxWorries, Snoop Dogg & October London), “Make Me Forget” (Muni Long), “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (Jacob Collier, John Legend & Tori Kelly) and “No Lie” (Lalah Hathaway & Michael McDonald)
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