Celebrating excellence in R&B, soul gospel and rap music since 1978. This ceremony predated Grammy’s addition of best rap album category in 1995.
SZA leads all nominees at this year’s Rhythm & Blues Awards with nine nominations, followed by Victoria Monet and Coco Jones with eight each. In addition, the show also includes a unique Soul Cypher inspired by hip-hop’s longstanding freestyle tradition.
Artist of the Year
Taylor Swift won Artist of the Year for three consecutive years at this year’s ACMs, an impressive feat which was determined by total global record sales (including streaming) and engagement across their entire back catalog across all formats. Rarely has any artist achieved such success.
SZA took home her second R&B/Soul Female Artist win from this show; she’s also nominated in that category at the Grammys. Lizzo won Best Urban Contemporary Album with Cuz I Love You while Summer Walker earned R&B/Soul Song of the Year with “Over It,” while Trey Songz earned Soul Collaboration of the Year for their hit with 21 Savage and Summer Walker.
Erykah Badu introduced a new tradition on her show: Soul Cypher. Four artists participated in a freestyle performance that pays homage to Hip-Hop culture while showcasing vocal talent.
Nominees for this award highlighted how women are driving R&B music this year, from Victoria Monet and Coco Jones’ powerful vocals to Emily King and Summer Walker’s soothing comfort during times of heartache, this year’s nominees showed just that.
Song of the Year
The Song of the Year award is one of the highest honors bestowed upon songwriters. This prestigious accolade recognizes an original song’s songwriter rather than its performing artist; Billie Eilish won this year for her emotive ballad “What Was I Made For?” from Barbie: The Movie soundtrack; she dedicated it to both Finneas and Greta Gerwig who had worked hard together on both film and album to win it.
Beyonce holds the record for most wins in this category with five, followed by Babyface, Stevie Wonder and Bill Withers with three wins each. Songs must include either pop/rock/R&B tracks released within one calendar year to qualify.
Outside of song of the year, other major categories for 2018 awards include record of the year and album of the year. Below is a list of winners in each of these categories.
SZA won the award in 2022 for her infectious track “Kill Bill,” from her album of the same name. This track features SZA singing a confessional-style vocal as she details her hypothetical fantasy of killing an ex. This track became a smash hit, spending weeks in the top 10 on Billboard Hot 100 charts and breaking multiple charts; SZA even became this year’s Grammy Awards most nominated performer with nine nominations total.
SZA won Album of the Year with her project SOS, an R&B record that combined modern hip-hop with traditional soul. SZA thanked Atlantic Records for their assistance during recording process: “I am truly thankful for their love and support from everyone at their respective top levels of ability.
Album of the Year
As its name implies, this category recognizes the performance and production of full albums. The most coveted of all Grammy awards, its recipients typically represent some of the most enduring artists from their generations – such as The Beatles with Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band or Janet Jackson with janet; more recently it went to SZA’s SOS album which charted for 11 weeks on Billboard 200 charts this year.
It’s an album rooted in classic pop, rock, and soul music while looking forward sonically and thematically. And its hit singles continue to live beyond its larger context – such as “I Hate You” (“a song to make you hate me”) or the lush ballad “Snooze.”
SZA is one of only seven women since 1980 to win this category; she joins Lauryn Hill (The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill), Norah Jones (Come Away with Me), Alison Krauss and Alison Krauss (Raising Sand). SZA becomes only the second artist since Taylor Swift (Fearless and 1989).
SOS also cements Cyrus’s reputation as an interpretive powerhouse, from her gravelly drawl soaking up the disco-tinged production of “Violet Chemistry” to her nostalgic reflection on when she was young in “Used to Be Young.” SOS is an essential achievement that showcases Cyrus’s remarkable flexibility and resilience as a vocalist.
Video of the Year
Video of the Year is unquestionably the toughest competition of the night and recognizes the finest music videos released throughout the year. Formerly known as the MTV Video Music Award for Most Innovative, its name was later altered to better reflect MTV and its audience. Over the years there have been numerous stand-out winners of Video of the Year such as “All Too Well” and “Turn Up the Radio.”
The 2023 VMAs have begun, and many iconic artists are arriving on the pink carpet. We are keeping an eye out for any signs of an *NSYNC reunion (and any confirmation that Justin Timberlake will voice Branch in Trolls movie).
SZA made history on Tuesday night by being honored as R&B Artist of the Year and Best Visual Effects in her video for “Shirt.” Additionally, SZA became one of the first female artists ever awarded with Video of the Year on this show.
As well as SZA, some of the night’s other big winners included Jelly Roll for Male Video of the Year with “Need a Favor,” and French Montana won Rap Song of the Year with “Lotus Flower Child.” LL Cool J and Nicki Minaj hosted this year’s VMAs.
On Monday, March 28, the show will air live from Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre via iHeartRadio’s official channel. Meanwhile, check out this lively playlist featuring every R&B nominee at this awards ceremony – SZA, Bad Bunny, Shakira and many others are featured – capturing its passion and power.
Soul Cypher
At each annual awards show, The Soul Cypher is an iconic segment that brings legendary and contemporary R&B artists together for an electrifying musical showcase. At the 2023 Soul Train Awards, producer Bryan-Michael Cox spun an instrumental version of Usher’s hit “U Got It Bad,” while singers Nicci Gilbert, Arin Ray Marsha Ambrosius and Eric Bellinger freestyled over it to demonstrate their vocal range as both singers and rappers.
SZA won Album of the Year for her critically-acclaimed debut, SZA Is the Greatest, while Janelle Monae won Artist of the Year with two Grammy nominations for “Float” and “Champagne Shit.” Monae will go up against Beyonce, Cardi B, and Drake when the awards show airs live on February 26.
At this year’s Soul Train awards, BET’s Soul Cypher paid their own unique tribute to late music legend Michael Jackson by performing his 1982 hit single “Human Nature.” Performing were Muni Long, Durand Bernarr, Alex Vaughn and Tasha Cobbs Leonard; Long released her debut album Public Display of Affection back in September while Bernarr’s sophomore project Wanderlust just hit shelves recently.
The 2015 Soul Train Awards marked an exciting new era for this awards show as they held the inaugural R&B cypher. Host Erykah Badu took inspiration from BET Hip-Hop Awards’ famed cyphers by playing DJ Low Down Loretta Brown and mixing Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones” instrumental, leading singers through an unforgettable harmony vocal cypher – sure to become an annual tradition moving forward.