Join with a codeGuideBallotsDataToolsBlog

A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Female Rock Vocal.

22 ceremonies, 1980–2004. 11 different winners. The longest run belongs to Pat Benatar, with 4 straight wins.

Who won most recently?
Pink in 2004 for Trouble.
Who has won the most?
Pat Benatar, Sheryl Crow and Tina Turner, tied on 4 wins each.
  1. TroublePink
  2. Steve McQueenSheryl Crow
  3. Get Right With GodLucinda Williams
  4. There Goes the Neighborhood (Live)Sheryl Crow
  5. Sweet Child o' MineSheryl Crow
  6. UninvitedAlanis Morissette
Years explored
1980–2004
Different winners
11
Category leader
Pat Benatar · 4
About this record

Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was first awarded in 1980, so it does not run the full 1959–2025 window.

It was awarded for the last time in 2004.

The Academy stopped splitting rock vocals by gender after 2004.

From 2005 the Grammys awarded Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance instead.

1980–2004

22 ceremonies

19802004

01 / The reigns

Pat Benatar set the longest run.

The timeline turns the 1980–2004 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited label.

  1. 01
    Pat Benatar4 wins
  2. 02
    Sheryl Crow4 wins
  3. 03
    Tina Turner4 wins
  4. 04
    Alanis Morissette2 wins
  5. 05
    Melissa Etheridge2 wins
Each band is one winner’s reign. Wider means a longer run. Colored by label; hover for details. Outlined blocks are years the award was not presented.
Donna Summer'80
Pat Benatar'81–'84×4
Tina Turner'85–'87×3
'88not awarded
Tina Turner'89
Bonnie Raitt'90
Alannah Myles'91
'92not awarded
Melissa Etheridge'93
'94not awarded
Melissa Etheridge'95
Alanis Morissette'96
Sheryl Crow'97
Fiona Apple'98
Alanis Morissette'99
Sheryl Crow'00–'01×2
Lucinda Williams'02
Sheryl Crow'03
Pink'04

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Universal leads the recorded label credits with 8 wins, 1980–2004. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Universal8 wins
A&M4 wins
Chrysalis4 wins
Maverick2 wins
Casablanca1 win
Sony1 win
Wins by label
  1. Universal836%
  2. A&M418%
  3. Chrysalis418%
  4. Maverick29%
  5. Casablanca15%
  6. Sony15%
  7. Other29%

03 / The near misses

The names that kept coming back without the ending they wanted.

Counting nominations in this category only, 1980–2004.

Most nominated, never won this award

  1. 01
    Stevie Nicks
    5 noms
  2. 02
    Ani DiFranco
    3 noms
  3. 03
    Cyndi Lauper
    3 noms
  4. 04
    Tori Amos
    3 noms
  5. 05
    Avril Lavigne
    2 noms
  6. 06
    Bonnie Tyler
    2 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Bonnie Raitt
    7L · 1W
  2. 02
    Melissa Etheridge
    7L · 2W
  3. 03
    Stevie Nicks
    5L · 0W
  4. 04
    Pat Benatar
    4L · 4W
  5. 05
    Ani DiFranco
    3L · 0W
  6. 06
    Cyndi Lauper
    3L · 0W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 1980–2004. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

YearWinnerLabel
2004Pink (Trouble)
beat 4 others
  • Michelle Branch (Are You Happy Now?)
  • Avril Lavigne (Losing Grip)
  • Bonnie Raitt (Time of Our Lives)
  • Lucinda Williams (Righteously)
LaFace/Arista
2003Sheryl Crow (Steve McQueen)
beat 4 others
  • Melissa Etheridge (The Weakness in Me)
  • Avril Lavigne (Sk8er Boi)
  • Bonnie Raitt (Gnawin' on It)
  • Susan Tedeschi (Alone)
A&M
2002Lucinda Williams (Get Right With God)
beat 4 others
  • Tori Amos (Strange Little Girl)
  • Melissa Etheridge (I Want to Be in Love)
  • PJ Harvey (This Is Love)
  • Stevie Nicks (Planets of the Universe)
Lost Highway
2001Sheryl Crow (There Goes the Neighborhood (Live))repeat
beat 4 others
  • Fiona Apple (Paper Bag)
  • Melissa Etheridge (Enough of Me)
  • Alanis Morissette (So Pure)
  • Patti Smith (Glitter in Their Eyes)
A&M
2000Sheryl Crow (Sweet Child o' Mine)
beat 4 others
  • Tori Amos (Bliss)
  • Ani DiFranco (Jukebox)
  • Melissa Etheridge (Angels Would Fall)
  • Sarah McLachlan (Possession (live))
A&M
1999Alanis Morissette (Uninvited)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Tori Amos (Raspberry Swirl)
  • Sheryl Crow (There Goes the Neighborhood)
  • Ani DiFranco (Glass House)
  • Lucinda Williams (Can't Let Go)
Maverick
1998Fiona Apple (Criminal)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Meredith Brooks (Bitch)
  • Ani DiFranco (Shy)
  • Abra Moore (Four Leaf Clover)
  • Patti Smith (1959)
Work/Columbia
1997Sheryl Crow (If It Makes You Happy)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Tracy Bonham (Mother Mother)
  • Tracy Chapman (Give Me One Reason)
  • Joan Osborne (Spider Web)
  • Bonnie Raitt (Burning Down the House)
A&M
1996Alanis Morissette (You Oughta Know)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Toni Childs (Lay Down Your Pain)
  • PJ Harvey (Down by the Water)
  • Joan Osborne (St. Teresa)
  • Liz Phair (Don't Have Time)
Maverick/Reprise
1995Melissa Etheridge (Come to My Window)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Sheryl Crow (I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday)
  • Liz Phair (Supernova)
  • Sam Phillips (Circle of Fire)
  • Bonnie Raitt (Love Sneakin' Up On You)
Island
1993Melissa Etheridge (Ain't It Heavy)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Lita Ford (Shot of Poison)
  • Alison Moyet (It Won't Be Long)
  • Alannah Myles (Rockinghorse)
  • Tina Turner (The Bitch Is Back)
Island
1991Alannah Myles (Black Velvet)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Melissa Etheridge (The Angels)
  • Janet Jackson (Black Cat)
  • Stevie Nicks (Whole Lotta Trouble)
  • Tina Turner (Steamy Windows)
Atlantic
1990Bonnie Raitt (Nick of Time)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Pat Benatar (Let's Stay Together)
  • Melissa Etheridge (Brave and Crazy)
  • Cyndi Lauper (I Drove All Night)
  • Tina Turner (Foreign Affair)
Capitol
1989Tina Turner (Tina Live in Europe)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Pat Benatar (All Fired Up)
  • Toni Childs (Don't Walk Away)
  • Melissa Etheridge (Bring Me Some Water)
  • Sinéad O'Connor (The Lion and the Cobra)
Capitol
1987Tina Turner (Back Where You Started)repeatunverified
beat 4 others
  • Pat Benatar (Sex as a Weapon)
  • Cyndi Lauper (911)
  • Stevie Nicks (Talk to Me)
  • Bonnie Raitt (No Way to Treat a Lady)
Capitol
1986Tina Turner (One of the Living)repeatunverified
beat 4 others
  • Pat Benatar (Invincible)
  • Melba Moore (Read My Lips)
  • Nona Hendryx (Rock This House)
  • Cyndi Lauper (What a Thrill)
Capitol
1985Tina Turner (Better Be Good to Me)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Lita Ford (Dancin' on the Edge)
  • Bonnie Tyler (Here She Comes)
  • Wendy O. Williams (WOW)
  • Pia Zadora (Rock It Out)
Capitol
1984Pat Benatar (Love Is a Battlefield)repeatunverified
beat 4 others
  • Joan Armatrading (The Key)
  • Kim Carnes (Invisible Hands)
  • Stevie Nicks (Stand Back)
  • Bonnie Tyler (Faster Than the Speed of Night)
Chrysalis
1983Pat Benatar (Shadows of the Night)repeatunverified
beat 4 others
  • Kim Carnes (Voyeur)
  • Linda Ronstadt (Get Closer)
  • Bonnie Raitt (Green Light)
  • Donna Summer (Protection)
Chrysalis
1982Pat Benatar (Fire and Ice)repeatunverified
beat 4 others
  • Donna Summer (Cold Love)
  • Stevie Nicks (Edge of Seventeen)
  • Yoko Ono (Walking on Thin Ice)
  • Lulu (Who's Foolin' Who)
Chrysalis
1981Pat Benatar (Crimes of Passion)unverified
beat 4 others
  • Joan Armatrading (How Cruel)
  • Marianne Faithfull (Broken English)
  • Linda Ronstadt (How Do I Make You)
  • Grace Slick (Dreams)
Chrysalis
1980Donna Summer (Hot Stuff)unverified
beat 5 others
  • Cindy Bullens (Survivor)
  • Rickie Lee Jones (The Last Chance Texaco)
  • Bonnie Raitt (You're Gonna Get What's Coming)
  • Carly Simon (Vengeance)
  • Tanya Tucker (TNT)
Casablanca