Join with a codeGuideBallotsDataToolsBlog

A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Pop Vocal (Female).

52 ceremonies, 1959–2011. 38 different winners. The longest run belongs to Barbra Streisand, with 3 straight wins.

Who won most recently?
Lady Gaga in 2011 for Bad Romance.
Who has won the most?
Barbra Streisand, 5 wins (1964, 1965, 1966, 1978, 1987).
  1. Bad RomanceLady Gaga
  2. HaloBeyoncé
  3. Chasing PavementsAdele
  4. RehabAmy Winehouse
  5. Ain't No Other ManChristina Aguilera
  6. Since U Been GoneKelly Clarkson
Years explored
1959–2011
Different winners
38
Category leader
Barbra Streisand · 5
About this record

It was awarded for the last time in 2011.

The Academy dropped the male and female distinction in its 2012 restructuring and ran one solo award instead.

From 2012 the Grammys awarded Best Pop Solo Performance instead.

2000–2011

12 ceremonies

19592011

01 / The reigns

10 winners shaped this category.

The timeline turns the 2000–2011 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited label.

  1. 01
    Christina Aguilera2 wins
  2. 02
    Norah Jones2 wins
One band per year, because no winner has gone back-to-back in the years on record. Colored by label; scroll sideways for the full run.
Sarah McLachlan'00
Macy Gray'01
Nelly Furtado'02
Norah Jones'03
Christina Aguilera'04
Norah Jones'05
Kelly Clarkson'06
Christina Aguilera'07
Amy Winehouse'08
Adele'09
Beyoncé'10
Lady Gaga'11

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Sony leads the recorded label credits with 6 wins, 2000–2011. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Sony6 wins
Universal3 wins
DreamWorks1 win
Independent1 win
Streamline1 win
Wins by label
  1. Sony650%
  2. Universal325%
  3. DreamWorks18%
  4. Independent18%
  5. Streamline18%

03 / The near misses

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

Counting nominations in this category only, 2000–2011.

Most nominated, never won this award

Katy Perry performing at the Mann Center in Philadelphia
04Katy Perry3 nominations
  1. 01
    Pink
    4 noms
  2. 02
    Sheryl Crow
    4 noms
  3. 03
    Britney Spears
    3 noms
  4. 05
    Avril Lavigne
    2 noms
  5. 06
    Gwen Stefani
    2 noms

Most losses in this category

Katy Perry performing at the Mann Center in Philadelphia
05Katy Perry3 losses · 0 wins
  1. 01
    Pink
    4L · 0W
  2. 02
    Sheryl Crow
    4L · 0W
  3. 03
    Britney Spears
    3L · 0W
  4. 04
    Christina Aguilera
    3L · 2W
  5. 06
    Avril Lavigne
    2L · 0W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 2000–2011. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

YearWinnerLabel
2011Lady Gaga (Bad Romance)
beat 4 others
  • Sara Bareilles (King of Anything)
  • Beyoncé (Halo (Live))
  • Norah Jones (Chasing Pirates)
  • Katy Perry (Teenage Dream)
Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree
2010Beyoncé (Halo)
beat 4 others
  • Adele (Hometown Glory)
  • Katy Perry (Hot n Cold)
  • Pink (Sober)
  • Taylor Swift (You Belong with Me)
Columbia
2009Adele (Chasing Pavements)
beat 5 others
  • Sara Bareilles (Love Song)
  • Duffy (Mercy)
  • Leona Lewis (Bleeding Love)
  • Katy Perry (I Kissed a Girl)
  • Pink (So What)
XL/Columbia
2008Amy Winehouse (Rehab)
beat 4 others
  • Christina Aguilera (Candyman)
  • Feist (1234)
  • Fergie (Big Girls Don't Cry)
  • Nelly Furtado (Say It Right)
Island
2007Christina Aguilera (Ain't No Other Man)
beat 4 others
  • Natasha Bedingfield (Unwritten)
  • Sheryl Crow (You Can Close Your Eyes)
  • Pink (Stupid Girls)
  • KT Tunstall (Black Horse and the Cherry Tree)
RCA
2006Kelly Clarkson (Since U Been Gone)
beat 4 others
  • Mariah Carey (It's Like That)
  • Sheryl Crow (Good Is Good)
  • Bonnie Raitt (I Will Not Be Broken)
  • Gwen Stefani (Hollaback Girl)
RCA
2005Norah Jones (Sunrise)
beat 4 others
  • Björk (Oceania)
  • Sheryl Crow (The First Cut Is the Deepest)
  • Gwen Stefani (What You Waiting For?)
  • Joss Stone (You Had Me)
Blue Note
2004Christina Aguilera (Beautiful)
beat 4 others
  • Kelly Clarkson (Miss Independent)
  • Dido (White Flag)
  • Avril Lavigne (I'm with You)
  • Sarah McLachlan (Fallen)
RCA
2003Norah Jones (Don't Know Why)
beat 4 others
  • Sheryl Crow (Soak Up the Sun)
  • Avril Lavigne (Complicated)
  • Pink (Get the Party Started)
  • Britney Spears (Overprotected)
Blue Note
2002Nelly Furtado (I'm Like a Bird)
beat 4 others
  • Faith Hill (There You'll Be)
  • Janet Jackson (Someone to Call My Lover)
  • Sade (By Your Side)
  • Lucinda Williams (Essence)
DreamWorks
2001Macy Gray (I Try)
beat 5 others
  • Christina Aguilera (What a Girl Wants)
  • Madonna (Music)
  • Aimee Mann (Save Me)
  • Joni Mitchell (Both Sides Now)
  • Britney Spears (Oops!... I Did It Again)
Epic/Clean Slate
2000Sarah McLachlan (I Will Remember You)
beat 4 others
  • Christina Aguilera (Genie in a Bottle)
  • Madonna (Beautiful Stranger)
  • Alanis Morissette (Thank U)
  • Britney Spears (...Baby One More Time)
Arista