Most nominated, never won this award
- 01MIMiguel3 noms
- 026L6lack2 noms
- 03CGChildish Gambino2 noms
- 04CHChloe x Halle2 noms
- 05CBChris Brown2 noms
- 06CHCory Henry2 noms
A visual history · Grammys
The winners who defined Progressive R&B.
13 ceremonies, 2013–2025. 13 different winners.
- Who won most recently?
- AverySunshine and NxWorries shared it in 2025.
- Who has won the most?
- The Weeknd, 2 wins (2016, 2018).
- So Glad to Know YouAverySunshine01
- SOSSZA02
- Gemini RightsSteve Lacy03
- Table for TwoLucky Daye04
- It Is What It IsThundercat05
- Cuz I Love You (Deluxe)Lizzo06
- Years explored
- 2013–2025
- Different winners
- 13
- Category leader
- The Weeknd · 2
About this record
Best Progressive R&B Album was first awarded in 2013, so it does not run the full 1959–2025 window.
It was previously known as Best Urban Contemporary Album.
The Academy dropped the urban label and gave it the current name for the 2021 ceremony.
2013–2025
13 ceremonies
20132025
01 / The reigns
13 winners shaped this category.
The timeline turns the 2013–2025 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited label.
- 01The Weeknd2 wins
Frank Ocean'13
Rihanna'14
Pharrell Williams'15
The Weeknd'16
Beyoncé'17
The Weeknd'18
The Carters'19
Lizzo'20
Thundercat'21
Lucky Daye'22
Steve Lacy'23
SZA'24
AverySunshine'25
02 / The power map
Who stood behind the winners?
Sony leads the recorded label credits with 4 wins, 2013–2025. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.
Sony4 wins01
XO2 wins02
Brainfeeder1 win03
I Am Other1 win04
Independent1 win05
Keep Cool1 win06
Wins by label
- Sony433%
- XO217%
- Brainfeeder18%
- I Am Other18%
- Independent18%
- Keep Cool18%
- Other217%
1 further win has no label on record and is not counted in the 12 above.
1 of these 13 wins has no label on record, so the chart covers the other 12.
03 / The near misses
The names that kept coming back without the ending they wanted.
Counting nominations in this category only, 2013–2025.
Most losses in this category
- 01MIMiguel3L · 0W
- 026L6lack2L · 0W
- 03CGChildish Gambino2L · 0W
- 04CHChloe x Halle2L · 0W
- 05CBChris Brown2L · 0W
- 06CHCory Henry2L · 0W
04 / The archive
Every year.
Every winner.
The complete reference behind the story, showing 2013–2025. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.
| Year | Winner | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | AverySunshine (So Glad to Know You)tieNxWorries (Why Lawd?)beat 3 others
| Unknown |
| 2024 | SZA (SOS)beat 4 others
| Top Dawg/RCA |
| 2023 | Steve Lacy (Gemini Rights)beat 4 others
| RCA |
| 2022 | Lucky Daye (Table for Two)beat 5 others
| Keep Cool/RCA |
| 2021 | Thundercat (It Is What It Is)beat 4 others
| Brainfeeder |
| 2020 | Lizzo (Cuz I Love You (Deluxe))beat 4 others
| Nice Life/Atlantic |
| 2019 | The Carters (Everything Is Love)beat 4 others
| Parkwood/Roc Nation |
| 2018 | The Weeknd (Starboy)beat 4 others
| XO/Republic |
| 2017 | Beyoncé (Lemonade)beat 4 others
| Parkwood/Columbia |
| 2016 | The Weeknd (Beauty Behind the Madness)beat 4 others
| XO/Republic |
| 2015 | Pharrell Williams (Girl)beat 4 others
| I Am Other/Columbia |
| 2014 | Rihanna (Unapologetic)beat 4 others
| Roc Nation/SRP |
| 2013 | Frank Ocean (Channel Orange)beat 2 others
| Def Jam |