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A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Urban/Alternative.

9 ceremonies, 2003–2011. 9 different winners.

Who won most recently?
CeeLo Green in 2011 for Fuck You.
  1. Fuck YouCeeLo Green
  2. PearlsIndia.Arie and Dobet Gnahoré
  3. Be OKChrisette Michele and will.i.am
  4. Daydreamin'Lupe Fiasco and Jill Scott
  5. CrazyGnarls Barkley
  6. Welcome to JamrockDamian Marley
Years explored
2003–2011
Different winners
9
Category leader
No leader
About this record

Best Urban/Alternative Performance was first awarded in 2003, so it does not run the full 1959–2025 window.

It was awarded for the last time in 2011.

From 2012 the Grammys awarded Best R&B Performance instead.

2003–2011

9 ceremonies

20032011

01 / The reigns

9 winners shaped this category.

The timeline turns the 2003–2011 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited label.

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.
India.Arie'03
OutKast'04
Jill Scott'05
Damian Marley'06
Gnarls Barkley'07
Lupe Fiasco and Jill Scott'08
Chrisette Michele and will.i.am'09
India.Arie and Dobet Gnahoré'10
CeeLo Green'11

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Universal leads the recorded label credits with 2 wins, 2003–2011. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Universal2 wins
1st & 15th1 win
Downtown1 win
Hear Music1 win
Hidden Beach1 win
Sony1 win
Wins by label
  1. Universal222%
  2. 1st & 15th111%
  3. Downtown111%
  4. Hear Music111%
  5. Hidden Beach111%
  6. Sony111%
  7. Other222%

03 / The near misses

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

Counting nominations in this category only, 2003–2011.

Most nominated, never won this award

  1. 01
    Floetry
    2 noms
  2. 02
    Mos Def
    2 noms
  3. 03
    Musiq Soulchild
    2 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Floetry
    2L · 0W
  2. 02
    Mos Def
    2L · 0W
  3. 03
    Musiq Soulchild
    2L · 0W
  4. 04
    CeeLo Green
    1L · 1W
  5. 05
    OutKast
    1L · 1W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 2003–2011. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

YearWinnerLabel
2011CeeLo Green (Fuck You)
beat 4 others
  • Bilal (Little One)
  • Carolyn Malachi (Orion)
  • Janelle Monáe and Big Boi (Tightrope)
  • Eric Roberson (Still)
Elektra
2010India.Arie and Dobet Gnahoré (Pearls)
beat 4 others
  • The Foreign Exchange and Muhsinah (Daykeeper)
  • Robert Glasper and Bilal (All Matter)
  • Eric Roberson, Ben O'Neill and Michelle Thompson (A Tale of Two)
  • Tonéx (Blend)
Hear Music
2009Chrisette Michele and will.i.am (Be OK)
beat 4 others
  • Kenna (Say Goodbye to Love)
  • Maiysha (Wanna Be)
  • Janelle Monáe (Many Moons)
  • Wayna and Kokayi (Lovin' You (Music))
Def Jam
2008Lupe Fiasco and Jill Scott (Daydreamin')
beat 4 others
  • Dwele (That's the Way of the World)
  • Vikter Duplaix (Make a Baby)
  • Alice Smith (Dream)
  • Meshell Ndegeocello (Fantasy)
1st & 15th/Atlantic
2007Gnarls Barkley (Crazy)
beat 4 others
  • Sérgio Mendes, Erykah Badu and will.i.am (That Heat)
  • Sérgio Mendes and The Black Eyed Peas (Mas Que Nada)
  • OutKast (Idlewild Blue (Don'tchu Worry 'Bout Me))
  • Prince (3121)
Downtown/Warner
2006Damian Marley (Welcome to Jamrock)
beat 4 others
  • Floetry (SupaStar)
  • Gorillaz (Dirty Harry)
  • Mos Def (Ghetto Rock)
  • Van Hunt (Dust)
Tuff Gong/Universal/Ghetto Youths
2005Jill Scott (Cross My Mind)
beat 4 others
  • Mos Def (Sex, Love & Money)
  • Musiq Soulchild (Are You Experienced?)
  • N.E.R.D (She Wants to Move)
  • The Roots (Star)
Hidden Beach
2004OutKast (Hey Ya!)
beat 4 others
  • Erykah Badu (Danger)
  • Kelis (Milkshake)
  • Les Nubians (J'veux D'la Musique)
  • Musiq Soulchild (Forthenight)
Arista/BMG
2003India.Arie (Little Things)
beat 4 others
  • Erykah Badu and Common (Love of My Life (Ode to Hip-Hop))
  • Floetry (Floetic)
  • CeeLo Green (Getting Grown)
  • Raphael Saadiq and D'Angelo (Be Here)
Motown