Did you know that only 11 Black artists have won a Grammy for Album of the Year?
Since the inception of the Recording Academy’s award show in May of 1959, Album of the Year has been in play. That means that in its 66 years of existence, only eight Black men have been awarded the prestigious trophy while three Black women have received the honor.
Every year, Black folks gather around the TV hoping that the outcome will be different, hoping that a deserving Black artist (*cough, Beyoncé) will get the flowers they’re owed, whether or not you believe that trophies dictate your worth as a musician. Unfortunately, when it comes to assessing Black music and Black artists, the Academy often gets it wrong.
This and a slew of other factors have led to historic boycotts of the show, accusations of racial bias in the voting, artists withdrawing their albums from submission, and more. So, as the 2025 Grammys draw near, let us celebrate the few Black artists who have managed to break through and receive recognition for their genius at the coveted award show.
Here are the 11 Black artists who have won a Grammy for Album of the Year.
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Stevie Wonder
Image Credit: Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Image Stevie Wonder is one of the few artists to win a Grammy for Album of the Year for three consecutive albums, alongside Paul Simon and Frank Sinatra. Wonder’s streak began with the critically acclaimed Innervisions, winning in 1974, followed by 1975’s win with Fulfillingness’ First Finale, and then his classic Songs in the Key of Life in 1977.
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Michael Jackson
Image Credit: Photo by CBS via Getty Image The King of Pop snagged his first and only AOTY win at the Grammys in 1984 with the critically and commercially acclaimed album Thriller. Oh, Thriller also broke a record, winning eight Grammys that year.
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Whitney Houston
Image Credit: Busacca/Getty Images Whitney Houston snagged her Album of the Year Grammy through the 1992 soundtrack to The Bodyguard at the 1994 show.
Houston covered Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” for the LP, a single that eventually found its way to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 and earned Houston more recognition (and wins) during the 1994 award season.
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Lionel Richie
Image Credit: Dominguez/MediaPunch via Getty Image Lionel Richie‘s sophomore album Can’t Slow Down snagged a Grammy for Album of the Year at the 1985 show. The album was groundbreaking for Richie, as the LP occupied the Billboard 200 for the entirety of 1984.
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Quincy Jones
Image Credit: Maiman/Sygma via Getty Images While Quincy Jones was stacking up Grammys as a producer on numerous albums such as Thriller and E.T., he also made time to win an award for an LP of his own. 1991 found the icon winning a Grammy for Album of the Year for his collaborative work, Back on the Block. The album featured appearances from Dizzy Gillespie, Luther Vandross, Ice-T, Ella Fitzgerald, Big Daddy Kane, Dionne Warwick, Barry White, Miles Davis, and Ray Charles.
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Natalie Cole
Image Credit: Platzer/Images/Getty Images Natalie Cole scored a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1992 with her album Unforgettable…With Love. Aside from being a masterful work, the album is remembered for Nat covering Nat King Cole’s, her father’s, most notable songs.
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Lauryn Hill
Image Credit: Getty Images Ms. Lauryn Hill‘s debut solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, was met with critical acclaim upon its release, and the LP snagging a Grammy for Album of the Year at the 1999 show was just icing on the cake.
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OutKast
Image Credit: Brown/Getty Images OutKast took a detour with Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which served as a groundbreaking double LP that fans either hated or loved. However, their slightly experimental efforts would be rewarded in 2004, as the album earned the group their first gold trophy for Album of the Year. It was only the second time that a Hip-Hop act had won the coveted award.
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Ray Charles
Image Credit: Micelotta/Getty Images In 2004, we sadly lost a legend, as Ray Charles passed away that year at the age of 74. But the icon would be posthumously celebrated for his final studio album, Genius Loves Company, with the Recording Academy awarding the Georgia musician a Grammy for Album of the Year.
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Herbie Hancock
Image Credit: Bucci/Getty Images If you’re wondering whether or not your favorite artist will ever win a Grammy for Album of the Year, hear this: Herbie Hancock finally received the award after releasing 40 albums. Yeah.
The remarkable feat went down at the 2008 show, with the NEA Jazz Master’s album, River: The Joni Letters crowned as the winner in the category. The win came as a shock to many in attendance, and was a well-deserved surprise, for sure.
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Jon Batiste
Image Credit: Becker/Getty Images for The Recording Academy Another Black artist wouldn’t win in the category until 2022, with Jon Batiste winning for his sixth album, We Are. The Louisiana native would have a shot at winning the category a second time in 2024, but his dreams were thwarted after he lost. To Taylor Swift.
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