Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist

• 112
  112 (band)
  112 is an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia. Formerly artists on Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the group signed to the Def Soul roster in 2002. They had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with hits such as "Only You", "Anywhere" and "Peaches & Cream"...
  
  
• AZ Yet
  Az Yet
  Az Yet is an American R&B group from Philadelphia, best known for their hit "Last Night" and their cover of the Chicago song "Hard to Say I'm Sorry."-Formation:...
  
  
• Maxwell
  Maxwell (musician)
  Maxwell , is an American R&B, funk and neo soul musician. He played an important role in the development of the soul sub-genre, neo-soul.-Early life:...
  
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• Tony Rich

R&B/Soul or Rap Album of the Year

• All Eyez on Me
  All Eyez on Me
  All Eyez on Me is the fourth studio album by American rapper 2Pac, released February 13, 1996 on Death Row Records and Interscope Records....
  
  - 2Pac*
• The Score
  The Score (album)
  The Score is the second and final studio album by the hip hop trio Fugees, released worldwide February 13, 1996 on Columbia Records. The album features a wide range of samples and instrumentation, with many aspects of alternative hip hop that would come to dominate the hip hop music scene in the...
  
  - The Fugees
  The Fugees
  Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
  
  
• R. Kelly
  R. Kelly (album)
  -Critical Response:R. Kelly received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Jim Derogatis of Rolling Stone wrote, Kelly "has grown out of his unthinking misogyny to the point where he makes a plea in 'As I Look Into My Life' to 'brothers in the ghetto' to 'love and respect that woman and bring...
  
  - R. Kelly
  R. Kelly
  Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
  
  
• ATLiens
  ATLiens
  Upon its release, ATLiens received positive reviews from music publications such as The Hartford Courant, Rolling Stone, and The Washington Post...
  
  - Outkast
  OutKast
  Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
  
  

• One in a Million- Aaliyah
  Aaliyah
  Aaliyah Dana Haughton , who performed under the mononym Aaliyah , was an American R&B recording artist, actress and model. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was raised in Detroit, Michigan. At the age of 10, she appeared on the television show Star Search and performed in concert alongside...
  
  
• Secrets - Toni Braxton
  Toni Braxton
  Toni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide...
  
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• Moods...Moments
  Moods...Moments
  Moods...Moments is the debut album by R&B singer Monifah. It was released on March 26, 1996 through Uptown Records and was mostly produced by Heavy D, with additional production by Poke & Tone...
  
  - Monifah
  Monifah
  Monifah is an American female R&B singer-songwriter.-Career:In 1996, her debut album, Moods...Moments was released. In 1997, she contributed the Heavy D. produced "I Still Love You" to the soundtrack of the film, Sprung. Monifah's second album was Mo'hogany. Released in the last quarter of 1998,...
  
  
• Peace Beyond Passion
  Peace Beyond Passion
  Peace Beyond Passion is an album by Me'shell Ndegeocello. It was released June 25, 1996 on Maverick Records. The album peaked at #63 on the Billboard Top 200 list in 1996. The album also peaked at #15 on Billboard's R&B Albums chart. It went on to become Me'shell's most commercially successful...
  
  - Me'Shell NdegeOcello
  Me'shell Ndegeocello
  Meshell Ndegeocello is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, bassist, and vocalist. Her music incorporates a wide variety of influences, including funk, soul, hip hop, reggae, R&B, rock, and jazz. She has received significant critical acclaim throughout her career, and has had ten career Grammy...
  
  

Best R&B/Soul Album, Male

• The Day - Babyface
• R. Kelly
  R. Kelly (album)
  -Critical Response:R. Kelly received mostly positive reviews from music critics. Jim Derogatis of Rolling Stone wrote, Kelly "has grown out of his unthinking misogyny to the point where he makes a plea in 'As I Look Into My Life' to 'brothers in the ghetto' to 'love and respect that woman and bring...
  
  - R. Kelly
  R. Kelly
  Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
  
  
• 'Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
  Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
  Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite is the debut album of American recording artist Maxwell, released April 2, 1996 on Columbia Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1994 to 1995 at Electric Lady Studios, RPM, Sorcerer, and Chung King Studios in New York City and...
  
  - Maxwell*
• Keith Sweat
  Keith Sweat (album)
  Keith Sweat is the fifth studio album by American R&B recording artist Keith Sweat. The album was released on June 25, 1996. The single "Twisted" made it to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100, his biggest hit ever on that chart. "Nobody" peaked at #3 on the same chart...
  
  - Keith Sweat
  Keith Sweat
  Keith Sweat is an American R&B/soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality and a major contributor to the new jack swing era.-Music career:...
  
  

Best R&B/Soul Album, Group, Band, or Duo

• 112
  112 (album)
  - Critical :Leo Stanley of Allmusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars stating that "as the first romantic soul group on Puff Daddy's Bad Boy label, 112 at least has the appearance of originality. However, their eponymous debut demonstrates that this is only an appearance - in reality, they are much...
  
  - 112
  112 (band)
  112 is an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia. Formerly artists on Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the group signed to the Def Soul roster in 2002. They had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with hits such as "Only You", "Anywhere" and "Peaches & Cream"...
  
  
• Mission to Please - Isley Brothers
• Definition of a Band - Mint Condition
  Mint Condition
  Mint Condition is an R&B band from Saint Paul, Minnesota. Formed in the late 1980s, its original members were lead singer Stokley Williams, bassist Ricky Kinchen, guitarist Homer O'Dell, pianist Larry Waddell, keyboardist Keri Lewis, and keyboardist/saxophonist Jeffrey Allen...
  
  
• Home Again
  Home Again (New Edition album)
  Home Again is the sixth studio album by American R&B group New Edition. Released on September 15, 1996, it is the group's only album as a sextet, and was their final recording for MCA Records...
  
   - New Edition
  New Edition
  New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
  
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Best R&B/Soul Single, Female

• "Not Gon' Cry
  Not Gon' Cry
  "Not Gon' Cry" is a 1996 single by American R&B singer Mary J. Blige from the soundtrack to the film Waiting to Exhale; the song is also featured on Blige's 1997 album, Share My World...
  
  " - Mary J. Blige
  Mary J. Blige
  Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
  
  
• "Sittin' Up in My Room
  Sittin' up in My Room
  "Sittin' Up in My Room" is a song by American singer Brandy, written and produced by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds for the soundtrack of the 1995 motion picture Waiting to Exhale...
  
  " - Brandy
  Brandy Norwood
  Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
  
  
• "You're Makin' Me High/Let It Flow
  You're Makin' Me High
  "You're Makin' Me High" is the lead single from Toni Braxton's second studio album, Secrets . A joint collaboration between the Grammy Award-winning producer Babyface and Bryce Wilson resulted in this mid-tempo song...
  
  " - Toni Braxton
  Toni Braxton
  Toni Michelle Braxton is an American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Braxton has won six Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, and five Billboard Music Awards and has sold over 60 million records worldwide...
  
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• "Why I Love You So Much
  Why I Love You So Much
  "Why I Love You So Much" is a song by American R&B singer Monica, composed by Darryl Simmons for Monica's debut studio album, Miss Thang . The ballad was released as the album's fourth and final single on a double A-side with "Ain't Nobody" during the second quarter of 1995 . The double-A-side...
  
  " - Monica

Best R&B/Soul Single, Male

• "Lady" D'Angelo
  D'Angelo
  Michael Eugene Archer , better known by his stage name D'Angelo, is an American R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He is known for his production and songwriting talents as much as for his vocal abilities, and often draws comparisons to his influences,...
  
  
• "All the Things (Your Man Won't Do)" - Joe
  Joe (singer)
  Joseph Lewis Thomas , usually credited simply as Joe, is an American R&B singer and record producer.-Early life:Joe is a native of Cuthbert, Georgia and later moved to Opelika, Alabama. The son of two preachers, Joe spent much time in church singing, playing guitar, and even directing the choir...
  
  
• "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" - Maxwell*
• "Twisted
  Twisted (Keith Sweat song)
  "Twisted" is a single by Keith Sweat released in 1996. It was the first song off his self-titled third album, Keith Sweat. R&B group Kut Klose and rapper Pretty Russ are also featured on the song. It spent three weeks at number-one on the U.S. R&B chart, and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot...
  
  " - Keith Sweat
  Keith Sweat
  Keith Sweat is an American R&B/soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality and a major contributor to the new jack swing era.-Music career:...
  
  

Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band, or Duo

• "Only You
  Only You (112 song)
  "Only You" is the debut single from R&B group 112 from their debut album of the same name. Both the original and the remix were released as singles. The remix features Mase and The Notorious B.I.G.....
  
  " - 112
  112 (band)
  112 is an American R&B quartet from Atlanta, Georgia. Formerly artists on Diddy's Bad Boy Records, the group signed to the Def Soul roster in 2002. They had great success in the late 1990s and early 2000s with hits such as "Only You", "Anywhere" and "Peaches & Cream"...
  
  
• "Last Night" - AZ Yet
  Az Yet
  Az Yet is an American R&B group from Philadelphia, best known for their hit "Last Night" and their cover of the Chicago song "Hard to Say I'm Sorry."-Formation:...
  
  
• "No Diggity
  No Diggity
  "No Diggity" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen in her first recorded appearance. It reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #9 in the UK. It ranked at #91 on . It sold 1.6 million copies in 1996, and won the 1998 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a...
  
  " - BLACKstreet
  BLACKstreet
  Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...
  
   featuring Dr. Dre
  Dr. Dre
  Andre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
  
   & Queen Pen
  Queen Pen
  Lynise Walters, better known by the stage name Queen Pen, is a Grammy-nominated African-American female rapper.Her music career started as a protégé of Teddy Riley, a record producer and member of the R&B group BLACKstreet in the mid-1990s. She was a featured rapper, along with Dr. Dre, on...
  
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• "What Kind of Man Would I Be" - Mint Condition

Best Jazz Album

• New Standard - Herbie Hancock
  Herbie Hancock
  Herbert Jeffrey "Herbie" Hancock is an American pianist, bandleader and composer. As part of Miles Davis's "second great quintet," Hancock helped to redefine the role of a jazz rhythm section and was one of the primary architects of the "post-bop" sound...
  
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• Q's Jook Joint - Quincy Jones
  Quincy Jones
  Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
  
  
• All For You (A Dedication to the Nat King Cole Trio) - Diana Krall
  Diana Krall
  Diana Jean Krall, OC, OBC is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer, known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 6 million albums in the US and over 15 million worldwide; altogether, she has sold more albums than any other female jazz artist during the 1990s and 2000s...
  
  
• Lay Your Hands on Me - Art Porter

Best Gospel Album

• I've Got a Testimony - the Rev. Clay Evans
• Whatcha Lookin' 4, Kirk Franklin
  Kirk Franklin
  Kirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...
  
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• Count on God -Dottie Peoples and the Peoples Choice Chorale
  Dottie Peoples
  Dottie Peoples is an American gospel singer.Born Dorthy Peoples in Dayton, Ohio, Peoples began singing at an early age. After completing high school, she toured with gospel pioneer Dorothy Norwood, a member of The Caravans...
  
  
• Live on the East Coast - Williams Sisters
  Williams sisters
  The Williams sisters are two professional American tennis players: Venus Williams born 1980, seven-time Grand Slam title winner , and Serena Williams born 1981, thirteen-time Grand Slam title winner , both of whom were coached from an early age by their father Richard Williams...
  
  

Performances

• Isley Brothers
• En Vogue
  En Vogue
  En Vogue is an American female R&B vocal group from Oakland, California assembled by music producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy.The group has won more MTV Video Music Awards than any other female group in MTV history, a total of seven, along with four Soul Train Awards, six American Music...
  
  
• BLACKstreet
  BLACKstreet
  Blackstreet is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by Thomas Taliaferro and Teddy Riley, the inventor of New Jack Swing known for his work as a member of Guy. Chauncey Hannibal and Levi Little were signed under production and management contracts with Thomas Taliaferro and were merged into what...
  
  
• Mint Condition
• Maxwell
  Maxwell (musician)
  Maxwell , is an American R&B, funk and neo soul musician. He played an important role in the development of the soul sub-genre, neo-soul.-Early life:...
  
  
• Keith Sweat
  Keith Sweat
  Keith Sweat is an American R&B/soul, singer-songwriter, record producer, radio personality and a major contributor to the new jack swing era.-Music career:...
  
  
• Gladys Knight
  Gladys Knight
  Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
  
  
• The Fugees
  The Fugees
  Fugees were a Haitian American hip hop group who rose to fame in the mid-1990s. Their repertoire included elements of Hip hop, soul and Caribbean music, particularly reggae. The members of the group were rapper/singer/producer Wyclef Jean, rapper/singer/producer Lauryn Hill, and rapper Pras Michel...
  
  
• Mary J. Blige
  Mary J. Blige
  Mary Jane Blige is an American singer-songwriter, record producer and occasional actress. She is a recipient of nine Grammy Awards and four American Music Awards, and has recorded eight multi-platinum albums. She is the only artist with Grammy Award wins in Pop, Rap, Gospel, and R&B. Blige has...
  
  
• Nas