Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female


The Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Female was an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for quality jazz vocal performances. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position".
Prior to 1981, the gender-neutral category of Best Jazz Vocal Performance existed. The first award specifically for female performances was presented to Ella Fitzgerald in 1981 for the album A Perfect Match. The category remained unchanged until 1985, when it was combined with the award for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male and presented in the genderless category. Gender-specific awards were once again presented from 1986 until 1991. In 1992, the two categories were combined and presented as the category Best Jazz Vocal Performance. This category was later renamed to Best Jazz Vocal Album beginning in 2001. While the gender-specific award has not been presented since the category merge in 1992, an official confirmation of its retirement has not been announced.
Fitzgerald holds the record for the most wins in this category, with four. Diane Schuur is the only other artist to receive the award more than once, with two consecutive wins. American artists have been presented with the award more than any other nationality, though it has been presented to a vocalist from the United Kingdom once. Betty Carter and Maxine Sullivan share the record for the most nominations without a win, with three each.

Recipients

YearPerforming artistWorkNomineesRef.
1981
1982
  • Ernestine Anderson – Never Make Your Move Too Soon
  • Helen Humes – Helen
  • Etta Jones – Save Your Love for Me
  • Janet Lawson – The Janet Lawson Quintet
    • 1983
  • Ella Fitzgerald – A Classy Pair
  • Chaka Khan – Echoes of an Era
  • Cleo Laine – Smilin' Through
  • Maxine Sullivan – Maxine Sullivan with the Ike Isaacs Quartet
    • 1984
  • Ernestine Anderson – Big City
  • Betty Carter – Whatever Happened to Love?
  • Sue Raney – Sue Raney Sings the Music of Johnny Mandel
  • Sarah Vaughan – Crazy and Mixed Up
    • 1985———
    1986
  • Cheryl Bentyne – Meet Benny Bailey
  • Tania Maria – Made in New York
  • Flora Purim – "20 Years Blue"
  • Janis Siegel – Sing Joy Spring
  • Maxine Sullivan – The Great Songs from the Cotton Club
    • 1987
  • Etta James – Blues in the Night, Volume 1: The Early Show
  • Flora Purim – "Esquinas"
  • Sue Raney – Flight of Fancy
  • Maxine Sullivan – Uptown
    • 1988
  • Ella Fitzgerald – Easy Living
  • Carmen McRae – Any Old Time
  • Janis Siegel – At Home
  • Sarah Vaughan – Brazilian Romance
    • 1989
  • Lena Horne – The Men in My Life
  • Rickie Lee Jones – "Autumn Leaves"
  • Peggy Lee – Miss Peggy Lee Sings the Blues
  • Carmen McRae – '
    • 1990
  • Dee Dee Bridgewater – Live in Paris
  • Anita O'Day – In a Mellow Tone
  • Diane Schuur – "The Christmas Song"
  • Janis Siegel – Short Stories
    • 1991
  • Betty Carter – Droppin' Things
  • Peggy Lee – '
  • Carmen McRae – Carmen Sings Monk
  • Dianne Reeves – "I Got It Bad and Ain't That Good"
    • Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
    Award was combined with the Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Male category and presented in a genderless category known as Best Jazz Vocal Album.