R&B Snubbed in Grammy General Field, But Genre Shines in Specialized Categories

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — R&B music has been notably excluded from the Big Four categories at the 67th annual Grammy Awards, despite its presence in specialized genre categories. The Recording Academy‘s General Field, which includes Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best New Artist, features no R&B-focused nominees this year.

While Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter‘ and Jacob Collier‘s ‘Djesse Vol. 4’ — both nominated for Album of the Year — contain some R&B tracks, the genre has largely been overlooked in the major categories. However, the five-category R&B field showcases a diverse array of talent, blending traditional and contemporary styles.

Muni Long stands out as the only artist to earn nominations in all three R&B song categories and one of the two R&B album categories. According to Grammy rules, albums can only compete in one genre-specific category, making Long’s achievement particularly noteworthy.

Historically, only seven artists have swept the R&B field in a single Grammy night, winning Best R&B Song, an R&B Album category, and an R&B Performance category. These include icons like Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and John Legend. This year, with Beyoncé’s country-focused ‘Cowboy Carter’ missing out on R&B nominations, the door is open for a new R&B star to rise.

One strong contender is Victoria Monét, who earned two nominations this year and won her first Grammy last year. Her album ‘Jaguar II‘ reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200 in 2024, making her a standout in the field.

The Recording Academy has also announced that the 2025 Grammys, scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 2, will serve as a fundraiser to aid the greater Los Angeles area in recovering from recent devastating wildfires.

As the music world prepares for the ceremony, all eyes are on the R&B categories to see who will emerge as the genre’s next Grammy darling.