Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album

The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards,^[1] to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several categories are distributed 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."^[2]

Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album
Short n' Sweet by Sabrina Carpenter is the most recent recipient.
Awarded for	Quality vocal pop music albums
Country	United States
Presented by	National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
First award	1968
Currently held by	Sabrina Carpenter – Short n' Sweet (2025)
Most wins	Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift (2)
Most nominations	Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande (6)
Website	grammy.com

The honor was first presented in 1968 at the 10th Grammy Awards as Best Contemporary Album to The Beatles for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The category was then discontinued until 1995 where it emerged with the new name Best Pop Album. In 2001, the category became known as Best Pop Vocal Album. According to the category description guide for the 52nd Grammy Awards, the award is presented to artists that perform "albums containing at least 51% playing time of newly recorded pop vocal tracks."^[3]

Until 2000, the award was given to the performing artist. Since 2001, the Grammy has also been awarded to the producer and engineer/mixer, provided they worked on more than 50% of playing time on the album. A producer or engineer/mixer who worked on less than 50% of playing time, as well as other personnel (e.g. the mastering engineer) do not win an award, but can apply for a Winners Certificate.^[4]

Adele, Kelly Clarkson and Taylor Swift are the only two-time winners of this award, and Clarkson was the first to win twice. Clarkson, Swift, and Ariana Grande lead all performers with six nominations.

Recipients

Celine Dion's Falling into You, the 1997 winner, also won Album of the Year.^[5]

Steely Dan's Two Against Nature, the 2001 winner, also won Album of the Year.^[5]

Norah Jones' debut album, Come Away with Me, won this award and Album of the Year in 2003.^[5]

Ray Charles' final album, Genius Loves Company, won this award and Album of the Year in 2005.^[5]

Kelly Clarkson is tied for the most nominations with six, and is the first artist to win this award twice. Breakaway won in 2006; Stronger won in 2013.

Adele has won this award twice: for 21 in 2012, and for 25 in 2017. Both albums also won Album of the Year.^[5]

Two-time winner and six-time nominee Taylor Swift, won for 1989 in 2016 and for Midnights in 2024. Both albums have won Album of the Year.

Ariana Grande is tied for the most nominations with six, and won it in 2019 for Sweetener.

Harry Styles won this award and has also won Album of the Year for Harry's House in 2023.

Year	Winner(s)[6]	Work	Nominees	Ref.
1968	The Beatles	Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band	The Association – Insight Out Vikki Carr – It Must Be Him The 5th Dimension – Up, Up and Away Bobbie Gentry – Ode to Billie Joe	[7]
1995	Bonnie Raitt	Longing in Their Hearts	Ace of Base – The Sign José Carreras, Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti with Zubin Mehta – The Three Tenors in Concert 1994 Lyle Lovett – I Love Everybody Seal – Seal	[8]
1996	Joni Mitchell	Turbulent Indigo	Mariah Carey – Daydream Eagles – Hell Freezes Over Annie Lennox – Medusa Madonna – Bedtime Stories	[9]
1997	Celine Dion	Falling into You	Toni Braxton – Secrets Tracy Chapman – New Beginning Shawn Colvin – A Few Small Repairs Sting – Mercury Falling	[10]
1998	James Taylor	Hourglass	Paula Cole – This Fire Fleetwood Mac – The Dance Jamiroquai – Travelling Without Moving Sarah McLachlan – Surfacing	[11]
1999	Madonna	Ray of Light	Eric Clapton – Pilgrim Celine Dion – Let's Talk About Love Natalie Imbruglia – Left of the Middle Brian Setzer Orchestra – The Dirty Boogie	[12]
2000	Sting	Brand New Day	Backstreet Boys – Millennium Cher – Believe Ricky Martin – Ricky Martin Sarah McLachlan – Mirrorball	[13]
2001	Steely Dan Walter Becker & Donald Fagen, producers; Phil Burnett, Roger Nichols, Dave Russell & Elliot Scheiner, engineers/mixers	Two Against Nature	Don Henley – Inside Job Madonna – Music NSYNC – No Strings Attached Britney Spears – Oops!... I Did It Again	[14]
2002	Sade Sade Adu & Mike Pela, producers	Lovers Rock	Nelly Furtado – Whoa, Nelly! Janet Jackson – All for You Elton John – Songs from the West Coast NSYNC – Celebrity	[15]
2003	Norah Jones Arif Mardin & Jay Newland, producers; S. Husky Höskulds & Jay Newland, engineers/mixers	Come Away with Me	Avril Lavigne – Let Go No Doubt – Rock Steady Pink – Missundaztood Britney Spears – Britney	[16]
2004	Justin Timberlake Chad Hugo & Pharrell Williams, producers; Serban Ghenea, engineer/mixer	Justified	Christina Aguilera – Stripped George Harrison – Brainwashed Annie Lennox – Bare Michael McDonald – Motown	[17]
2005	Ray Charles & various artists John R. Burk, producer; Al Schmitt, engineer/mixer	Genius Loves Company	Norah Jones – Feels like Home Sarah McLachlan – Afterglow Joss Stone – Mind Body & Soul Brian Wilson – Brian Wilson Presents Smile	[18]
2006	Kelly Clarkson Clive Davis, producer; Serban Ghenea, engineer/mixer	Breakaway	Fiona Apple – Extraordinary Machine Sheryl Crow – Wildflower Paul McCartney – Chaos and Creation in the Backyard Gwen Stefani – Love. Angel. Music. Baby.	[19]
2007	John Mayer Steve Jordan, producer; Michael H. Brauer, Joe Ferla & Chad Franscoviak, engineers/mixers	Continuum	Christina Aguilera – Back to Basics James Blunt – Back to Bedlam Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint – The River in Reverse Justin Timberlake – FutureSex/LoveSounds	[20]
2008	Amy Winehouse Mark Ronson, producer	Back to Black	Bon Jovi – Lost Highway Feist – The Reminder Maroon 5 – It Won't Be Soon Before Long Paul McCartney – Memory Almost Full	[21]
2009	Duffy	Rockferry	Sheryl Crow – Detours Eagles – Long Road out of Eden Leona Lewis – Spirit James Taylor – Covers	[22]
2010	Black Eyed Peas Dylan Dresdow & Padriac Kerin, engineers/mixers	The E.N.D.	Colbie Caillat – Breakthrough Kelly Clarkson – All I Ever Wanted The Fray – The Fray Pink – Funhouse	[23]
2011	Lady Gaga Lady Gaga & RedOne, producers Robert Orton, RedOne & Dave Russell, engineers/mixers	The Fame Monster	Justin Bieber – My World 2.0 Susan Boyle – I Dreamed a Dream John Mayer – Battle Studies Katy Perry – Teenage Dream	[24]
2012	Adele	21	CeeLo Green – The Lady Killer Lady Gaga – Born This Way Bruno Mars – Doo-Wops & Hooligans Rihanna – Loud	[25]
2013	Kelly Clarkson Serban Ghenea & John Hanes, engineers/mixers	Stronger	Florence and the Machine – Ceremonials Fun – Some Nights Maroon 5 – Overexposed Pink – The Truth About Love	[26]
2014	Bruno Mars Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine & Bruno Mars, producers Ari Levine & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers	Unorthodox Jukebox	Lana Del Rey – Paradise Lorde – Pure Heroine Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience – The Complete Experience	[26]
2015	Sam Smith Jimmy Napes, producer Steve Fitzmaurice, engineer/mixer	In the Lonely Hour	Coldplay – Ghost Stories Miley Cyrus – Bangerz Ariana Grande – My Everything Katy Perry – Prism Ed Sheeran – x	[27]
2016	Taylor Swift Max Martin & Shellback, producers	1989	Kelly Clarkson – Piece by Piece Florence and the Machine – How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful Mark Ronson – Uptown Special James Taylor – Before This World	[28]
2017	Adele Tom Elmhirst, engineer/mixer	25	Justin Bieber – Purpose Ariana Grande – Dangerous Woman Demi Lovato – Confident Sia – This Is Acting	[29]
2018	Ed Sheeran Ed Sheeran, producer; Joe Rubel, Chris Sclafani & Mark "Spike" Stent, engineers/mixers	÷	Coldplay – Kaleidoscope EP Lana Del Rey – Lust for Life Imagine Dragons – Evolve Kesha – Rainbow Lady Gaga – Joanne	[30]
2019	Ariana Grande Pharrell Williams, producer Mike Larson, engineer	Sweetener	Camila Cabello – Camila Kelly Clarkson – Meaning of Life Shawn Mendes – Shawn Mendes Pink – Beautiful Trauma Taylor Swift – Reputation	[31]
2020	Billie Eilish Finneas O'Connell (producer) Rob Kinelski &Finneas O'Connell (engineers/mixers)	When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?	Beyoncé – The Lion King: The Gift Ariana Grande – Thank U, Next Ed Sheeran – No.6 Collaborations Project Taylor Swift – Lover	[32]
2021	Dua Lipa. Lorna Blackwood & Koz (producers) Josh Gudwin & Cameron Gower Poole (engineers/mixers)	Future Nostalgia	Justin Bieber – Changes Lady Gaga – Chromatica Harry Styles – Fine Line Taylor Swift – Folklore	[33]
2022	Olivia Rodrigo Daniel Nigro (producer) Mitch McCarthy & Daniel Nigro (engineers/mixers)	Sour	Justin Bieber – Justice (Triple Chucks Deluxe) Doja Cat – Planet Her (Deluxe) Billie Eilish – Happier Than Ever Ariana Grande – Positions	[34]
2023	Harry Styles Kid Harpoon & Tyler Johnson (producers) Jeremy Hatcher & Spike Stent (engineers/mixers)	Harry's House	ABBA – Voyage Adele – 30 Coldplay – Music of the Spheres Lizzo – Special	[35]
2024	Taylor Swift Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift (producers) Jack Antonoff, Bryce Bordone, Serban Ghenea & Laura Sisk (engineers/mixers)	Midnights	Kelly Clarkson – Chemistry Miley Cyrus – Endless Summer Vacation Olivia Rodrigo – Guts Ed Sheeran – −	[36]
2025	Sabrina Carpenter (winning producer and engineer/mixer tbd)	Short n' Sweet	Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft Ariana Grande – Eternal Sunshine Chappell Roan – The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess Taylor Swift – The Tortured Poets Department	[37]

Artists with multiple wins

2 wins

• Adele
• Kelly Clarkson
• Taylor Swift

Artists with multiple nominations

6 nominations Ariana Grande Kelly Clarkson Taylor Swift 5 nominations Justin Timberlake (including 2 with NSYNC) 4 nominations Justin Bieber Lady Gaga Pink Ed Sheeran 3 nominations Adele Coldplay Don Henley (including 2 with Eagles) Billie Eilish Madonna Paul McCartney (including 1 with The Beatles) Sarah McLachlan James Taylor

2 nominations Christina Aguilera Sheryl Crow Miley Cyrus Lana Del Rey Celine Dion Eagles Florence and the Machine George Harrison (including 1 with The Beatles) Norah Jones Annie Lennox Maroon 5 Bruno Mars John Mayer NSYNC Katy Perry Olivia Rodrigo Britney Spears Gwen Stefani (including 1 with No Doubt) Sting Harry Styles

See also

• Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album