The Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a male in the pop category, the first of which was presented in 1959. It was discontinued after the 2011 Grammy season. The award went to the artist. Singles or tracks only are eligible.
The awards have quite a convoluted history: From 1959 to 1960 there was an award called Best Vocal Performance, Male, which was for work in the pop field In 1961 the award was separated into Best Vocal Performance Single Record Or Track and Best Vocal Performance Album, Male From 1962 to 1963 the awards from the previous year were combined into Best Solo Vocal Performance, Male From 1964 to 1968 the award was called Best Vocal Performance, Male In 1969, the awards were combined and streamlined as the award for Best Contemporary-Pop Vocal Performance, Male From 1970 to 1971 the award was known as Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Male From 1972 to 1994 the award was known as Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male From 1995 to 2011 it was known as Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
The award was discontinued in 2012 in a major overhaul of Grammy categories. From 2012, all solo performances in the pop category (male, female, and instrumental) were shifted to the newly formed Best Pop Solo Performance category.
Sting, Stevie Wonder, and John Mayer, with four wins each, are the artists with the most awards in the category. Elton John is the artist with the most nominations at twelve.
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
Recipients 1950s Year Artist Work1959 Perry Como "Catch a Falling Star" Domenico Modugno "Nel blu dipinto di blu" Frank Sinatra Come Fly With Me Frank Sinatra "Witchcraft" Andy Williams "The Hawaiian Wedding Song"
1960s Year Artist Work1960 Frank Sinatra Come Dance with Me! Harry Belafonte Belafonte at Carnegie Hall Jesse Belvin Guess Who Bobby Darin "Mack the Knife" Robert Merrill An Evening with Lerner and Loewe1961 Best Vocal Performance Single Record or Track, Male Ray Charles "Georgia on My Mind" Johnny Mathis "Misty" Elvis Presley "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" Jim Reeves "He'll Have to Go" Frank Sinatra "Nice 'n' Easy" Best Vocal Performance Album, Male Ray Charles The Genius of Ray Charles Harry Belafonte Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall Nat King Cole Wild Is Love Elvis Presley G.I. Blues Frank Sinatra Nice 'n' Easy1962 Jack Jones "Lollipops and Roses" Jimmy Dean "Big Bad John" Burl Ives "A Little Bitty Tear" Steve Lawrence Portrait of My Love Andy Williams Danny Boy1963 Tony Bennett "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" Ray Charles "I Can't Stop Loving You" Sammy Davis, Jr. What Kind of Fool Am I and Other Show-Stoppers Anthony Newley "What Kind of Fool Am I?" Mel Torme Comin' Home Baby!1964 Jack Jones "Wives and Lovers" Tony Bennett "I Wanna Be Around" Ray Charles "Busted" John Gary Catch a Rising Star Andy Williams "Days of Wine and Roses"1965 Louis Armstrong "Hello, Dolly!" Tony Bennett "Who Can I Turn To?" João Gilberto Getz/Gilberto Dean Martin Everybody Loves Somebody Andy Williams Call Me Irresponsible1966 Frank Sinatra "It Was a Very Good Year" Tony Bennett "The Shadow of Your Smile" Paul McCartney "Yesterday" Roger Miller "King of the Road" Glenn Yarbrough Baby the Rain Must Fall1967 Frank Sinatra "Strangers in the Night" David Houston "Almost Persuaded" Jack Jones "The Impossible Dream" Paul McCartney "Eleanor Rigby" Jim Reeves "Distant Drums" Andy Williams The Shadow of Your Smile1968 Glen Campbell "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" Ed Ames My Cup Runneth Over Ray Charles "Yesterday" Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim Frankie Valli "Can't Take My Eyes Off You"1969 José Feliciano "Light My Fire" Glen Campbell "Wichita Lineman" Bobby Goldsboro "Honey" Richard Harris "MacArthur Park" O.C. Smith "Little Green Apples"
1970s Year Artist Work1970 Harry Nilsson "Everybody's Talkin'" Frank Sinatra "My Way" Joe South "Games People Play" Ray Stevens "Gitarzan" B. J. Thomas "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head"1971 Ray Stevens "Everything Is Beautiful" Brook Benton "Rainy Night in Georgia" Joe Cocker Mad Dogs & Englishmen Elton John Elton John James Taylor Sweet Baby James1972 James Taylor "You've Got a Friend" Perry Como "It's Impossible" Neil Diamond "I Am... I Said" Gordon Lightfoot "If You Could Read My Mind" Bill Withers "Ain't No Sunshine"1973 Harry Nilsson "Without You" Mac Davis Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me Sammy Davis, Jr. "The Candy Man" Don McLean "American Pie" Gilbert O'Sullivan "Alone Again (Naturally)"1974 Stevie Wonder "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" Perry Como "And I Love You So" Jim Croce "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" Elton John "Daniel" Paul Simon There Goes Rhymin' Simon1975 Stevie Wonder Fulfillingness' First Finale Harry Chapin "Cat's in the Cradle" Elton John "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" Dave Loggins "Please Come to Boston" Billy Preston "Nothing from Nothing"1976 Paul Simon Still Crazy After All These Years Morris Albert "Feelings" Glen Campbell "Rhinestone Cowboy" Elton John Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy Neil Sedaka "Bad Blood"1977 Stevie Wonder Songs in the Key of Life George Benson "This Masquerade" Gordon Lightfoot "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" Lou Rawls "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" Boz Scaggs Silk Degrees1978 James Taylor "Handy Man" Stephen Bishop "On and On" Andy Gibb "I Just Want to Be Your Everything" Engelbert Humperdinck After the Lovin' Leo Sayer "When I Need You"1979 Barry Manilow "Copacabana (At the Copa)" Jackson Browne Running on Empty Dan Hill "Sometimes When We Touch" Gerry Rafferty "Baker Street" Gino Vannelli "I Just Wanna Stop"
1980s Year Artist Work1980 Billy Joel 52nd Street Robert John "Sad Eyes" Kenny Rogers "She Believes in Me" Rod Stewart "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" James Taylor "Up on the Roof"1981 Kenny Loggins "This Is It" Christopher Cross Christopher Cross Kenny Rogers "Lady" Paul Simon "Late in the Evening" Frank Sinatra "Theme from New York, New York"1982 Al Jarreau Breakin' Away Christopher Cross "Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)" James Ingram "Just Once" John Lennon Double Fantasy Bill Withers "Just the Two of Us"1983 Lionel Richie "Truly" Donald Fagen "I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World)" Joe Jackson "Steppin' Out" Elton John "Blue Eyes" Michael McDonald "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)" Rick Springfield "Don't Talk to Strangers"1984 Michael Jackson Thriller Billy Joel "Uptown Girl" Prince 1999 Lionel Richie "All Night Long" Michael Sembello "Maniac"1985 Phil Collins "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" Kenny Loggins "Footloose" Lionel Richie "Hello" John Waite "Missing You" Stevie Wonder "I Just Called to Say I Love You"1986 Phil Collins No Jacket Required Glenn Frey "The Heat Is On" Sting The Dream of the Blue Turtles Stevie Wonder "Part-Time Lover" Paul Young "Every Time You Go Away"1987 Steve Winwood "Higher Love" Peter Cetera "Glory of Love" Kenny Loggins "Danger Zone" Michael McDonald "Sweet Freedom" Paul Simon Graceland1988 Sting Bring on the Night Michael Jackson Bad Al Jarreau "Moonlighting (Theme)" Elton John "Candle in the Wind" (Live) Bruce Springsteen "Brilliant Disguise"1989 Bobby McFerrin "Don't Worry, Be Happy" Phil Collins "A Groovy Kind of Love" George Michael "Father Figure" Sting "Be Still My Beating Heart" Steve Winwood "Roll with It"
1990s Year Artist Work1990 Michael Bolton "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" Billy Joel "We Didn't Start the Fire" Richard Marx "Right Here Waiting" Roy Orbison "You Got It" Prince Batman1991 Roy Orbison "Oh, Pretty Woman" Phil Collins "Another Day in Paradise" Michael Bolton "Georgia on My Mind" James Ingram "I Don't Have the Heart" Billy Joel Storm Front Rod Stewart "Downtown Train"1992 Michael Bolton "When a Man Loves a Woman" Bryan Adams "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" Marc Cohn "Walking in Memphis" George Michael "Freedom! '90" Aaron Neville Warm Your Heart Seal "Crazy"1993 Eric Clapton "Tears in Heaven" Peter Gabriel Us Michael Jackson "Black or White" Elton John "The One" Lyle Lovett Joshua Judges Ruth1994 Sting "If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" Boy George "The Crying Game" Billy Joel "The River of Dreams" Aaron Neville "Don't Take Away My Heaven" Rod Stewart "Have I Told You Lately"1995 Elton John "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" Michael Bolton "Said I Loved You...But I Lied" Prince "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" Seal "Prayer for the Dying" Luther Vandross "Love the One You're With"1996 Seal "Kiss from a Rose" Bryan Adams "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?" Michael Jackson "You Are Not Alone" Elton John "Believe" Sting "When We Dance"1997 Eric Clapton "Change the World" Bryan Adams "Let's Make a Night to Remember" John Mellencamp "Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)" Tony Rich Project "Nobody Knows" Sting "Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot"1998 Elton John "Candle in the Wind 1997" Babyface "Every Time I Close My Eyes" Maxwell "Whenever Wherever Whatever" Seal "Fly Like an Eagle" Duncan Sheik "Barely Breathing"1999 Eric Clapton "My Father's Eyes" Eagle-Eye Cherry "Save Tonight" Brian McKnight "Anytime" Shawn Mullins "Lullaby" Sting "You Were Meant for Me"
2000s Year Artist Work2000 Sting "Brand New Day" Marc Anthony "I Need to Know" Lou Bega "Mambo No. 5" Andrea Bocelli "Sogno" Ricky Martin "Livin' la Vida Loca"2001 Sting "She Walks This Earth" Marc Anthony "You Sang to Me" Don Henley "Taking You Home" Ricky Martin "She Bangs" Brian McKnight "6, 8, 12"2002 James Taylor "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" Craig David "Fill Me In" Michael Jackson "You Rock My World" Elton John "I Want Love" Brian McKnight "Still"2003 John Mayer "Your Body Is a Wonderland" Craig David "7 Days" Elton John "Original Sin" Sting "Fragile" (Live) James Taylor "October Road"2004 Justin Timberlake "Cry Me a River" George Harrison "Any Road" Michael McDonald "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" Sting "Send Your Love" Warren Zevon "Keep Me in Your Heart"2005 John Mayer "Daughters" Elvis Costello "Let's Misbehave" Josh Groban "You Raise Me Up" Prince "Cinnamon Girl" Seal "Love's Divine"2006 Stevie Wonder "From the Bottom of My Heart" Jack Johnson "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" Paul McCartney "Fine Line" Seal "Walk on By" Rob Thomas "Lonely No More"2007 John Mayer "Waiting on the World to Change" James Blunt "You're Beautiful" John Legend "Save Room" Paul McCartney "Jenny Wren" Daniel Powter "Bad Day"2008 Justin Timberlake "What Goes Around... Comes Around" Michael Bublé "Everything" John Mayer "Belief" Paul McCartney "Dance Tonight" Seal "Amazing"2009 John Mayer "Say" Kid Rock "All Summer Long" Paul McCartney "That Was Me" Jason Mraz "I'm Yours" Ne-Yo "Closer" James Taylor "Wichita Lineman"
2010s Year Artist Work2010 Jason Mraz "Make It Mine" John Legend "This Time" Maxwell "Love You" Seal "If You Don't Know Me by Now" Stevie Wonder "All About the Love Again"2011 Bruno Mars "Just the Way You Are" Michael Bublé "Haven't Met You Yet" Michael Jackson "This Is It" Adam Lambert "Whataya Want from Me" John Mayer "Half of My Heart"
Multiple wins
4 wins John Mayer Sting Stevie Wonder
3 wins Eric Clapton Frank Sinatra James Taylor
2 wins Michael Bolton Ray Charles Phil Collins Elton John Jack Jones Justin Timberlake Harry Nilsson
Multiple nominations
12 nominations Elton John
11 nominations Sting
10 nominations Frank Sinatra
8 nominations Seal
7 nominations James Taylor Stevie Wonder
6 nominations Michael Jackson John Mayer Paul McCartney Stevie Wonder
5 nominations Ray Charles Billy Joel Andy Williams
4 nominations Tony Bennett Michael Bolton Phil Collins Prince Paul Simon
3 nominations Bryan Adams Glen Campbell Eric Clapton Perry Como Jack Jones Kenny Loggins Michael McDonald Brian McKnight Lionel Richie Rod Stewart
2 nominations Marc Anthony Harry Belafonte Michael Bublé Christopher Cross Craig David Sammy Davis Jr. James Ingram Al Jarreau John Legend