The Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
s, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards,
to male recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality vocal performances in the
rock music
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States and ...
genre. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of musicians, producers, recording engineers, and other musical professionals. It is famous for its Grammy A ...
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".
Originally called the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, the award was first presented to
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
in 1980. Beginning with the 1995 ceremony, the name of the award was changed to Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. However, in 1988, 1992, 1994, and since 2005, this category was combined with the
Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to female recording artists for works (songs or albums) conta ...
and presented in a genderless category known as
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo. The solo category was later renamed to Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance beginning in 2005. This fusion has been criticized, especially when females are not nominated under the solo category.
The Academy has cited a lack of eligible recordings in the female rock category as the reason for the mergers.
While the award has not been presented since the category merge in 2005, an official confirmation of its retirement has not been announced.
Lenny Kravitz holds the record for the most wins in this category, with a total of four consecutive wins from 1999 to 2002.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
has been presented the award three times, and two-time winners include
Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan,
Don Henley
Donald Hugh Henley (born July 22, 1947) is an American musician and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. He is the drummer and one of the lead singers for the Eagles. Henley sang the lead vocals on Eagles hits such as " Witchy Woman", " D ...
, and
Robert Palmer
Robert Allen Palmer (19 January 1949 – 26 September 2003) was an English singer and songwriter. He was known for his powerful, soulful voice and wikt:sartorial, sartorial elegance, and his stylistic explorations, combining Soul music, so ...
. Since its inception, American artists have been presented with the award more than any other nationality, though it has been presented to musicians from the United Kingdom four times, from Australia once, and from South Africa once.
Recipients
Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
Award was combined with the
Best Female Rock Vocal Performance category and presented in a genderless category known as
Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo.
See also
*
American rock
American rock has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and country music, and also drew on folk music, jazz, blues, and classical music. American rock music was further influenced by the British Invasion of the American p ...
References
;General
* Note: User must select the "Rock" category as the genre under the search feature.
*
;Specific
External links
Official site of the Grammy Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance
1980 establishments in the United States
2004 disestablishments in the United States
Awards disestablished in 2004
Awards established in 1980
Male Rock Vocal Performance