The Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance was a Grammy Award recognizing superior vocal performance by a female 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. Only singles or tracks were eligible.
The award had quite a convoluted history: From 1959 to 1960 there was an award called Best Vocal Performance, Female, 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, Female From 1962 to 1963 the awards from the previous year were combined into Best Solo Vocal Performance, Female From 1964 to 1968 the award was called Best Vocal Performance, Female In 1969, the awards were combined and streamlined as the award for Best Contemporary-Pop Vocal Performance, Female From 1970 to 1971 the award was known as Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Female From 1972 to 1994 the award was known as Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female From 1995 to 2011 it was known as Best Female 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.
Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were presented, for works released in the previous year.
Recipients
1950s Year Artist Work1959 Ella Fitzgerald Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Irving Berlin Songbook Doris Day "Everybody Loves a Lover" Eydie Gorme Eydie in Love Peggy Lee "Fever" Keely Smith "I Wish You Love"
1960s Year Artist Work1960 Ella Fitzgerald "But Not for Me" Lena Horne Porgy & Bess Peggy Lee "Alright, Okay, You Win" Pat Suzuki Broadway '59 Caterina Valente "La Strada del Amore"1961 Best Vocal Performance Single Record or Track, Female Ella Fitzgerald "Mack the Knife" Doris Day "The Sound of Music" Eileen Farrell "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" Brenda Lee "I'm Sorry" Peggy Lee "I'm Gonna Go Fishin" Best Vocal Performance Album, Female Ella Fitzgerald Mack the Knife - Ella In Berlin Rosemary Clooney Clap Hands! Here Comes Rosie! Peggy Lee Latin ala Lee! Miriam Makeba Miriam Makeba Della Reese Della1962 Judy Garland Judy at Carnegie Hall Ella Fitzgerald "Mr. Paganini" Billie Holiday The Essential Billie Holiday (Carnegie Hall Concert) Lena Horne Lena at the Sands Peggy Lee Basin Street East1963 Ella Fitzgerald Ella Swings Brightly with Nelson Riddle Diahann Carroll No Strings Lena Horne Lena...Lovely and Alive Peggy Lee "I'm a Woman" Ketty Lester Love Letters Sandy Stewart "My Coloring Book" Pat Thomas "Slightly Out of Tune (Desafinado)"1964 Barbra Streisand The Barbra Streisand Album Eydie Gorme "Blame It on the Bossa Nova" Peggy Lee I'm a Woman Miriam Makeba The World of Miriam Makeba Soeur Sourire "Dominique"1965 Barbra Streisand People Petula Clark "Downtown" Gale Garnett "We'll Sing in the Sunshine" Astrud Gilberto "The Girl from Ipanema" Nancy Wilson "How Glad I Am"1966 Barbra Streisand My Name Is Barbra Petula Clark Downtown Jackie DeShannon "What the World Needs Now Is Love" Astrud Gilberto The Astrud Gilberto Album Nancy Wilson Gentle Is My Love1967 Eydie Gormé "If He Walked Into My Life" Ella Fitzgerald Ella at Duke's Place Sandy Posey "Born a Woman" Nancy Sinatra "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" Barbra Streisand Color Me Barbra1968 Bobbie Gentry "Ode to Billie Joe" Vikki Carr It Must Be Him Petula Clark "Don't Sleep in the Subway" Aretha Franklin "Respect" Dionne Warwick "Alfie"1969 Dionne Warwick "Do You Know the Way to San Jose" Aretha Franklin "I Say a Little Prayer" Mary Hopkin "Those Were the Days" Merrilee Rush "Angel of the Morning" Barbra Streisand Funny Girl
1970s Year Artist Work1970 Peggy Lee "Is That All There Is?" Vikki Carr "With Pen in Hand" Jackie DeShannon "Put a Little Love in Your Heart" Brenda Lee "Johnny One Time" Dusty Springfield "Son of a Preacher Man" Dionne Warwick "This Girl's in Love with You"1971 Dionne Warwick I'll Never Fall in Love Again Bobbie Gentry Fancy Anne Murray "Snowbird" Linda Ronstadt "Long, Long Time" Diana Ross "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"1972 Carole King Tapestry Joan Baez "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" Cher "Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" Janis Joplin "Me and Bobby McGee" Carly Simon "That's the Way I've Always Heard It Should Be"1973 Helen Reddy "I Am Woman" Roberta Flack Quiet Fire Aretha Franklin "Day Dreaming" Carly Simon Anticipation Barbra Streisand "Sweet Inspiration"/"Where You Lead"1974 Roberta Flack "Killing Me Softly with His Song" Bette Midler "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" Anne Murray "Danny's Song" Diana Ross "Touch Me in the Morning" Carly Simon "You're So Vain"1975 Olivia Newton-John "I Honestly Love You" Roberta Flack "Feel Like Makin' Love" Carole King "Jazzman" Cleo Laine Cleo Laine Live at Carnegie Hall Joni Mitchell Court and Spark1976 Janis Ian "At Seventeen" Judy Collins "Send in the Clowns" Olivia Newton-John "Have You Never Been Mellow" Helen Reddy "Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady" Linda Ronstadt Heart Like a Wheel1977 Linda Ronstadt Hasten Down the Wind Natalie Cole Natalie Emmylou Harris "Here, There and Everywhere" Joni Mitchell The Hissing of Summer Lawns Vicki Sue Robinson "Turn the Beat Around"1978 Barbra Streisand "Evergreen (Love Theme from A Star Is Born)" Debby Boone "You Light Up My Life" Dolly Parton "Here You Come Again" Linda Ronstadt "Blue Bayou" Carly Simon "Nobody Does It Better"1979 Anne Murray "You Needed Me" Olivia Newton-John "Hopelessly Devoted to You" Carly Simon "You Belong to Me" Barbra Streisand "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" (Solo Version) Donna Summer "MacArthur Park"
1980s Year Artist Work1980 Dionne Warwick "I'll Never Love This Way Again" Gloria Gaynor "I Will Survive" Rickie Lee Jones "Chuck E.'s In Love" Melissa Manchester "Don't Cry Out Loud" Donna Summer Bad Girls1981 Bette Midler "The Rose" Irene Cara "Fame" Olivia Newton-John "Magic" Barbra Streisand "Woman in Love" Donna Summer "On the Radio"1982 Lena Horne Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music Kim Carnes "Bette Davis Eyes" Sheena Easton "For Your Eyes Only" Juice Newton "Angel of the Morning" Olivia Newton-John "Physical"1983 Melissa Manchester "You Should Hear How She Talks About You" Laura Branigan "Gloria" Juice Newton "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" Olivia Newton-John "Heart Attack" Linda Ronstadt Get Closer1984 Irene Cara "Flashdance... What a Feeling" Sheena Easton "Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)" Linda Ronstadt What's New Donna Summer "She Works Hard for the Money" Bonnie Tyler "Total Eclipse of the Heart"1985 Tina Turner "What's Love Got to Do with It" Sheila E. "The Glamorous Life" Sheena Easton "Strut" Cyndi Lauper "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" Deniece Williams "Let's Hear It for the Boy"1986 Whitney Houston "Saving All My Love for You" Pat Benatar "We Belong" Madonna "Crazy for You" Linda Ronstadt Lush Life Tina Turner "We Don't Need Another Hero"1987 Barbra Streisand The Broadway Album Cyndi Lauper "True Colors" Madonna "Papa Don't Preach" Tina Turner "Typical Male" Dionne Warwick Friends1988 Whitney Houston "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" Belinda Carlisle "Heaven Is a Place on Earth" Carly Simon Coming Around Again Barbra Streisand One Voice Suzanne Vega "Luka"1989 Tracy Chapman "Fast Car" Taylor Dayne Tell It to My Heart Whitney Houston "One Moment in Time" Joni Mitchell Chalk Mark in a Rainstorm Brenda Russell Get Here
1990s Year Artist Work1990 Bonnie Raitt "Nick of Time" Paula Abdul "Straight Up" Gloria Estefan "Don't Wanna Lose You" Bette Midler "Wind Beneath My Wings" Linda Ronstadt Cry Like a Rainstorm, Howl Like the Wind1991 Mariah Carey "Vision of Love" Whitney Houston "I'm Your Baby Tonight" Bette Midler "From a Distance" Sinéad O'Connor "Nothing Compares 2 U" Lisa Stansfield "All Around the World"1992 Bonnie Raitt "Something to Talk About" Oleta Adams "Get Here" Mariah Carey "Emotions" Amy Grant "Baby Baby" Whitney Houston "All the Man That I Need"1993 k.d. lang "Constant Craving" Mariah Carey MTV Unplugged EP Celine Dion Celine Dion Annie Lennox Diva Vanessa L. Williams "Save the Best for Last"1994 Whitney Houston "I Will Always Love You" Mariah Carey "Dreamlover" Shawn Colvin "I Don't Know Why" k.d. lang "Miss Chatelaine" Tina Turner "I Don't Wanna Fight"1995 Sheryl Crow "All I Wanna Do" Mariah Carey "Hero" Celine Dion "The Power of Love" Bonnie Raitt "Longing in Their Hearts" Barbra Streisand "Ordinary Miracles"1996 Annie Lennox "No More I Love You's" Mariah Carey "Fantasy" Dionne Farris "I Know" Joan Osborne "One of Us" Bonnie Raitt "You Got It" Vanessa L. Williams "Colors of the Wind"1997 Toni Braxton "Un-Break My Heart" Shawn Colvin "Get Out of This House" Celine Dion "Because You Loved Me" Gloria Estefan "Reach" Jewel "Who Will Save Your Soul"1998 Sarah McLachlan "Building a Mystery" Mariah Carey "Butterfly" Paula Cole "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?" Shawn Colvin "Sunny Came Home" Jewel "Foolish Games"1999 Celine Dion "My Heart Will Go On" Sheryl Crow "My Favorite Mistake" Lauryn Hill "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" Natalie Imbruglia "Torn" Sarah McLachlan "Adia"
2000s Year Artist Work2000 Sarah McLachlan "I Will Remember You" Christina Aguilera "Genie in a Bottle" Madonna "Beautiful Stranger" Alanis Morissette "Thank U" Britney Spears "...Baby One More Time"2001 Macy Gray "I Try" Christina Aguilera "What a Girl Wants" Madonna "Music" Aimee Mann "Save Me" Joni Mitchell "Both Sides Now" Britney Spears "Oops!... I Did It Again"2002 Nelly Furtado "I'm Like a Bird" Faith Hill "There You'll Be" Janet Jackson "Someone to Call My Lover" Sade "By Your Side" Lucinda Williams "Essence"2003 Norah Jones "Don't Know Why" Sheryl Crow "Soak Up the Sun" Avril Lavigne "Complicated" Pink "Get the Party Started" Britney Spears "Overprotected"2004 Christina Aguilera "Beautiful" Kelly Clarkson "Miss Independent" Dido "White Flag" Avril Lavigne "I'm with You" Sarah McLachlan "Fallen"2005 Norah Jones "Sunrise" Björk "Oceania" Sheryl Crow "The First Cut Is the Deepest" Gwen Stefani "What You Waiting For?" Joss Stone "You Had Me"2006 Kelly Clarkson "Since U Been Gone" Mariah Carey "It's Like That" Sheryl Crow "Good Is Good" Bonnie Raitt "I Will Not Be Broken" Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl"2007 Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Man" Natasha Bedingfield "Unwritten" Sheryl Crow "You Can Close Your Eyes" Pink "Stupid Girls" KT Tunstall "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree"2008 Amy Winehouse "Rehab" Christina Aguilera "Candyman" Feist "1234" Fergie "Big Girls Don't Cry" Nelly Furtado "Say It Right"2009 Adele "Chasing Pavements" Sara Bareilles "Love Song" Duffy "Mercy" Leona Lewis "Bleeding Love" Katy Perry "I Kissed a Girl" Pink "So What"
2010s Year Artist Work2010 Beyoncé "Halo" Adele "Hometown Glory" Katy Perry "Hot n Cold" Pink "Sober" Taylor Swift "You Belong with Me"2011 Lady Gaga "Bad Romance" Sara Bareilles "King of Anything" Beyoncé "Halo" (Live) Norah Jones "Chasing Pirates" Katy Perry "Teenage Dream"
Multiple wins
5 wins Ella Fitzgerald Barbra Streisand
3 wins Whitney Houston Dionne Warwick
2 wins Christina Aguilera Norah Jones Sarah McLachlan Bonnie Raitt
Multiple nominations
12 nominations Barbra Streisand
8 nominations Mariah Carey Peggy Lee Linda Ronstadt
7 nominations Ella Fitzgerald
6 nominations Sheryl Crow Whitney Houston Olivia Newton-John Carly Simon Dionne Warwick
5 nominations Christina Aguilera Bonnie Raitt
4 nominations Celine Dion Lena Horne Madonna Sarah McLachlan Bette Midler Joni Mitchell Pink Donna Summer Tina Turner
3 nominations Petula Clark Shawn Colvin Sheena Easton Roberta Flack Aretha Franklin Eydie Gorme Norah Jones Anne Murray Katy Perry Britney Spears
2 nominations Adele Sara Bareilles Beyoncé Irene Cara Kelly Clarkson Doris Day Jackie DeShannon Gloria Estefan Nelly Furtado Bobbie Gentry Astrud Gilberto Jewel Carole King k.d. lang