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. Singles or tracks only are eligible.
The award has 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
Ella Fitzgerald was the first recipient of the Award, in total she was a five-time award winner and fourth consecutive award winner.Twelve-time nominee received the most nominations in this category, including five-time award winner Barbra StreisandEight-time nominee, including one-time award winner Mariah CareySeven-time nominee, including three-time award winner Dionne WarwickSix-time nominee, including three-time award winner Whitney HoustonSix-time nominee, including one-time award winner Sheryl CrowSix-time nominee, including one-time award winner Olivia Newton-JohnFive-time nominee, including two-time award winner Christina AguileraFour-time nominees, including two-time award winner Sarah McLachlanThree-time nominee, including two-time award winner Norah JonesTwo-time nominee, including one-time award winner AdeleTwo-time nominee, including one-time award winner Kelly ClarksonTwo-time nominee, including one-time award winner Nelly Furtado. She is the last Canadian winner.Six-time nominee Carly SimonTwo-time nominee, including one-time award winner Beyoncé2011 winner for Bad Romance, Lady Gaga. She is the last person to win this category prior to the debut of the combined Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance in 2012.
Ella Fitzgerald and Barbra Streisand received the most consecutive wins in this category with 3 (1959–1961 & 1964–1966), respectively.
Mariah Carey received the most consecutive nominations in this category with 6 (1991–1996), winning once for "Vision of Love".
Beyoncé is the only artist in this category to be nominated for performing different versions of the same song, for studio version and live version of "Halo", winning for the studio version of this song in 2010.
In 1966 the Recording Academy established a similar, but different, category in the Pop Field for Best Contemporary (rock & roll) Performances. The category went through a number of changes before being discontinued after the 1968 awards.
In 1966 the award was called Best Contemporary (R&R) Vocal Performance – Female