Honor presented to recording artists for quality metal performances
TheGrammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at theGrammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in theheavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where honors in several categories are presented byThe Recording Academy 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".[ 1] The ceremony was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards.[ 2]
The Recording Academy recognized heavy metal music artists for the first time at the31st Annual Grammy Awards (1989). The category was originally presented asBest Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental , combining two of the mostpopular music genres of the 1980s.[ 3] Jethro Tull won that award for the albumCrest of a Knave , beatingMetallica , which were expected to win with the album...And Justice for All . This choice led to widespread criticism of The Recording Academy, as journalists suggested that the music of Jethro Tull did not belong in thehard rock or heavy metal genres.[ 4] [ 5] In response, The Recording Academy created the categoriesBest Hard Rock Performance and Best Metal Performance, separating the genres.
The Best Metal Performance category was first presented at the32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, and was again the subject of controversy when rock musicianChris Cornell (lead vocalist for the bandSoundgarden ) was perplexed by the academy's nomination of the bandDokken in this category.[ 6] Metallica won in the first three years. The awards were presented for the song "One ", acover version ofQueen 's "Stone Cold Crazy ", and the albumMetallica . During 2012–2013, the award was temporarily discontinued in a major overhaul of Grammy categories; all solo or duo/group performances in the hard rock and metal categories were shifted to the newly formedBest Hard Rock/Metal Performance category. However, in 2014, the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance category was split, returning the Best Metal Performance category and recognizing quality hard rock performances in theBest Rock Performance category.[ 7] The category caused controversy again at the68th Annual Grammy Awards in 2026, as the award was given toTurnstile (band) , a hardcore punk band
The award goes to the artist. The producer, engineer and songwriter can apply for a Winners Certificate.[ 8]
Metallica holds the record for the most wins in this category, with a total of seven.Tool has received the award three times.Black Sabbath ,Nine Inch Nails ,Ozzy Osbourne andSlayer have each received the award twice. The bandMinistry holds the record for the most nominations without a win, with six, while the bandMegadeth holds the record for most nominations before their first win, winning on their 10th nomination.Poppy became the first solo female musician to receive a nomination in this category in 2021, 31 years after the establishment of the category.Marina Viotti is the first female recipient in this category, winning in 2025.
Members of the seven-time award-winning bandMetallica Trent Reznor of the two-time award-winning bandNine Inch Nails Jonathan Davis of the2003 award-winning bandKorn Lemmy of the2005 award-winning bandMotörhead Members of the2006 award-winning bandSlipknot Members of the two-time award-winning bandSlayer Members of the2010 award-winning bandJudas Priest Members of the2011 award-winning bandIron Maiden Members of the two-time award-winning bandBlack Sabbath , including two-time award winnerOzzy Osbourne (right) Marina Viotti is the first female recipient of this award, winning in2025 .^[I] Each year is linked to the article about the Grammy Awards held that year.
Multiple nominations [ edit ] 11 nominations 9 nominations 6 nominations 5 nominations 4 nominations
3 nominations 2 nominations
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