Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance

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The Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards to recording artists for works (songs or albums) containing quality performances in the heavy metal music genre. The Grammy Awards is an annual ceremony, where honors in several categories are presented by The 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".<ref name=Overview>Template:Cite web</ref> The ceremony was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards.<ref name=Grammy>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Recording Academy recognized heavy metal music artists for the first time at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards (1989). The category was originally presented as Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental, combining two of the most popular music genres of the 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Jethro Tull won that award for the album Crest of a Knave, beating Metallica, 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 the hard rock or heavy metal genres.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> In response, The Recording Academy created the categories Best Hard Rock Performance and Best Metal Performance, separating the genres.

The Best Metal Performance category was first presented at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards in 1990, and was again the subject of controversy when rock musician Chris Cornell (lead vocalist for the band Soundgarden) was perplexed by the academy's nomination of the band Dokken in this category.<ref>Template:Cite journal Template:Dead link</ref> Metallica won in the first three years. The awards were presented for the song "One", a cover version of Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy", and the album Metallica. 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 formed Best 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 the Best Rock Performance category.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The award goes to the artist. The producer, engineer and songwriter can apply for a Winners Certificate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 and Slayer have each received the award twice. The band Ministry holds the record for the most nominations without a win, with six, while the band Megadeth 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.

Recipients

Four men in dark clothing on a stage; the man on the left has his arm raised in the air, while the third man from the left has his arms around the second and fourth.

Members of the seven-time award-winning band Metallica

A man wearing a black shirt singing into a microphone, in front of a drum kit.

Trent Reznor of the two-time award-winning band Nine Inch Nails

A man with his eyes closed and mouth open, holding a microphone; he is wearing dark clothing and wrist bands.

Jonathan Davis of the 2003 award-winning band Korn

A man wearing a black shirt, looking down and playing a bass guitar.

Lemmy of the 2005 award-winning band Motörhead

Black and white image of three men wearing jackets and masks over their faces. The one in the forefront is bent over, holding a guitar.

Members of the 2006 award-winning band Slipknot

Three men on a stage, all holding guitars. All three are wearing black clothing, and audio equipment can be seen both in front of and behind them.

Members of the two-time award-winning band Slayer

Four men standing next to one another on a stage, three of which are holding guitars. All four men are wearing black clothing, and some of the articles of clothing are studded.

Members of the 2010 award-winning band Judas Priest

File:Iron Maiden in the Palais Omnisports of Paris-Bercy (France).jpg

Members of the 2011 award-winning band Iron Maiden

File:Sabs.jpg

Members of the two-time award-winning band Black Sabbath, including two-time award winner Ozzy Osbourne (right)

File:Marina Viotti (born 1986) in the video 'Il viaggio a Reims (2017–18) - Reportaje'.png

Marina Viotti is the first female recipient of this award, winning in 2025.

YearTemplate:Ref	Performing artist(s)	Work	Nominees	Ref.
1990	Metallica	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy1990>Template:Cite news</ref>
1991	Metallica	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy1991>Template:Cite news</ref>
1992	Metallica	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy1992>Template:Cite news</ref>
1993	Nine Inch Nails	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy1993>Template:Cite news</ref>
1994	Template:Sortname	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy1994>Template:Cite news Template:Dead link</ref>
1995	Soundgarden	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy1995>Template:Cite news</ref>
1996	Nine Inch Nails	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy1996>Template:Cite news</ref> <ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1997	Rage Against the Machine	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy1997>Template:Cite news</ref>
1998	Tool	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy1998>Template:Cite news</ref>
1999	Metallica	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy1999>Template:Cite news</ref>
2000	Black Sabbath	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2000>Template:Cite news</ref>
2001	Deftones	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2001>Template:Cite news</ref>
2002	Tool	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2002>Template:Cite news</ref>
2003	Korn	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2003>Template:Cite web Template:Dead link</ref>
2004	Metallica	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2004>Template:Cite news</ref>
2005	Motörhead	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2005>Template:Cite news</ref>
2006	Slipknot	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2006>Template:Cite news</ref>
2007	Slayer	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2007>Template:Cite web</ref>
2008	Slayer	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2008>Template:Cite web</ref>
2009	Metallica	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2009>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010	Judas Priest	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2010>Template:Cite web</ref>
2011	Iron Maiden	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2011>Template:Cite news</ref>
2014	Black Sabbath	"God Is Dead?"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2014>Template:Cite news</ref>
2015	Tenacious D	"The Last in Line"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2015>Template:Cite news</ref>
2016	Ghost	"Cirice"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2016>Template:Cite news</ref>
2017	Megadeth	"Dystopia"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref name=Grammy2017>Template:Cite news</ref>
2018	Mastodon	"Sultan's Curse"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2019	High on Fire	"Electric Messiah"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2020	Tool	"7empest"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2021	Body Count	"Bum-Rush"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2022	Dream Theater	"The Alien"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2023	Ozzy Osbourne	"Degradation Rules" (featuring Tony Iommi)	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024	Metallica	Template:Sort	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2025	Gojira, Marina Viotti and Victor Le Masne	"Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)"	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2026	Template:TBA	Template:TBA	Template:Smalldiv	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>