Metallica won its Grammy for The Black Album in 1992.
The victory came at the 34th Annual Grammy Awards, following the album's release in August 1991. Metallica won Best Metal Performance, giving the band a major industry award during the record's rapid rise from acclaimed metal release to global bestseller.
The timing can cause confusion because the album was released in 1991 and many of its singles and videos were active during that year. Grammy ceremonies generally honor work from the preceding eligibility period, so the award ceremony occurred in 1992 rather than the release year.
This was not Metallica's first Grammy nomination. The band had been nominated for ...And Justice for All and the song “One” before winning. The Black Album award helped confirm the group's central position in heavy metal while its more concise songwriting and polished production were reaching a much larger audience.