Rihanna won her first Grammy Award in 2008.
She received that first Grammy at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, held on February 10, 2008. Rihanna and Jay-Z won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for “Umbrella,” the blockbuster single from her 2007 album Good Girl Gone Bad. The award recognized the song’s combination of Rihanna’s melodic lead vocal and Jay-Z’s guest rap verse.
“Umbrella” was a major turning point in Rihanna’s career. It became one of her signature songs, topped charts in numerous countries, and helped establish her as a global pop headliner. Although the song was released in 2007, the Grammy ceremony honoring it took place in 2008, which explains the occasional confusion between those two years.
Rihanna went on to become one of the Recording Academy’s most frequently recognized pop artists. She later won Grammys for recordings including “Only Girl (In the World),” “All of the Lights,” “We Found Love,” and “The Monster.” Her first win, however, was specifically for “Umbrella,” shared with Jay-Z, in 2008.