Which award category did Metallica win for its 1991 self-titled album at the 1992 Grammys?

Metallica won the 1992 Grammy for Best Metal Performance for its self-titled 1991 album.

The award recognized the album at a pivotal point in Metallica’s career. The record had already become a major international success, combining heavy guitar tones with more direct arrangements and a polished production style. Its Grammy win confirmed the band’s growing status in the mainstream music industry.

The category’s name matters because Grammy classifications changed over time. Metallica had previously won Best Metal Performance for “Stone Cold Crazy” in 1991, while “One” had been associated with an earlier hard-rock-and-metal category. The 1992 award specifically lists Metallica as the winning work.

The album competed against releases by Anthrax, Megadeth, Motörhead, and Soundgarden. Its victory helped make the Black Album era one of the defining chapters in the history of heavy metal.