Who was the first Black woman to win Grammy Album of the Year?

Natalie Cole was the first Black woman to win Grammy Album of the Year.

Cole won the honor at the 1992 ceremony for Unforgettable... with Love. The album combined newly recorded performances with a posthumous vocal duet constructed from her father Nat King Cole’s original recording of “Unforgettable.”

The project became both a commercial and critical success. It won several Grammys, including Record of the Year, Best Traditional Pop Vocal Performance, and Album of the Year. The award marked a major milestone for Black women in the Grammys’ premier album category.

Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Diana Ross were influential Grammy-winning singers, but none was the first Black woman to receive Album of the Year. Natalie Cole’s victory also connected two generations of the Cole family’s musical legacy.