African-Americans Who Have Won Album of the Year at the Grammys

This elite group of stars have won music's top honor.

African-Americans Who Have Won Album of the Year at the Grammys - African-Americans are known for being some of the foremost pioneers of popular American music. As such, we've always been nominated for some of the top honors at music award shows. However, the list of African-Americans who have been bestowed with the highest honor in music—the Grammy for Album of the Year—is a very exclusive club. Here's a list of the African-American stars who have laid claim to the coveted Album of the Year Grammy. (Photo: Steve Marcus / Reuters)

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African-Americans Who Have Won Album of the Year at the Grammys - African-Americans are known for being some of the foremost pioneers of popular American music. As such, we've always been nominated for some of the top honors at music award shows. However, the list of African-Americans who have been bestowed with the highest honor in music—the Grammy for Album of the Year—is a very exclusive club. Here's a list of the African-American stars who have laid claim to the coveted Album of the Year Grammy. (Photo: Steve Marcus / Reuters)

Stevie Wonder, Innervisions, 1974 - In 1974 Stevie Wonder took home a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The album, which was released August 3, 1973, came during what was called the "classic period" of Wonder's career. (Photo: Echoes/Redferns/Getty Images)

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Stevie Wonder, Innervisions, 1974 - In 1974 Stevie Wonder took home a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The album, which was released August 3, 1973, came during what was called the "classic period" of Wonder's career. (Photo: Echoes/Redferns/Getty Images)

Stevie Wonder, Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1975 - Fulfillingness' First Finale was another classic Wonder album. Released on July 22, 1974, the album was his first to top the Pop charts and led to him winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for the second year in a row.(Photo: Tim Boxer/Getty Images)

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Stevie Wonder, Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1975 - Fulfillingness' First Finale was another classic Wonder album. Released on July 22, 1974, the album was his first to top the Pop charts and led to him winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year for the second year in a row.(Photo: Tim Boxer/Getty Images)

Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life, 1977  - Songs in the Key of Life is known as Stevie Wonder's best-selling and most critically acclaimed album of his career. It was released on September 28, 1976, and received a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1977.(Photo: Motown Records)

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Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life, 1977  - Songs in the Key of Life is known as Stevie Wonder's best-selling and most critically acclaimed album of his career. It was released on September 28, 1976, and received a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1977.(Photo: Motown Records)

20. His Relationship With Quincy - Nowadays, artists treat producers like hired guns, and the biggest hit gets the biggest paychecks. Where's the loyalty? But MJ and Quincy were different; their relationship a whole lot deeper. The pair’s amazing collaborations on Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad were truly a half-and-half, left-hand/right-hand partnership, the work of two geniuses at the peak of their powers.  (Photo: Barry King/WireImage)

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Michael Jackson, Thriller, 1984 - After delivering his classic Off the Wall album, Michael Jackson followed up in 1982 with another gem, Thriller. From start to finish the nine-track album produced some of MJ's greatest hits like "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin," "The Girl is Mine," "Thriller," "Beat It," "Billie Jean," "Human Nature" and "P.Y.T." Album of the Year was just one of the eight awards Jackson took home after the 1984 Grammys.(Photo: Barry King/WireImage/Getty Images)

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Lionel Richie, Can't Slow Down, 1985 - Lionel Richie's sophomore solo album Can't Slow Down remained in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 for the entire year of 1984. So it was a no-brainer that the album went on to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1985.(Photo: Barry King/WireImage/Getty Images)

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Lionel Richie, Can't Slow Down, 1985 - Lionel Richie's sophomore solo album Can't Slow Down remained in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 for the entire year of 1984. So it was a no-brainer that the album went on to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1985.(Photo: Barry King/WireImage/Getty Images)

The Legacy - We don't really need the Grammys to verify Quincy's legacy, but in case you were wondering, he has a record 79 nominations, won 27 and received a Grammy "Legend" Award in 1991. Game recognize game. (Photo: Bill Swersey/Liaison)

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Quincy Jones, Back on the Block, 1991 - Quincy Jones's 1989 collaborative album Back on the Block featured a laundry list of popular artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Ice-T, Big Daddy Kane, Dizzy Gillepsie, Luther Vandross, Dionne Warwick, Barry White and Ray Charles. In 1991 it took the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in addition to six others.(Photo: Bill Swersey/Liaison/Getty Images)

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Natalie Cole, Unforgettable…With Love, 1992 - Natalie Cole, daughter of leading jazz pianist Nat King Cole, recorded Unforgettable…With Love, an album full of covers of her father's music. The album, which has since been certified seven times platinum, won the 1992 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.(Photo: Greta Pratt/Reuters)

Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack, 1994 - Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack album has been certified platinum 17 times and sold more than 44 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time. In 1994 it took home the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.(Photo: STR/Reuters)

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Whitney Houston, The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack, 1994 - Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack album has been certified platinum 17 times and sold more than 44 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time. In 1994 it took home the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.(Photo: STR/Reuters)

Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, 1999 - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1999. Not a bad solo debut for the multi-talented singer-songwriter-rapper who had already found success as one-third of the rap unit the Fugees.(Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

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Lauryn Hill, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, 1999 - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill won a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1999. Not a bad solo debut for the multi-talented singer-songwriter-rapper who had already found success as one-third of the rap unit the Fugees.(Photo: Frank Micelotta/Getty Images)

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Music With Drake - Drake has long been a fan of Dre 3000's and Dre, likewise, has mentioned he's a fan of Drake's. They've even gotten together for Drizzy's sophomore effort Take Care via the track "The Real Her" featuring Lil Wayne. The next time they hit the studio, we're hoping Drake brings musical BFF Noah "40" Shebib along and Three Stacks brings Big Boi. An OVO-Outkast collabo would be awesome.(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

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Outkast, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, 2004 - ATL hip hop duo Outkast released their double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below in September 2003. The following year, the project won the Grammy for Album of the Year, marking the second time that a hip hop act won the title.(Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company, 2005 - Although Ray Charles passed away before he was able to personally accept the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, he was honored posthumously by the event dedicated to his memory. The iconic music star took home top honors for his Genius Loves Company album. The final studio album from the R&B singer was released two months after his June 2004 death.(Photo: Gary Hershorn/Reuters)

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Ray Charles, Genius Loves Company, 2005 - Although Ray Charles passed away before he was able to personally accept the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, he was honored posthumously by the event dedicated to his memory. The iconic music star took home top honors for his Genius Loves Company album. The final studio album from the R&B singer was released two months after his June 2004 death.(Photo: Gary Hershorn/Reuters)

Herbie Hancock, River: The Joni Letters, 2008 - It took 40-plus album to get there but Herbie Hancock finally took home the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy's with his 2007 album River: The Joni Letters. The acknowledgement came as a surprise to those in attendance at the 50th annual awards show and to the music world in general.(Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images)

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Herbie Hancock, River: The Joni Letters, 2008 - It took 40-plus album to get there but Herbie Hancock finally took home the award for Album of the Year at the Grammy's with his 2007 album River: The Joni Letters. The acknowledgement came as a surprise to those in attendance at the 50th annual awards show and to the music world in general.(Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images)