Leading up to the Grammy nominations on Nov. 8, Rolling Stone is breaking down 13 different categories. For each, we’re predicting the nominees, as well as who will (and who should) win on Grammy night.
Since its inception, the Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album has been a liminal space in the genre, a place for music with mass appeal (like Beyoncé’s Lemonade, which won in 2017) as well as more lowkey sensations (like Lucky Daye’s Table for Two, 2022’s winner). The category was first awarded as Best Urban Contemporary Album in 2013 and renamed and redefined in June 2020, always geared toward work a little left of traditional R&B’s center. Unlike most previous years, 2025’s field doesn’t boast any obvious blockbusters, like in 2024, when SZA’s SOS and Janelle Monáe’s The Age of Pleasure went head to head. Still, real heads know there was a bunch of great alternative R&B released this round, says Spotify’s Head of R&B Alaysia Sierra. And even with some big names in the running, it could be anybody’s game.
Best Progressive R&B Album — Our Predictions
NxWorries, Why Lawd?
PartyNextDoor, PartyNextDoor 4
Ravyn Lenae, Bird’s Eye
Bryson Tiller, Bryson Tiller
Tinashe, Quantum Baby
Who Will Win?
NxWorries, Why Lawd?
Now NxWorries, the vibey duo of eclectic producer Knxwledge and triple-threat-talent Anderson .Paak, didn’t have the commercial smash on our prediction roster — that honor goes to PartyNextDoor — but they made a critically acclaimed, star-studded, and long-awaited sequel to their studio debut, 2016’s Yes Lawd!, a cult favorite. What’s more, Why Lawd? comes after years of .Paak building not only familiarity but favor with Grammy voters, nabbing four awards as a solo act since 2019. Then, in 2022, he and Bruno Mars swept every category that their inescapable hit “Leave the Door Open” was nominated in. “I think the Anderson element, after the years that he’s had [and] with Silk Sonic will help elevate what NxWorries looks like to voters,” says Sierra.
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Who Should Win?
NxWorries, Why Lawd?
A NxWorries win would be deserved. Why Lawd? is true to the spirit of the category, a feat of rap-and-B that weds beloved hip-hop techniques (including Knxwledge’s keen ear for unique samples and .Paak’s witty and vulnerable raps) to easy-listening sensibilities. Plus, NxWorries skillfully orchestrated a top-notch group of famous friends like Dave Chappelle, Thundercat, Charlie Willson, and H.E.R under their vision, rounding out a valiant effort that’s as fun and fresh as it is heart-wrenching. “I would lean more into the things that felt intentionally progressive,” says Sierra, who is not a voter, but has been recognized by the Recording Academy as a leader in the field. “As a body of work, [Why Lawd?] really speaks to what this category is meant to serve.”
Forecasting the Field
The mainstream popularity of PartyNextDoor could throw a wrench in this, as could the appeal of stars similar in caliber, though their albums didn’t perform as well. Alongside PND and Bryson Tiller, Kehlani could enter the fold with her fourth album, Crash. She was nominated in the category in 2016. “I don’t know if they do the thing where they cannibalize each other in voting,” says Sierra, wondering if they may split the votes and make the race tighter. “They’re all so big, some of them kind of transcend even their music.” Deeper in the scene, Sierra loved lesser-known projects like Moses Sumney’s Sophcore, Fana Hues’ Moth, and Ravyn Lenae’s sophomore album, Bird’s Eye, which also garnered critical acclaim and has seasoned producer DJ Dahi (Kendrick Lamar, Drake, 21 Savage) at the helm. Lastly, not to be discounted is the power of Tinashe’s ridiculously viral bop “Nasty,” which sits on her refreshingly well-rounded album Quantum Baby, and could give her a shot.
