The Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers of quality traditional R&B vocal performances. The award was first given in 1999; until 2003, only albums were nominated, now just singles or tracks are. Honors in several categories are presented at the ceremony annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without regard to album sales or chart position."

Anthony Cornelius Hamilton is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, he signed with Uptown Records, an imprint of MCA Records to record his debut studio album XTC; scheduled for release in 1996, it was ultimately shelved due to its singles failing to chart. He then gained recognition for his guest performance on Nappy Roots' 2002 single "Po' Folks," which peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and led him to sign with Jermaine Dupri's So So Def Recordings. His second studio album, Comin' from Where I'm From (2003) received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), earned four Grammy Award nominations, and spawned the 2004 single "Charlene", which peaked at number 19 on the chart. His third and fourth albums, Ain't Nobody Worryin' (2005) and The Point of It All (2008) both peaked within the top 20 of the Billboard 200 and received gold certifications by the RIAA. He then parted ways with So So Def in favor of RCA Records to release fifth and sixth albums, Back to Love (2011) and What I'm Feelin' (2016).