2022 in rhythm and blues music

This article summarizes the events, album releases, and album release dates in rhythm and blues for the year 2022.

January

 * On January 7, R. Dean Taylor died at the age of 82.
 * On January 8, the 36th Golden Disc Awards were held. Enhypen, NCT 127, NCT Dream, Seventeen, and Stray Kids won Album Bonsang for Dimension: Dilemma, Sticker, Hot Sauce, Attacca, and Noeasy, respectively. BTS won the Seezn Most Popular Artist Award. Jeon Somi and The Boyz won Best Performance.
 * On January 9, James Mtume died at the age of 76.
 * On January 18, Freddie Hughes died from leukemia and COVID-19 at the age of 78.
 * On January 23, the 31st Seoul Music Awards were held. NCT 127 won the Grand Award (Daesang). NCT Dream won Best Album Award for Hot Sauce. Exo won the K-wave Popularity Award. Hyuna won the R&B Hiphop Award.
 * On January 27, the 11th Gaon Chart Music Awards were held. Taeyeon won December 2020 Artist of the Year – Digital Music for "What Do I Call You". NCT Dream won 2nd Quarter Artist of the Year – Physical Album for Hot Sauce. NCT 127 won 4th Quarter Artist of the Year – Physical Album for Sticker. The Boyz tied for Hot Performance of the Year. Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar, and Giveon won Song of the Year in International Pop for "Peaches".

February

 * On February 8, the Brit Awards 2022 were held. Adele won British Artist of the Year, British Album of the Year for 30, and British Song of the Year for "Easy on Me". Silk Sonic won International Group of the Year. Inflo won British Producer of the Year.
 * On February 9, Betty Davis died from cancer at the age of 77.
 * On February 26, the 53rd NAACP Image Awards were held. Jazmine Sullivan won Outstanding Female Artist, Outstanding Album for Heaux Tales, and Outstanding Soul/R&B Song for "Pick Up Your Feelings". Anthony Hamilton won Outstanding Male Artist. Silk Sonic won Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration (Traditional) for "Leave the Door Open". Wizkid and Tems won Outstanding Music Video/Visual Album and Outstanding International Song for "Essence". Jay-Z and Jeymes Samuel won Outstanding Soundtrack/Compilation Album for The Harder They Fall Soundtrack.

March

 * On March 2, the NME Awards 2022 were held. Berwyn won Best New Act from the UK. Genesis Owusu won Best Album by an Australian Artist for Smiling with No Teeth.
 * On March 11, Timmy Thomas died from cancer at the age of 77.
 * On March 12, Traci Braxton died from esophageal cancer at the age of 50.
 * On March 14, Eric Mercury died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 77.
 * On March 22, the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards were held. Silk Sonic won Best Duo/Group of the Year, R&B Album of the Year for An Evening with Silk Sonic, and R&B Song of the Year for "Leave the Door Open". Pop Smoke won Hip-Hop Song of the Year for "What You Know Bout Love". Yung Bleu won Best New Hip-Hop Artist. Drake won Hip-Hop Artist of the Year. Jazmine Sullivan won R&B Artist of the Year. Giveon won Best New R&B Artist. Omer Fedi won Songwriter of the Year.
 * On March 25, Keith Martin died from a heart attack at the age of 55. On the same day, Bobby Hendricks died of complications from Alzheimer's disease at the age of 84.

April

 * On April 3, the 64th Annual Grammy Awards were held. Silk Sonic won Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best R&B Song, and tied for Best R&B Performance for "Leave the Door Open". Jazmine Sullivan won Best R&B Album for Heaux Tales and tied for Best R&B Performance for "Pick Up Your Feelings". Jon Batiste won Album of the Year for We Are and Best Music Video for "Freedom". Doja Cat and SZA won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Kiss Me More". H.E.R. won Best Traditional R&B Performance for "Fight for You". Lucky Daye won Best Progressive R&B Album for Table for Two. Alicia Keys won Best Immersive Audio Album for Alicia. Summer of Soul won Best Music Film.
 * On April 12, Charles McCormick died at the age of 75.
 * On April 14, the 2022 Global Awards were held. Anne-Marie won Best Female.
 * On April 25, Jimmy Thomas died at the age of 83.

May

 * On May 3, the APRA Music Awards of 2022 were held. Budjerah won Most Performed R&B / Soul Work for "Higher".
 * On May 15, the 2022 Billboard Music Awards were held. Drake won Top Artist, Top Male Artist, Top Rap Artist, and Top Rap Male Artist. Doja Cat won Top R&B Artist, Top R&B Female, and Top R&B Album for Planet Her. BTS won Top Duo/Group and Top Song Sales Artist. The Weeknd won Top R&B Male Artist. Bruno Mars won Top R&B Tour for Bruno Mars at Park MGM. Silk Sonic won Top R&B Song for "Leave the Door Open". Omarion and Bow Wow won Top Rap Tour for The Millennium Tour 2021. Kali Uchis won Top Latin Female Artist and Top Latin Song for "Telepatía". Mary J. Blige won the Icon Award. On the same day, the Juno Awards of 2022 were held. The Weeknd won Songwriter of the Year and Contemporary R&B/Soul Recording of the Year for "Take My Breath". WondaGurl won Producer of the Year. Mustafa won Alternative Album of the Year for When Smoke Rises. Savannah Ré won Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year for "24hrs".

June

 * On June 16, the 2022 Libera Awards were held. Cautious Clay won Self-Released Record of the Year for Deadpan Love. Christone "Kingfish" Ingram and Cedric Burnside tied for Best Blues Record with 662 and I Be Trying, respectively. Little Simz won Best Hip-Hop/Rap Record for Sometimes I Might Be Introvert. Arlo Parks won Best Pop Record for Collapsed in Sunbeams. Hiatus Kaiyote won Best R&B Record for Mood Valiant.
 * On June 18, Adibah Noor died from ovarian cancer at the age of 51.
 * On June 26, the BET Awards 2022 were held. Silk Sonic won Album of the Year for An Evening with Silk Sonic and tied for Video of the Year for "Smokin out the Window". Wizkid, Justin Bieber, and Tems won Best Collaboration for "Essence". Jazmine Sullivan won Best Female R&B/Pop Artist. The Weeknd won Best Male R&B/Pop Artist. Silk Sonic won Best Group. Mary J. Blige won the BET Her Award for "Good Morning Gorgeous".

August

 * On August 4, the AIR Awards of 2022 were held. Genesis Owusu won Independent Album of the Year for Smiling with No Teeth and Independent Song of the Year for "Smiling with No Teeth". Emma Donovan & the Putbacks won Best Independent Soul/R&B Album or EP for Under These Streets.
 * On August 25, Mable John died at the age of 91.
 * On August 28, the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards were held. The Weeknd won Best R&B for "Out of Time". BTS won Group of the Year. Doja Cat won Best Choreography for "Woman".

September

 * On September 12, PnB Rock was shot and killed at the age of 30.
 * On September 13, Jesse Powell died at the age of 51.
 * On September 16, Marva Hicks died at the age of 66.
 * On September 29, the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards were held. Bad Bunny won Top Latin Album of the Year and Latin Rhythm Album of the Year for Un Verano Sin Ti. Aventura and Bad Bunny won Tropical Song of the Year for "Volví". Prince Royce won Solo Tropical Artist of the Year. Marc Anthony won Tropical Album of the Year for Pa'lla Voy.

October

 * On October 13, Joyce Sims died at the age of 63.
 * On October 27, the 2022 UK Music Video Awards were held. Michael Kiwanuka won Best R&B/Soul Video - UK for "Beautiful Life". Omar Apollo and Daniel Caesar won Best R&B/Soul Video - International for "Invincible". Little Simz and Obongjayar won Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Video - UK, Best Wardrobe Styling in a Video, and Best Colour Grading in a Video for "Point and Kill". Khazali won Best R&B/Soul Video - Newcomer for "Better with the Devil". Obongjayar won Best Live Video for "I Wish It Was Me". On the same day, Geraldine Hunt died at the age of 77.
 * On October 28, Jerry Lee Lewis died at the age of 87.

November

 * On November 3, Noel McKoy died at the age of 60.
 * On November 4, the Los 40 Music Awards 2022 were held. Tiago PZK won Best New Global Latin Act.
 * On November 5, Aaron Carter died from drowning at the age of 34.
 * On November 6, Lionel Richie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
 * On November 8, the 2022 Genie Music Awards were held. NCT Dream won Singer of the Year (Daesang) and Album of the Year (Daesang) for Glitch Mode. Red Velvet won Best Female Performance Award. The Boyz won Best Male Performance Award. Taeyeon won Best Female Solo Artist. BTS won Best Male Group.
 * On November 16, the 13th Hollywood Music in Media Awards were held. "Willing to Trust" from Entergalactic won Original Song – TV Movie Streamed. "Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won Original Song – Feature Film. Elvis (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) won Soundtrack Album.
 * On November 16, the 2022 J Awards were held. Elsy Wameyo won Unearthed Artist of the Year.
 * On November 17, B. Smyth died from pulmonary fibrosis at the age of 30.
 * On November 20, the American Music Awards of 2022 were held. Beyoncé won Favorite Female R&B Artist and Favorite R&B Album for Renaissance. Wizkid and Tems won Favorite R&B Song for "Essence". Chris Brown won Favorite Male R&B Artist. BTS won Favorite Pop Duo or Group and Favorite K-pop Artist.
 * On November 24, the 2022 ARIA Music Awards were held. William Crighton won Best Blues & Roots Album for Water and Dust. Budjerah won Best Soul/R&B Release for Conversations.
 * On November 26, the 2022 Soul Train Music Awards were held. Beyoncé won Album of the Year for Renaissance and Song of the Year for "Break My Soul". Jazmine Sullivan won Best R&B/Soul Female Artist. Chris Brown won Best R&B/Soul Male Artist. Tems won Best New Artist. Mary J. Blige won Soul Train Certified Award. Silk Sonic won Video of the Year for "Smokin out the Window". Lizzo won Best Dance Performance for "About Damn Time". Ronald Isley, The Isley Brothers, and Beyoncé won Best Collaboration for "Make Me Say It Again, Girl". Muni Long won The Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award for "Hrs and Hrs". On the same day, the 2022 Melon Music Awards were held. BTS won Record of the Year (Daesang) and Best Male Group. IU won Best Female Solo and Stage of the Year for The Golden Hour: Under the Orange Sun. NewJeans tied for Best New Artist. 10cm and Big Naughty won Best Collaboration for "Beyond Love".
 * On November 30, Christine McVie died from a stroke at the age of 79.

December

 * On December 10, J. J. Barnes died at the age of 79.
 * On December 13, the 2022 Music Victoria Awards were held. Mo'Ju won Best Soul, Funk, RNB & Gospel Work.
 * On December 31, Anita Pointer died from cancer at the age of 74.