| Year | Recipient(s) | Work | Performing artist(s) | Nominees (Performer(s) in parentheses) | Ref. |
| 1992 | Sting | "The Soul Cages" | Sting | - Bryan Adams, Robert Lange – "Can't Stop This Thing We Started" (Bryan Adams)
- Eric Avery, Perry Farrell – "Been Caught Stealing" (Jane's Addiction)
- Kirk Hammett, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich – "Enter Sandman" (Metallica)
- Tom Petty – "Learning to Fly" (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
- Chris DeGarmo – "Silent Lucidity" (Queensrÿche)
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| 1993 | Eric Clapton Jim Gordon | "Layla" (Unplugged version) | Eric Clapton | - Peter Gabriel – "Digging in the Dirt" (Peter Gabriel)
- Kurt Cobain – "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (Nirvana)
- Eddie Vedder, Jeff Ament – "Jeremy" (Pearl Jam)
- Bruce Springsteen – "Human Touch" (Bruce Springsteen)
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| 1994 | Dave Pirner | "Runaway Train" | Soul Asylum | - Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Taylor Rhodes – "Cryin'" (Aerosmith)
- Tyler, Perry, Mark Hudson – "Livin' on the Edge" (Aerosmith)
- Lenny Kravitz, Craig Ross – "Are You Gonna Go My Way" (Lenny Kravitz)
- Jim Steinman – "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" (Meat Loaf)
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| 1995 | Bruce Springsteen | "Streets of Philadelphia" | Bruce Springsteen | - Melissa Etheridge – "Come to My Window" (Melissa Etheridge)
- Etheridge – "I'm the Only One" (Melissa Etheridge)
- Kurt Cobain – "All Apologies" (Nirvana)
- Chris Cornell – "Black Hole Sun" (Soundgarden)
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| 1996 | Alanis Morissette Glen Ballard | "You Oughta Know" | Alanis Morissette | - Bob Dylan – "Dignity" (Bob Dylan)
- Trent Reznor – "Hurt" (Nine Inch Nails)
- Bono – "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" (U2)
- Neil Young – "Downtown" (Neil Young)
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| 1997 | Tracy Chapman | "Give Me One Reason" | Tracy Chapman | - Dave Matthews Band – "Too Much" (Dave Matthews Band)
- Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker, Butch Vig – "Stupid Girl" (Garbage)
- John Hiatt – "Cry Love" (John Hiatt)
- Noel Gallagher – "Wonderwall" (Oasis)
- Jakob Dylan – "6th Avenue Heartache" (The Wallflowers)
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| 1998 | Jakob Dylan | "One Headlight" | The Wallflowers | - Fiona Apple – "Criminal" (Fiona Apple)
- Meredith Brooks, Shelly Peiken – "Bitch" (Meredith Brooks)
- Dave Matthews – "Crash into Me" (Dave Matthews Band)
- Jakob Dylan – "The Difference" (The Wallflowers)
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| 1999 | Alanis Morissette | "Uninvited" | Alanis Morissette | - John Hiatt – "Have a Little Faith in Me" (John Hiatt)
- Billy Corgan, Eric Erlandson, Courtney Love – "Celebrity Skin" (Hole)
- Dan Wilson – "Closing Time" (Semisonic)
- Richard Ashcroft, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards – "Bitter Sweet Symphony" (The Verve)
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| 2000 | Flea John Frusciante Anthony Kiedis Chad Smith | "Scar Tissue" | Red Hot Chili Peppers | - Melissa Etheridge, John Shanks – "Angels Would Fall" (Melissa Etheridge)
- Duke Erikson, Shirley Manson, Steve Marker, Butch Vig – "Special" (Garbage)
- Tom Petty – "Room at the Top" (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
- Bruce Springsteen – "The Promise" (Bruce Springsteen)
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| 2001 | Scott Stapp Mark Tremonti | "With Arms Wide Open" | Creed | - Brad Arnold, Todd Harrell, Matt Roberts – "Kryptonite" (3 Doors Down)
- Lenny Kravitz – "Again" (Lenny Kravitz)
- Rob Thomas – "Bent" (Matchbox Twenty)
- Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith – "Californication" (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
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| 2002 | Charlie Colin Rob Hotchkiss Pat Monahan Jimmy Stafford Scott Underwood | "Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)" | Train | - Marti Frederiksen, Steven Tyler – "Jaded" (Aerosmith)
- Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin – "Yellow" (Coldplay)
- Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen, Jr. – "Elevation" (U2)
- Bono, Clayton, The Edge, Mullen – "Walk On" (U2)
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| 2003 | Bruce Springsteen | "The Rising" | Bruce Springsteen | - Brad Arnold, Todd Harrell, Chris Henderson, Matt Roberts – "When I'm Gone" (3 Doors Down)
- Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett – "All My Life" (Foo Fighters)
- Sully Erna – "I Stand Alone" (Godsmack)
- Chad Kroeger – "Hero" (Chad Kroeger featuring Josey Scott)
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| 2004 | Jack White | "Seven Nation Army" | The White Stripes | - David Hodges, Amy Lee, Ben Moody – "Bring Me to Life" (Evanescence)
- Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Ryan Vikedal – "Someday" (Nickelback)
- Jorge Calderón, Warren Zevon – "Disorder in the House" (Bruce Springsteen & Warren Zevon)
- Charlie Colin, Patrick Monahan, Jimmy Stafford, Scott Underwood – "Calling All Angels" (Train)
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| 2005 | Bono Adam Clayton The Edge Larry Mullen, Jr. | "Vertigo" | U2 | - Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool – "American Idiot" (Green Day)
- Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer, Ronnie Vannucci Jr. – "Somebody Told Me" (The Killers)
- Isaac Brock, Dann Gallucci, Eric Judy, Benjamin Weikel – "Float On" (Modest Mouse)
- Duff, Dave Kushner, Slash, Matt Sorum, Scott Weiland – "Fall to Pieces" (Velvet Revolver)
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| 2006 | Bono Adam Clayton The Edge Larry Mullen, Jr. | "City of Blinding Lights" | U2 | - Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin – "Speed of Sound" (Coldplay)
- Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett – "Best of You" (Foo Fighters)
- Bruce Springsteen – "Devils & Dust" (Bruce Springsteen)
- Rivers Cuomo – "Beverly Hills" (Weezer)
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| 2007 | Flea John Frusciante Anthony Kiedis Chad Smith | "Dani California" | Red Hot Chili Peppers | - Bob Dylan – "Someday Baby" (Bob Dylan)
- Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer, Ronnie Vannucci Jr. – "When You Were Young" (The Killers)
- Nathan Connolly, Gary Lightbody, Jonny Quinn, Tom Simpson – "Chasing Cars" (Snow Patrol)
- Neil Young – "Lookin' for a Leader" (Neil Young)
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| 2008 | Bruce Springsteen | "Radio Nowhere" | Bruce Springsteen | - Chris Daughtry, Gregg Wattenberg, Mark Wilkerson, Brett Young – "It's Not Over" (Daughtry)
- Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett – "The Pretender" (Foo Fighters)
- Jack White – "Icky Thump" (The White Stripes)
- Lucinda Williams – "Come On" (Lucinda Williams)
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| 2009 | Bruce Springsteen | "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" | Bruce Springsteen | - Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin – "Violet Hill" (Coldplay)
- Ben Gibbard, Nick Harmer, Jason McGerr, Chris Walla– "I Will Possess Your Heart" (Death Cab for Cutie)
- Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill – "Sex on Fire" (Kings of Leon)
- Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway, Thom Yorke – "House of Cards" (Radiohead)
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| 2010 | Caleb Followill Jared Followill Matthew Followill Nathan Followill | "Use Somebody" | Kings of Leon | - Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool – "21 Guns" (Green Day)
- Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder – "The Fixer" (Pearl Jam)
- Bruce Springsteen – "Working on a Dream" (Bruce Springsteen)
- Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr. – "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" (U2)
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| 2011 | Neil Young | "Angry World" | Neil Young | - Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney – "Tighten Up" (The Black Keys)
- Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill – "Radioactive" (Kings of Leon)
- Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford, Winston Marshall – "Little Lion Man" (Mumford & Sons)
- Matthew Bellamy – "Resistance" (Muse)
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| 2012 | Dave Grohl Taylor Hawkins Nate Mendel Chris Shiflett Pat Smear | "Walk" | Foo Fighters | - Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion, Chris Martin – "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" (Coldplay)
- Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford, Winston Marshall – "The Cave" (Mumford & Sons)
- Colin Meloy – "Down by the Water" (The Decemberists)
- Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway, Thom Yorke – "Lotus Flower" (Radiohead)
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| 2013 | Dan Auerbach Brian Burton Patrick Carney | "Lonely Boy" | The Black Keys | - Matthew Bellamy – "Madness" (Muse)
- Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall, Marcus Mumford – "I Will Wait" (Mumford & Sons)
- Bruce Springsteen – "We Take Care of Our Own" (Bruce Springsteen)
- Jack White – "Freedom at 21" (Jack White)
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| 2014 | Dave Grohl Paul McCartney Krist Novoselic Pat Smear | "Cut Me Some Slack" | Paul McCartney and Nirvana | - Matthew Bellamy – "Panic Station" (Muse)
- Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne – "God Is Dead?" (Black Sabbath)
- Gary Clark Jr. – "Ain't Messin 'Round" (Gary Clark Jr.)
- Mick Jagger, Keith Richards – "Doom and Gloom" (The Rolling Stones)
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| 2015 | Hayley Williams Taylor York | "Ain't It Fun" | Paramore | - Ryan Adams – "Gimme Something Good" (Ryan Adams)
- Dan Auerbach, Brian Burton, Patrick Carney – "Fever" (The Black Keys)
- Beck Hansen – "Blue Moon" (Beck)
- Jack White – "Lazaretto" (Jack White)
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| 2016 | Zac Cockrell Heath Fogg Brittany Howard Steve Johnson | "Don't Wanna Fight" | Alabama Shakes | - Dave Bassett, Elle King – "Ex's & Oh's" (Elle King)
- Iain Archer, James Bay – "Hold Back the River" (James Bay)
- Richard Meyer, Ryan Meyer, Johnny Stevens – "Lydia" (Highly Suspect)
- John Hill, Tom Hull, Florence Welch – "What Kind of Man" (Florence + the Machine)
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| 2017 | David Bowie | "Blackstar" | David Bowie | - Colin Greenwood, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O'Brien, Philip Selway, Thom Yorke – "Burn the Witch" (Radiohead)
- James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich – "Hardwired" (Metallica)
- Tyler Joseph – "Heathens" (Twenty One Pilots)
- Richard Meyer, Ryan Meyer, Johnny Stevens – "My Name Is Human" (Highly Suspect)
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| 2018 | Dave Grohl Taylor Hawkins Rami Jaffee Nate Mendel Chris Shiflett Pat Smear | "Run" | Foo Fighters | - James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich – "Atlas, Rise!" (Metallica)
- Kristine Flaherty, Justin Daly – "Blood in the Cut" (K.Flay)
- Ben Anderson, Jonny Hawkins, Will Hoffman, Daniel Oliver, David Pramik, Mark Vollelunga – "Go to War" (Nothing More)
- Zachary Baker, Brian Haner, Matthew Sanders, Jonathan Seward, Brooks Wackerman – "The Stage" (Avenged Sevenfold)
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| 2019 | Jack Antonoff Annie Clark | "Masseduction" | St. Vincent | - Jacob Thomas Kiszka, Joshua Michael Kiszka, Samuel Francis Kiszka, Daniel Robert Wagner – "Black Smoke Rising" (Greta Van Fleet)
- Tyler Joseph – "Jumpsuit" (Twenty One Pilots)
- Jordan Fish, Matthew Kean, Lee Malia, Matthew Nicholls, Oliver Sykes – "Mantra" (Bring Me the Horizon)
- Tom Dalgety, A Ghoul Writer – "Rats" (Ghost)
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| 2020 | Gary Clark Jr. | "This Land" | Gary Clark Jr. | - Danny Carey, Justin Chancellor, Adam Jones, Maynard James Keenan – "Fear Inoculum" (Tool)
- George Daniel, Adam Hann, Matthew Healy, Ross MacDonald – "Give Yourself a Try" (The 1975)
- Ezra Koenig – "Harmony Hall" (Vampire Weekend)
- Brittany Howard – "History Repeats" (Brittany Howard)
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| 2021 | Brittany Howard | "Stay High" | Brittany Howard | - Phoebe Bridgers, Morgan Nagler, Marshall Vore – "Kyoto" (Phoebe Bridgers)
- Kevin Parker – "Lost in Yesterday" (Tame Impala)
- Adrianne Lenker – "Not" (Big Thief)
- Fiona Apple – "Shameika" (Fiona Apple)
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| 2022 | Dave Grohl Taylor Hawkins Rami Jaffee Nate Mendel Chris Shiflett Pat Smear | "Waiting on a War" | Foo Fighters | - Rivers Cuomo, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson, Ilsey Juber – "All My Favorite Songs" (Weezer)
- Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill – "The Bandit" (Kings of Leon)
- Wolfgang Van Halen – "Distance" (Mammoth WVH)
- Paul McCartney – "Find My Way" (Paul McCartney)
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| 2023 | Brandi Carlile Phil Hanseroth Tim Hanseroth | "Broken Horses" | Brandi Carlile | - Flea, John Frusciante, Anthony Kiedis, Chad Smith – "Black Summer" (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
- Brady Ebert, Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory, Brendan Yates – "Blackout" (Turnstile)
- Robbie Bennett, Adam Granduciel – "Harmonia's Dream" (The War On Drugs)
- John Osbourne, Chad Smith, Ali Tamposi, Robert Trujillo, Andrew Wotman – "Patient Number 9" (Ozzy Osbourne featuring Jeff Beck)
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| 2024 | Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus | "Not Strong Enough" | Boygenius | - Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Andrew Watt – "Angry" (The Rolling Stones)
- Dan Nigro, Olivia Rodrigo – "Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl" (Olivia Rodrigo)
- Dean Fertita, Joshua Homme, Michael Shuman, Jon Theodore, Troy Van Leeuwen – "Emotion Sickness" (Queens of the Stone Age)
- Dave Grohl, Rami Jaffee, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear – "Rescued" (Foo Fighters)
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| 2025 | Annie Clark | "Broken Man" | St. Vincent | - Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney, Beck Hansen, Daniel Nakamura – "Beautiful People (Stay High)" (The Black Keys)
- Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder, Andrew Watt – "Dark Matter" (Pearl Jam)
- Billie Joe Armstrong, Tré Cool, Mike Dirnt – "Dilemma" (Green Day)
- Jon Beavis, Mark Bowen, Adam Devonshire, Lee Kiernan, Joe Talbot – "Gift Horse" (IDLES)
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| 2026 | Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross | "As Alive as You Need Me to Be" | Nine Inch Nails | - Vessel & II – "Caramel" (Sleep Token)
- Daniel James, Hayley Williams – "Glum" (Hayley Williams)
- Daniel Fang, Franz Lyons, Pat McCrory, Meg Mills, Brendan Yates – "Never Enough" (Turnstile)
- Dominic Harrison, Matt Schwartz – "Zombie" (Yungblud)
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