An N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed facile assembly of α-sulfonyl ketones has been successfully developed through a radical-mediated sulfonyl methylation of readily available aldehydes. This protocol involves the effective single-electron transfer reduction of α-iodosulfones by NHC-bound Breslow intermediates, thus allowing a subsequent radical−radical coupling to afford the target compounds. Moreover, the catalytic system was found to be equally effective for difunctionalization of styrenes and 1,3-enynes via a three-component radical relay process.α-Sulfonyl ketones (or β-keto sulfones), as an important type of building block, have been widely applied in synthesizing various organic functional materials and pharmaceuticals (Scheme 1A). 1 In particular, some α-sulfonyl ketones exhibit important biological activities, such as antipyretic and anticholinesterase activity 2 and antibacterial activity, 3 and these compounds have also been used as inhibitors of hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type I. 4 Thus, substantial effort