Blues Music Award
The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, "Father of the Blues."[1] The first award was presented in 1980 and is "universally recognized as the highest accolade afforded musicians and songwriters in blues music."[2] In 2006, the awards were renamed Blues Music Awards in an effort to increase public appreciation of the significance of the awards.[3]
They are presented annually in Memphis, Tennessee, where the Blues Foundation is located, although the 2008 award ceremony was held in Tunica, Mississippi.[4] The 39th Blues Music Awards was held on May 10, 2018, at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in Memphis. Two new award categories had been announced (Instrumentalist-Vocals and Blues Rock Artist of the Year) bringing the number of awards to be presented up to 26 in total.[5] The 40th Blues Music Awards took place on May 9, 2019, with the Historical Album of the Year category being dropped, reducing the overall number to 25.[6]
The 41st ceremony was scheduled for May 7, 2020, but the live event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7][8] The 2020 winners were announced at a "virtual" event.[9] The 42nd ceremony was again presented at a virtual event on June 6, 2021.[10] The 43rd ceremony took place on May 5, 2022, as the first in-person event since 2019.[11] The 2023 event was held on May 11 in Memphis.[12]
2023
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Acoustic Album of the Year | Mississippi Son, Charlie Musselwhite |
Acoustic Artist of the Year | Doug MacLeod |
Album of the Year | The Blues Don't Lie, Buddy Guy |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Tommy Castro |
Band of the Year | Tedeschi Trucks Band |
Best Emerging Artist Album | Who Is He?, Dylan Triplett |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | The Blues Don't Lie, Buddy Guy |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Ruthie Foster |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
Instrumentalist – Bass | Danielle Nicole |
Instrumentalist – Drums | Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith |
Instrumentalist – Guitar | Laura Chavez |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica | John Németh |
Instrumentalist – Horn | Deanna Bogart |
Instrumentalist – Vocals | Shemekia Copeland |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Anthony Geraci |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Sue Foley |
Blues Rock Album of the Year | I Got Love, Albert Castiglia |
Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Albert Castiglia |
Song of the Year | "Blues Don't Lie" (Tom Hambridge), Buddy Guy |
Soul Blues Album of the Year | In Too Deep, Sugaray Rayford |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Thornetta Davis |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Curtis Salgado |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year | May Be the Last Time, John Németh |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | John Primer |
2022
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Acoustic Album of the Year | Dear America, Eric Bibb |
Acoustic Artist of the Year | Keb' Mo' |
Album of the Year | Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town, Tommy Castro |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Tommy Castro |
Band of the Year | Tommy Castro & The Painkillers |
Best Emerging Artist Album | Live On Beale Street: A Tribute To Bobby "Blue" Bland, Rodd Bland and the Members Only Band |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | 662, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Vanessa Collier |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
Instrumentalist – Bass | Danielle Nicole |
Instrumentalist – Drums | Tom Hambridge |
Instrumentalist – Guitar | Eric Gales |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Jason Ricci |
Instrumentalist – Horn | Jimmy Carpenter |
Instrumentalist – Vocals | John Németh |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Mike Finnigan |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Sue Foley |
Blues Rock Album of the Year | Resurrection, Mike Zito |
Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Albert Castiglia |
Song of the Year | "I'd Climb Mountains", Selwyn Birchwood |
Soul Blues Album of the Year | Long As I Got My Guitar, Zac Harmon |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Annika Chambers |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Curtis Salgado |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Pinky's Blues, Sue Foley |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | Taj Mahal |
2021
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Acoustic Album of the Year | Rawer Than Raw, Bobby Rush |
Acoustic Artist of the Year | Keb' Mo' |
Album of the Year | 100 Years of Blues, Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Shemekia Copeland |
Band of the Year | Rick Estrin & The Nightcats |
Best Emerging Artist Album | Harlem, King Solomon Hicks |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | Uncivil War, Shemekia Copeland |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Shemekia Copeland |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
Instrumentalist – Bass | Danielle Nicole |
Instrumentalist – Drums | Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith |
Instrumentalist – Guitar | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Kim Wilson |
Instrumentalist – Horn | Jimmy Carpenter |
Instrumentalist – Vocals | Ruthie Foster |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Anthony Geraci |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Rory Block |
Blues Rock Album of the Year | Mike Zito and Friends – Rock 'n' Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry, Mike Zito |
Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Mike Zito |
Song of the Year | "All Out of Tears" – written by Walter Trout, Marie Trout, and Teeny Tucker (performed by Walter Trout) |
Soul Blues Album of the Year | That's What I Heard, Robert Cray Band |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Bettye LaVette |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Curtis Salgado |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year | 100 Years of Blues, Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | John Primer |
2020
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Acoustic Album of the Year | This Guitar and Tonight, Bob Margolin |
Acoustic Artist of the Year | Doug MacLeod |
Album of the Year | Kingfish, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Sugaray Rayford |
Band of the Year | The Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling |
Best Emerging Artist Album | Kingfish, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | Kingfish, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Shemekia Copeland |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
Instrumentalist – Bass | Michael "Mudcat" Ward |
Instrumentalist – Drums | Cedric Burnside |
Instrumentalist – Guitar | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Rick Estrin |
Instrumentalist – Horn | Vanessa Collier |
Instrumentalist – Vocals | Mavis Staples |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Victor Wainwright |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Sue Foley |
Blues Rock Album of the Year | Masterpiece, Albert Castiglia |
Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Eric Gales |
Song of the Year | "Lucky Guy", Nick Moss |
Soul Blues Album of the Year | Sitting on Top of the Blues, Bobby Rush |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Bettye LaVette |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Sugaray Rayford |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Lucky Guy!, The Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | Jimmie Vaughan |
2019
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Acoustic Album of the Year | Journeys to the Heart of the Blues, Joe Louis Walker, Bruce Katz, Giles Robson |
Acoustic Artist of the Year | Rory Block |
Album of the Year | America's Child, Shemekia Copeland |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Mike Ledbetter |
Band of the Year | Welch-Ledbetter Connection |
Best Emerging Artist Album | Free, Amanda Fish |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | America's Child, Shemekia Copeland |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Danielle Nicole |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Kenny Neal |
Instrumentalist – Bass | Danielle Nicole |
Instrumentalist – Drums | Cedric Burnside |
Instrumentalist – Guitar | Monster Mike Welch |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Dennis Gruenling |
Instrumentalist – Horn | Vanessa Collier |
Instrumentalist – Vocals | Mike Ledbetter |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Marcia Ball |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Ruthie Foster |
Blues Rock Album of the Year | The Big Bad Blues, Billy F Gibbons |
Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Eric Gales |
Song of the Year | "No Mercy In This Land", Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite |
Soul Blues Album of the Year | I'm Still Around, Johnny Rawls |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Annika Chambers |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Sugaray Rayford |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year | The Blues Is Alive and Well, Buddy Guy |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | Nick Moss |
2018
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Acoustic Album of the Year | Break the Chain, Doug MacLeod |
Acoustic Artist of the Year | Taj Mahal |
Album of the Year | TajMo, Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Taj Mahal |
Band of the Year | Rick Estrin & The Nightcats |
Best Emerging Artist Album | Southern Avenue – Southern Avenue |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | TajMo, Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Samantha Fish |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Keb' Mo' |
Historical Album of the Year | A Legend Never Dies, Essential Recordings 1976-1997 – Luther Allison |
Instrumentalist – Bass | Michael "Mudcat" Ward |
Instrumentalist – Drums | Tony Braunagel |
Instrumentalist – Guitar | Ronnie Earl |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Jason Ricci |
Instrumentalist – Horn | Trombone Shorty |
Instrumentalist – Vocals | Beth Hart |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Victor Wainwright |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Ruthie Foster |
Blues Rock Album of the Year | We’re All In This Together, Walter Trout |
Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Mike Zito |
Song of the Year | "The Blues Ain’t Going Nowhere", Rick Estrin |
Soul Blues Album of the Year | Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm – Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Mavis Staples |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Curtis Salgado |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Right Place, Right Time, Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | Rick Estrin |
2017
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Acoustic Album of the Year | The Happiest Man in the World, Eric Bibb |
Acoustic Artist of the Year | Doug MacLeod |
Album of the Year | Porcupine Meat, Bobby Rush |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Joe Bonamassa |
Band of the Year | Tedeschi Trucks Band |
Best Emerging Artist Album | Tengo Blues, Jonn Del Toro Richardson |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | Bloodline, Kenny Neal |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Susan Tedeschi |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Kenny Neal |
Historical Album of the Year | Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush, Bobby Rush |
Instrumentalist – Bass | Biscuit Miller |
Instrumentalist – Drums | Cedric Burnside |
Instrumentalist – Guitar | Joe Bonamassa |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Kim Wilson |
Instrumentalist – Horn | Terry Hanck |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Victor Wainwright |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Diunna Greenleaf |
Rock Blues Album of the Year | Let Me Get By, Tedeschi Trucks Band |
Song of the Year | "Walk A Mile In My Blues", Curtis Salgado |
Soul Blues Album of the Year | The Beautiful Lowdown, Curtis Salgado |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Mavis Staples |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Curtis Salgado |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Can't Shake This Feeling, Lurrie Bell |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | Bob Margolin |
2016
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Acoustic Album of the Year | The Acoustic Blues & Roots of Duke Robillard, Duke Robillard |
Acoustic Artist of the Year | Doug MacLeod |
Album of the Year | Born to Play Guitar, Buddy Guy |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Victor Wainwright |
Band of the Year | Victor Wainwright & the WildRoots |
Best New Artist Debut | The Mississippi Blues Child, Mr. Sipp |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | Born to Play Guitar, Buddy Guy |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Shemekia Copeland |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Joe Louis Walker |
Historical Album of the Year | Buzzin’ the Blues, Slim Harpo |
Instrumentalist – Bass | Lisa Mann |
Instrumentalist – Drums | Cedric Burnside |
Instrumentalist – Guitar | Sonny Landreth |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Kim Wilson |
Instrumentalist – Horn | Terry Hanck |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Allen Toussaint |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Ruthie Foster |
Rock Blues Album of the Year | Battle Scars, Walter Trout |
Song of the Year | "Gonna Live Again", Walter Trout |
Soul Blues Album of the Year | This Time for Real, Billy Price and Otis Clay |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Bettye LaVette |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Otis Clay |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Descendants of Hill Country, Cedric Burnside Project |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | John Primer |
2015
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Acoustic Album of the Year | Timeless, John Hammond |
Acoustic Artist of the Year | John Hammond |
Album of the Year | Can't Even Do Wrong Right, Elvin Bishop |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Bobby Rush |
Band of the Year | Elvin Bishop Band |
Best New Artist Debut | Don't Call No Ambulance, Selwyn Birchwood |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | BLUESAmericana, Keb' Mo' |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Janiva Magness |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Gary Clark, Jr. |
Historical Album of the Year | Soul & Swagger: The Complete “5” Royales 1951-1967 – The "5" Royales |
Instrumentalist – Bass | Lisa Mann |
Instrumentalist – Drums | Jimi Bott |
Instrumentalist – Guitar | Joe Bonamassa |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Charlie Musselwhite |
Instrumentalist – Horn | Deanna Bogart |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Marcia Ball |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Ruthie Foster |
Rock Blues Album of the Year | Step Back, Johnny Winter |
Song of the Year | "Can't Even Do Wrong Right", Elvin Bishop |
Soul Blues Album of the Year | Memphis Grease, John Németh |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Sista Monica |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Bobby Rush |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year | For Pops (A Tribute to Muddy Waters), Mud Morganfield, Kim Wilson |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | Lurrie Bell |
2014
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Acoustic Album of the Year | There's A Time, Doug MacLeod |
Acoustic Artist of the Year | Doug MacLeod |
Album of the Year | Remembering Little Walter, Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia and James Harman |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Buddy Guy |
Band of the Year | Tedeschi Trucks Band |
Best New Artist Debut | Daddy Told Me, Shawn Holt & the Teardrops |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | Badlands, Trampled Under Foot |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Susan Tedeschi |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Gary Clark, Jr. |
DVD | Songs From The Road, Royal Southern Brotherhood |
Historical Album of the Year | The Sun Blues Box, Various artists |
Instrumentalist – Bass | Danielle Schnebelen |
Instrumentalist – Drums | Cedric Burnside |
Instrumentalist – Guitar | Ronnie Earl |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Charlie Musselwhite |
Instrumentalist – Horn | Eddie Shaw |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Victor Wainwright |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Diunna Greenleaf |
Rock Blues Album of the Year | Made Up Mind, Tedeschi Trucks Band |
Song of the Year | "Blues in My Soul", Lurrie Bell |
Soul Blues Album of the Year | Down in Louisiana, Bobby Rush |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Irma Thomas |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | John Németh |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Remembering Little Walter, Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia and James Harman |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | James Cotton |
2011
Category | Winner |
---|---|
Acoustic Album of the Year | Last Train to Bluesville, The Nighthawks |
Acoustic Artist of the Year | John Hammond |
Album of the Year | Living Proof, Buddy Guy |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Buddy Guy |
Band of the Year | The Derek Trucks Band |
Best New Artist Debut | On the Floor, Matt Hill |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | Living Proof, Buddy Guy |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Robin Rogers |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Buddy Guy |
DVD | Ruf, Songs From The Road, Luther Allison |
Historical Album of the Year | Harmonica Blues, Bob Corritore and Friends |
Instrumentalist – Bass | Bob Stroger |
Instrumentalist – Drums | Cedric Burnside |
Instrumentalist – Guitar | Derek Trucks |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Charlie Musselwhite |
Instrumentalist – Horn | Eddie Shaw |
Instrumentalist – Other | Sonny Rhodes, Lap steel guitar |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Ruthie Foster |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Dr. John |
Rock Blues Album of the Year | Live! In Chicago, Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band featuring Hubert Sumlin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Bryan Lee and Buddy Flett |
Song of the Year | "Living Proof", (Tom Hambridge / Buddy Guy), Living Proof, Buddy Guy |
Soul Blues Album of the Year | Nothing's Impossible, Solomon Burke |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Irma Thomas |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Solomon Burke |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Joined At the Hip, Pinetop Perkins and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | Charlie Musselwhite |
References
- "BMI Ain't Singin' the Blues with Sweep of Handys". BMI.com. 2002-06-02. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
- "2013 Blues Awards Nominees Announced". Offbeat.com. December 10, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
- Archived September 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- Archived June 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- "2018 Blues Music Award nominees announced: Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples, Keb' Mo', N. Mississippi Allstars among nominees". Blues Foundation. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- "2019 Blues Music Awards: Memphis: May 9, 2019 – Calendar". Bmi.com. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
- "The 2020 Blues Music Awards in Memphis, TN are canceled". Blues.org. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
- McKay, Robin. "Blues Music Awards". Blues.org. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
- McKay, Robin. "BLUES MUSIC AWARDS". Blues.org. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- McKay, Robin. "BLUES MUSIC AWARDS". Blues.org. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
- "2022 Blues Music Awards Winners". Blues.org. May 6, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
- Ehrenclou, Martine (January 10, 2023). "2023 Blues Music Award Nominees Announced". Rockandbluesmuse.com. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
- Grein, Paul (May 12, 2023). "Tommy Castro Repeats as Entertainer of the Year at 2023 Blues Music Awards: Full Winners List". Billboard.com. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
- Ehrenclou, Martine (June 7, 2021). "2021 Blues Music Award Winners Announced By The Blues Foundation". Rockandbluesmuse.com. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- "2019 Blues Music Awards Winners Announced". Antimusic.com. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
- "Blues Music Awards winners announced; Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo's 'TajMo' wins seven awards". Blues Foundation. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- "2017 Blues Music Awards Winner List". Americanbluesscene.com. Archived from the original on 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
- "2016 Blues Music Awards Winner List". Blues411.com. Archived from the original on 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
- "2015 Blues Music Awards Winners". Americanbluesscene.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-19. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
- "Blues Music Awards 2011 – A Delta Bohemian Perspective". Deltabohemian.com. 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2014-08-03.