Blues Music Awards Explained
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 were held on May 10, 2018, at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. 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 of categories 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 44th event was held on May 11, 2023, in Memphis.[12] The 45th event took place on May 8, 2024, in Memphis.[13]
2024
| Category | Winner |
|---|
| Acoustic Album of the Year | Raw Blues 1, Doug MacLeod |
| Acoustic Artist of the Year | Keb' Mo' |
| Album of the Year | Live In London, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| B.B King Entertainer of the Year | Bobby Rush |
| Band of the Year | Nick Moss Band |
| Best Emerging Artist Album | The Right Man, D.K. Harrell |
| Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | Live In London, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Danielle Nicole |
| Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Instrumentalist – Bass | |
| Instrumentalist – Drums | Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith |
| Instrumentalist – Guitar | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Jason Ricci |
| Instrumentalist – Horn | Vanessa Collier |
| Instrumentalist – Vocals | Ruthie Foster |
| Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne |
| Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | |
| Blues Rock Album of the Year | Blood Brothers, Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia |
| Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Mike Zito |
| Song of the Year | "What Kind of Fool", written by Ruthie Foster, Hadden Sayers and Scottie Miller |
| Soul Blues Album of the Year | All My Love for You, Bobby Rush |
| Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Annika Chambers |
| Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | John Nemeth |
| Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Teardrops for Magic Slim: Live at Rosa's Lounge, John Primer |
| Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | John Primer | |
[14] 2023
[15] 2022
| Category | Winner |
|---|
| Acoustic Album of the Year | |
| 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 | |
| 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 | |
[11] 2021
[16] 2020
[9] 2019
[17] 2018
| Category | Winner |
|---|
| Acoustic Album of the Year | Break the Chain, Doug MacLeod |
| Acoustic Artist of the Year | Taj Mahal |
| Album of the Year | |
| 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 | |
[18] 2017
[19] 2016
[20] 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 | |
[21] 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 | |
[22] External links
Notes and References
- Web site: 2002-06-02. BMI Ain’t Singin’ the Blues with Sweep of Handys. 2021-03-04. BMI.com. en.
- Web site: 2013 Blues Awards Nominees Announced . Offbeat.com . December 10, 2013 . January 9, 2014.
- http://blues.about.com/od/bluesawards/a/bl2006bmas.htm
- http://www.blues.org/bluesmusicawards/index.php4
- Web site: 2018 Blues Music Award nominees announced: Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples, Keb' Mo', N. Mississippi Allstars among nominees. . Blues Foundation . 17 April 2018.
- Web site: 2019 Blues Music Awards: Memphis: May 9, 2019 – Calendar. Bmi.com. 22 April 2019.
- Web site: The 2020 Blues Music Awards in Memphis, TN are canceled.. Blues.org. March 29, 2020.
- Web site: Blues Music Awards. Robin. McKay. Blues.org. January 29, 2020.
- Web site: BLUES MUSIC AWARDS. Robin. McKay. Blues.org. May 4, 2020.
- Web site: BLUES MUSIC AWARDS. Robin. McKay. Blues.org. April 14, 2021.
- Web site: 2022 Blues Music Awards Winners. Blues.org. May 6, 2022. May 29, 2022.
- Web site: 2023 Blues Music Award Nominees Announced. Martine. Ehrenclou. Rockandbluesmuse.com. January 10, 2023. April 19, 2023.
- Web site: Blue Music Awards - Home Page & Nominations. Candace. Dickerson. Blues.org. February 23, 2024.
- Web site: 2024 Blues Music Awards Winners. Candace. Dickerson. Blues.org. May 12, 2023. May 20, 2024.
- Web site: Tommy Castro Repeats as Entertainer of the Year at 2023 Blues Music Awards: Full Winners List. Paul. Grein. Billboard.com. May 12, 2023. May 12, 2023.
- Web site: 2021 Blues Music Award Winners Announced By The Blues Foundation. Martine. Ehrenclou. June 7, 2021. Rockandbluesmuse.com. June 9, 2021.
- Web site: 2019 Blues Music Awards Winners Announced. Antimusic.com. 11 May 2019.
- Web site: Blues Music Awards winners announced; Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo's 'TajMo' wins seven awards . Blues Foundation. 15 May 2018.
- Web site: 2017 Blues Music Awards Winner List . Americanbluesscene.com . 2017-05-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170512112617/https://www.americanbluesscene.com/2017/05/2017-blues-music-awards-winners/ . 2017-05-12 . dead .
- Web site: 2016 Blues Music Awards Winner List . Blues411.com . 2016-05-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160506104750/http://blues411.com/2016-blues-music-awards-winner-list/# . 2016-05-06 . dead .
- Web site: 2015 Blues Music Awards Winners. Americanbluesscene.com. 2015-05-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20150519063558/http://www.americanbluesscene.com/2015/05/2015-blues-music-awards-winners/#. 2015-05-19. dead.
- Web site: Blues Music Awards 2011 – A Delta Bohemian Perspective . Deltabohemian.com . 2011-05-26 . 2014-08-03.
