Blues Music Award

Annual awards by the Blues Foundation since 1980

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 will be held on May 8, 2024, in Memphis.[13]

## 2024[edit]

Category | Winner

|

Acoustic Album of the Year |
Acoustic Artist of the Year |
Album of the Year |
B.B King Entertainer of the Year |
Band of the Year |
Best Emerging Artist Album |
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year |
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year |
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year |
Instrumentalist – Bass |
Instrumentalist – Drums |
Instrumentalist – Guitar |
Instrumentalist – Harmonica |
Instrumentalist – Horn |
Instrumentalist – Vocals |
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player |
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) |
Blues Rock Album of the Year |
Blues Rock Artist of the Year |
Song of the Year |
Soul Blues Album of the Year |
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year |
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year |
Traditional Blues Album of the Year |
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year |

## 2023[edit]

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

[14]

## 2022[edit]

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

[11]

## 2021[edit]

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

[15]

## 2020[edit]

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

[9]

## 2019[edit]

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

[16]

## 2018[edit]

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

[17]

## 2017[edit]

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

[18]

## 2016[edit]

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

[19]

## 2015[edit]

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

[20]

## 2014[edit]

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[edit]

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

[21]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "BMI Ain't Singin' the Blues with Sweep of Handys". BMI.com. 2002-06-02. Retrieved 2021-03-04.
2. ^ "2013 Blues Awards Nominees Announced". Offbeat.com. December 10, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2014.
3. ^ [1] Archived September 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ [2] Archived June 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ "2018 Blues Music Award nominees announced: Taj Mahal, Mavis Staples, Keb' Mo', N. Mississippi Allstars among nominees". Blues Foundation. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
6. ^ "2019 Blues Music Awards: Memphis: May 9, 2019 – Calendar". Bmi.com. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
7. ^ "The 2020 Blues Music Awards in Memphis, TN are canceled". Blues.org. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
8. ^ McKay, Robin. "Blues Music Awards". Blues.org. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
9. ^ a b McKay, Robin. "BLUES MUSIC AWARDS". Blues.org. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
10. ^ McKay, Robin. "BLUES MUSIC AWARDS". Blues.org. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
11. ^ a b "2022 Blues Music Awards Winners". Blues.org. May 6, 2022. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
12. ^ Ehrenclou, Martine (January 10, 2023). "2023 Blues Music Award Nominees Announced". Rockandbluesmuse.com. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
13. ^ Dickerson, Candace. "Blue Music Awards - Home Page & Nominations". Blues.org. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
14. ^ 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.
15. ^ Ehrenclou, Martine (June 7, 2021). "2021 Blues Music Award Winners Announced By The Blues Foundation". Rockandbluesmuse.com. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
16. ^ "2019 Blues Music Awards Winners Announced". Antimusic.com. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
17. ^ "Blues Music Awards winners announced; Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo's 'TajMo' wins seven awards". Blues Foundation. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
18. ^ "2017 Blues Music Awards Winner List". Americanbluesscene.com. Archived from the original on 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
19. ^ "2016 Blues Music Awards Winner List". Blues411.com. Archived from the original on 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2016-05-23.
20. ^ "2015 Blues Music Awards Winners". Americanbluesscene.com. Archived from the original on 2015-05-19. Retrieved 2015-05-18.
21. ^ "Blues Music Awards 2011 – A Delta Bohemian Perspective". Deltabohemian.com. 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2014-08-03.

## External links[edit]

* Blues Music Awards Information