Photo by James Minchin
Nominees have been announced for the 33rd Blues Music Awards, to be held on May 10, 2012 at the Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. Click through the links for our thoughts on the new nominees!
They are …
ACOUSTIC ALBUM: Brand New Eyes – Doug MacLeod; Conversations in Blue – David Maxwell & Otis Spann; Misery Loves Company – Mary Flower; Shake ‘Em on Down – Rory Block; Troubadour Live – Eric Bibb
ACOUSTIC ARTIST: David Maxwell, Doug MacLeod, Eric Bibb, Guy Davis, Mary Flower, Rory Block
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Chicago Blues: A Living History the (R)evolution Continues – Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell, Carlos Johnson; Evening – Sugar Ray & the Bluetones; Medicine – Tab Benoit; Rock and a Hard Place – Eugene Hideaway Bridges; Revelator – Tedeschi Trucks Band; The Lord is Waiting and the Devil is Too – Johnny Sansone
B.B. KING ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR: Candye Kane, Lil’ Ed, Ruthie Foster, Tab Benoit, Tommy Castro
BAND OF THE YEAR: Bo-Keys, Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials, Sugar Ray & the Bluetones, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tommy Castro Band, Trampled Under Foot
BEST NEW ARTIST DEBUT: Bad Girl – Demetria Taylor; Choice Cuts – Big Pete; Leave The Light On – Sena Ehrhardt; Runaway – Samantha Fish; The Mighty Mojo Prophets – The Mighty Mojo Prophets
CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM: Don’t Explain – Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa; Medicine – Tab Benoit; The Lord is Waiting and the Devil is Too – Johnny Sansone; The Skinny – Ian Siegal & the Youngest Sons; Tommy Castro Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue Live! – Various Artists; Unconditional – Ana Popovic
CONTEMPORARY BLUES FEMALE ARTIST: Ana Popovic, Bettye LaVette, Candye Kane, Janiva Magness, Susan Tedeschi
CONTEMPORARY BLUES MALE ARTIST: Joe Louis Walker, Johnny Sansone, JP Soars, Tab Benoit, Tommy Castro
DVD: Live At Antone’s – Ruthie Foster (Blue Corn); All Jams on Deck – Various Artists (Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise & Mug-Shot Productions); An Evening at Trasimeno Lake – Ana Popovic (ArtisteXclusive); Live at Montreux 2010 – Gary Moore (Eagle Rock); Play the Blues – Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton (Rhino); The Emporium to the Orpheum – Trampled Under Foot (Redwood)
GIBSON GUITAR AWARD: Derek Trucks, Duke Robillard, Kirk Fletcher, Lurrie Bell, Michael Burks
HISTORICAL ALBUM: Bear Family Texas Flyer 1974-76 (Freddie King); Chess Smokestack Lightning/The Complete Chess Masters 1951-1960 (Howlin’ Wolf); Delmark Hoodoo Man Blues (Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band with Buddy Guy); Electro-Fi Teardrops Are Falling – Live in 1983 (George “Harmonica” Smith); Virgin The Essential Modern Records Collection (Etta James)
INSTRUMENTALIST-BASS: Biscuit Miller, Danielle Schnebelen, Larry Taylor, Michael “Mudcat” Ward, Patrick Rynn
INSTRUMENTALIST-DRUMS: Chris Layton, Jimi Bott, Kenny Smith, Robb Stupka, Stanton Moore, Tony Braunagel
INSTRUMENTALIST-HARMONICA: Charlie Musselwhite, Lazy Lester, Rick Estrin, Kim Wilson, Sugar Ray Norcia
INSTRUMENTALIST-HORN: Al Basile, Doug James, Keith Crossan, Sax Gordon, Terry Hanck
INSTRUMENTALIST-OTHER: Ben Prestage, diddley bow; Lionel Young, violin; Otis Taylor, banjo; Rich Del Grosso, mandolin; Sonny Rhodes, lap steel guitar
KOKO TAYLOR AWARD FOR TRADITIONAL BLUES FEMALE ARTIST: Diunna Greenleaf, Maria Muldaur, Nora Jean, Ruthie Foster, Tracy Nelson
PINETOP PERKINS PIANO PLAYER OF THE YEAR: David Maxwell, Eden Brent, Jon Cleary, Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne, Marcia Ball, Victor Wainwright
ROCK BLUES ALBUM: 2120 South Michigan Ave. – George Thorogood & the Destroyers; Man In Motion – Warren Haynes; Dust Bowl – Joe Bonamassa; Shiver Too Slim and the Taildraggers; Greyhound – Mike Zito.
SONG OF THE YEAR: Appreciate What You Got – Terry Hanck (Look Out! – Terry Hanck); Back to the Blues – Hadden Sayers (Hard Dollar – Hadden Sayers); Memphis Still Got Soul – Bob Trenchard & Johnny Rawls (Memphis Still Got Soul – Johnny Rawls); Thank You for Giving Me the Blues – Grady Champion, Zac Harmon & Chris Troy (Dreamin’ – Grady Champion); The Lord is Waiting, the Devil is Too – Johnny Sansone (The Lord is Waiting and the Devil is Too – Johnny Sansone); The Older I Get the Better – I Was Joe Shelton (The Older I Get the Better I Was – Big Joe Shelton)
SOUL BLUES ALBUM: Dreamin’ – Grady Champion; Got to Get Back! – Bo-Keys; Memphis Still Got Soul – Johnny Rawls; Rock and a Hard Place – Eugene Hideaway Bridges; Show You A Good Time – Bobby Rush
SOUL BLUES FEMALE ARTIST: Alexis P. Suter, Denise LaSalle, Jackie Johnson, Sharrie Williams, Sista Monica Parker
SOUL BLUES MALE ARTIST: Bobby Rush, Curtis Salgado, Eugene Hideaway Bridges, Johnny Rawls, Otis Clay
TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM: Chicago Blues A Living History the (R)evolution Continues – Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell, Carlos Johnson; Evening – Sugar Ray & the Bluetones; Trying To Hold On – Diunna Greenleaf; Victim Of The Blues – Tracy Nelson; You Better Listen – Lazy Lester
TRADITIONAL BLUES MALE ARTIST: Charlie Musselwhite, John Primer, Lazy Lester, Mac Arnold, Magic Slim
- Angell & Crane, “Himalayan Dial-Up” from ‘Angell & Crane’ (2024): Video Premiere - November 22, 2024
- Michael Attias, “Avrils” from ‘Quartet Music Vol. II- Kardamon Fall’ (2024): Streaming premiere - October 11, 2024
- Bryn Roberts, “Aloft” from ‘Aloft’ (2024): Video Premiere - September 20, 2024
