Blues Music Awards

The Blues Music Awards are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards, started in 1980, are according to Offbeat music magazine "universally recognized as the highest accolade afforded musicians and songwriters in blues music."

The awards were formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys") but were renamed in 2006 in an effort to increase public appreciation of the significance of the awards.

The awards had been presented annually in Memphis, Tennessee, where the Blues Foundation is located, although the 2008 award ceremony was held in Tunica, Mississippi. 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.

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, 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

External links

• Blues Music Awards Information