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2018 Blues Music Awards Nominees

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Blues Music Awards Nominees(Memphis, TN) – The Blues Foundation is announced the nominees for the 39th Blues Music Awards. Congratulations to all musicians, producers, engineers, and record labels for making such stellar music this past year!

This event brings together Blues performers, industry representatives, and fans from all over the world to celebrate the best in Blues recordings and performances from the previous year. The BMAs are generally recognized as the highest honor given to blues musicians and are awarded by vote of Blues Foundation members.

The BMA Ballot will be sent to all Blues Foundation members on January 23, 2018. Voting closes on March 1, 2018. Purchase BMA tickets and reserve your hotel room so you can be there in person to witness the historic events. Join the Blues Foundation and you can receive a BMA ballot and vote for your favorites.

The nominees for the 39th Blues Music Awards are:

Acoustic Album of the Year

Catfish Keith – Mississippi River Blues

Doug MacLeod – Break the Chain

Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi – Sonny & Brownie’s Last Train

Harrison Kennedy – Who U Tellin’?

Mitch Woods – Friends Along The Way

Rory Block – Keepin’ Outta Trouble

Acoustic Artist

Doug McLeod

Guy Davis

Harrison Kennedy

Rory Block

Taj Mahal

Album of the Year

Don Bryant – Don’t Give Up on Love

Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter – Right Place, Right Time

Rick Estrin & The Nightcats – Groovin’ In Greaseland

TajMo – TajMo

Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra – After a While

Band of the Year

The Cash Box Kings

Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter

Nick Moss Band

North Mississippi All-Stars

Rick Estrin & the Nightcats

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year

Bobby Rush

Michael Ledbetter

Rick Estrin

Sugaray Rayford

Taj Mahal

Best Emerging Artist Album

Altered Five Blues Band – Charmed & Dangerous

Larkin Poe – Peach

Miss Freddye – Lady of the Blues

R.L. Boyce – Roll and Tumble

Southern Avenue – Southern Avenue

Tas Cru – Simmered & Stewed

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year

Beth Hart – Fire on the Floor

Corey Dennison Band – Night After Night

Ronnie Baker Brooks – Times Have Changed

Selwyn Birchwood – Pick Your Poison

TajMo – TajMo

Contemporary Blues Female Artist

Beth Hart

Karen Lovely

Samantha Fish

Shemekia Copeland

Vanessa Collier

Contemporary Blues Male Artist

Keb’ Mo’

Michael Ledbetter

Ronnie Baker Brooks

Selwyn Birchwood

Toronzo Cannon

Historical Album of the Year

Jimmy Reed, Mr. Luck: The Complete Vee-Jay Singles – Craft Recordings

John Lee Hooker, King of the Boogie – Craft Recordings

Luther Allison, A Legend Never Dies – Ruf Records

The Paul deLay Band, Live at Notodden ’97 – Little Village Foundation

Various, American Epic: The Collection – Sony Legacy

Instrumental-Bass

Benny Turner

Bob Stroger

Larry Fulcher

Michael “Mudcat” Ward

Patrick Rynn

Instrumentalist-Drums

Jimi Bott

June Core

Kenny Smith

Tom Hambridge

Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist-Guitar

Anson Funderburgh

Chris Cain

Christoffer “Kid” Andersen

Monster Mike Welch

Ronnie Earl

Instrumentalist-Harmonica

Billy Branch

Dennis Gruenling

Jason Ricci

Kim Wilson

Rick Estrin

Instrumentalist-Horn

Al Basile

Jimmy Carpenter

Nancy Wright

Trombone Shorty

Vanessa Collier

Instrumentalist- Pinetop Perkins Piano Player

Anthony Geraci

Henry Gray

Jim Pugh

Mitch Woods

Victor Wainwright

Instrumentalist – Vocals

Beth Hart

Don Bryant

John Németh

Michael Ledbetter

Sugaray Rayford

Wee Willie Walker

Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)

Annika Chambers

Diunna Greenleaf

Janiva Magness

Miss Freddye

Ruthie Foster

Rock Blues Album of the Year

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band – Lay It On Down

Mike Zito – Make Blues Not War

North Mississippi Allstars – Prayer for Peace

Savoy Brown – Witchy Feelin’

Walter Trout – We’re All In This Together

Rock Blues Artist

Eric Gales

Jason Ricci

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Mike Zito

Walter Trout

Song of the Year

“The Blues Ain’t Going Nowhere” – written by Rick Estrin

“Don’t Give Up On Love” – written by Scott Bomar and Don Bryant

“Don’t Leave Me Here” – written by Kevin R. Moore, Taj Mahal, and Gary Nicholson

“Hate Take a Holiday” – written by Willie Walker, Anthony Paule, and Ernie Williams

“Prayer for Peace” – written by Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson, and Oteil Burbridge

Soul Blues Album of the Year

Don Bryant – Don’t Give Up on Love

Johnny Rawls – Waiting for the Train

Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm – Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm

Sugaray Rayford – The World That We Live In

Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra – After a While

Soul Blues Female Artist

Bettye LaVette

Denise LaSalle

Mavis Staples

Trudy Lynn

Vaneese Thomas

Soul Blues Male Artist

Curtis Salgado

Don Bryant

Johnny Rawls

Sugaray Rayford

William Bell

Wee Willie Walker

Traditional Blues Album of the Year

The Cash Box Kings – Royal Mint

Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio – Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio

Kim Wilson – Blues and Boogie Vol. 1

Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter – Right Place, Right Time

Rick Estrin & The Nightcats – Groovin’ In Greaseland

Various Artists – Howlin’ At Greaseland

Traditional Blues Female Artist

Annika Chambers

Diunna Greenleaf

Janiva Magness

Miss Freddye

Ruthie Foster

Traditional Blues Male Artist

John Primer

Kim Wilson

Lurrie Bell

R.L. Boyce

Rick Estrin

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