Blues Foundation’s 2009 Blues Music Award Nominees

THE MANNISH BOYS TOP NOMINATIONS WITH SIX; OTHERS NOMINATED INCLUDE BUDDY GUY, B.B. KING, ELVIN BISHOP, MAGIC SLIM 30th Annual Blues Music Awards announced for May 7, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee. MANNISH BOYS TOP NOMINATIONS WITH SIX; OTHERS NOMINATED INCLUDE BUDDY GUY, B.B. KING, ELVIN BISHOP, MAGIC SLIM

The Blues Foundation has announced the thirtieth annual Blues Music Awards, a seven-plus hour throw-down featuring dozens of incredible musicians and honoring the best of the blues world.

West coast-based group The Mannish Boys lead the pack this year with six nominations, including band, traditional album and album of the year in addition to individual nominations for band members Richard Innes (drums), Kid Ramos (guitar), and Larry Taylor (bass). Tied with four nominations each are slide guitar legend Elvin Bishop, pianist Eden Brent, songstress Janiva Magness, soul man Curtis Salgado, and former truck driver Watermelon Slim. Buddy Guy is nominated for three awards and B.B. King for two.

The Mississippi-based Homemade Jamz Blues Band are the youngest nominees at 9, 14, and 16 years of age. Sadly, Sean Costello received two posthumous nominations while Jeff Healey received one. Chicago elder statesman and torch bearer Magic Slim earned three nods. Lurrie Bell earned two nominations for an album he made while grieving the loss of his wife and his father, harp man Carrie Bell.

The Blues Foundation has added a Rock Blues category for the first time in 2009, with nominations going to Gary Moore, Jeff Healey, Michael Burks, Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King, Sonny Landreth, and Walter Trout.

The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the “W.C. Handy Awards,” are voted on by The Blues Foundation’s 3,000 individual members around the world and 160 affiliated member-based local blues societies in a dozen countries. Below is a complete list of the 2009 Blues Music Award nominees.

Performers for the 2009 Blues Music Awards program for Thursday, May 7th, 2009 have yet to be confirmed, but all nominees are invited to climb onstage and jam to their heart’s content. The 2009 event will be broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s B.B. King’s Bluesville channel, and the show will be shot in HD video for a DVD to be released in the fall of 2009.

2009 Blues Music Award Nominees by Category

Acoustic Album of the Year

* Rory Block – Blues Walkin’ Like A Man (Stony Plain Records)
* Eden Brent – Mississippi Number One (Yellow Dog Records)
* Paul Rishell & Annie Raines – A Night In Woodstock (Mojo Rodeo)
* Hans Theessink & Terry Evans – Visions (Blue Groove Records)
* Fiona Boyes, Mookie Brill & Rich Del Grosso – Live From Bluesville (Blue Empress/Vizztone)

Acoustic Artist of the Year

* Doug MacLeod
* Rory Block
* Otis Taylor
* Paul Rishell & Annie Raines
* Eden Brent

Album of the Year

* Buddy Guy – Skin Deep (Silvertone Records)
* Janiva Magness – What Love Will Do (Alligator Records)
* Elvin Bishop – The Blues Rolls On (Delta Groove)
* The Mannish Boys – Lowdown Feelin’ (Delta Groove)
* Curtis Salgado – Clean Getaway (Shanachie Records)

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award

* Bobby Rush
* Janiva Magness
* Watermelon Slim
* Lil’ Ed
* Magic Slim

Band of the Year

* Magic Slim & the Teardrops
* Nick Moss & the Flip Tops
* The Mannish Boys
* Watermelon Slim & the Workers
* Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials

Best New Artist Debut

* Chris James and Patrick Rynn – Stop and Think About It (Earwig Music)
* Delta Highway – The Devil Had a Woman (Oh Lonesome Me)
* Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm – 2 Man Wrecking Crew (Delta Groove)
* The Homemade Jamz Blues Band – Pay Me No Mind (Northern Blues)
* Eden Brent – Mississippi Number One (Yellow Dog Records)

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year

* Elvin Bishop – The Blues Rolls On (Delta Groove Music)
* Watermelon Slim & the Workers – No Paid Holidays (Northern Blues)
* Janiva Magness – What Love Will Do (Alligator Records)
* Sean Costello – We Can Get Together (Ruf Records)
* Buddy Guy – Skin Deep (Silvertone Records)

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year

* Gaye Adegbalola
* Marcia Ball
* Robin Rogers
* Bettye LaVette
* Janiva Magness

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year

* Sean Costello
* Buddy Guy
* Michael Burks
* Elvin Bishop
* Watermelon Slim

DVD

* Broke & Hungry Records, Cathead Blues & Mudpuppy Recordings – M For Mississippi: A Road Trip Through The Birthplace of the Blues
* Eagle Eye Media – Albert Collins Live at Montreux 1992
* Eagle Eye Media – Carlos Santana Plays Blues At Montreux 2004
* Stony Plain Records – Hope Radio Sessions (Ronnie Earl & Broadcasters)
* Delmark Records – Little Arthur Duncan Live at Rosa’s Blues Lounge

Historical Album of the Year

* Eagle Records – Albert Collins Live At Montreux 1992
* Jamie Records – Barbara Lynn: The Jamie Singles 1962-1965
* Delmark Records – On Highway 80 (Sleepy John Estes)
* Ruf Records – Rich Man’s War: New Blues & Roots Songs of Peace and Protest (Various Artists)
* TopCat Records – Hollywood Fats & The Paladins Live 1985

Instrumentalist – Bass

* Bob Stroger
* Mookie Brill
* Larry Taylor
* Bill Stuve
* Jeff Turmes

Instrumentalist – Drums

* Cedric Burnside
* Richard Innes
* Jimi Bott
* Tony Braunagel
* Kenny Smith
* Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith

Instrumentalist – Guitar

* Sonny Landreth
* Lurrie Bell
* Michael Burks
* Kid Ramos
* Ronnie Earl

Instrumentalist – Harmonica

* Steve Guyger
* Billy Gibson
* Mark Hummel
* Jason Ricci
* Rick Estrin
* Willie ‘Big Eyes’ Smith

Instrumentalist – Horn

* Deanna Bogart
* Kaz Kazanoff
* Terry Hanck
* Keith Crossan
* Doug James

Instrumentalist – Other

* Johnny Sansone, accordion
* Bob Brozman, mandolin & ukulele
* Otis Taylor, banjo
* Rich Del Grosso, mandolin
* Jerry Hundt, mandolin

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Award

* Henry Butler
* David Maxwell
* Eden Brent
* Bruce Katz
* Marcia Ball

Rock Blues Album of the Year

* Jeff Healey – Mess of Blues (Ruf Records)
* Sonny Landreth – From The Reach (Landfall Records)
* Michael Burks – Iron Man (Alligator Records)
* Walter Trout – The Outsider (Provogue Records)
* Gary Moore – Bad for You Baby (Eagle Records)
* Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King – Blood Brothers (Alligator Records)

Song of the Year

* Dave Duncan & Curtis Salgado – “20 Years of B. B. King” (song by
* Curtis Salgado)
* Kenny Neal – “Let Life Flow” (song by Kenny Neal)
* Elvin Bishop – “The Blues Rolls On” (song by Elvin Bishop)
* Albert Castiglia – “Bad Year Blues” (song by Albert Castiglia)
* Sonny Landreth – “Blue Tarp Blues” (song by Sonny Landreth)

Soul Blues Album of the Year

* Clarence Spady – Just Between Us (Severn Records)
* Irma Thomas – Simply Grand (Rounder Records)
* Curtis Salgado – Clean Getaway (Shanachie Records)
* Jackie Payne Steve Edmonson Band – Overnight Sensation (Delta Groove)
* Johnny Rawls – Red Cadillac (Catfood Records)

Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year

* Sharrie Williams
* Irma Thomas
* Jean Shy
* Etta James
* Denise LaSalle

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year

* Bobby Rush
* Tad Robinson
* Jackie Payne
* Johnny Rawls
* Curtis Salgado

Traditional Blues Album of the Year

* B.B. King – One Kind Favor (Geffen Records)
* Honeyboy Edwards – Roamin’ and Ramblin’ (Earwig Music)
* Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials – Full Tilt (Alligator Records)
* Eddy ‘The Chief’ Clearwater – West Side Strut (Alligator Records)
* The Mannish Boys – Lowdown Feelin’ (Delta Groove Music)

Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year

* Koko Taylor
* Maria Muldaur
* Nora Jean Bruso
* Diunna Greenleaf
* Ruthie Foster

Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year

* B.B. King
* Eddy ‘The Chief’ Clearwater
* Lurrie Bell
* Magic Slim
* Honeyboy Edwards

Website The Blues Foundation : www.blues.org