2008 Blues Music Awards Winners

Eden Brent, Janiva Magness, Buddy Guy, and B.B. King were the big winners at the 30th Annual Blues Music Awards presentation. Each of these artists picked up two or more of the coveted awards during a lengthy ceremony that saw the best that the blues has to offer recognized with awards for excellence in 26 categories.

The 30th anniversary Blues Music Awards ceremony was held on Thursday night, May 7, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee. An incredible 46 performers scheduled to appear during the estimated six-hour event, which was broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s B.B. King’s Bluesville channel. The show was also taped in HD video for a DVD to be released in the fall of 2009.

The Blues Music Awards honored winners in 26 separate categories, recognizing excellence in both performing and recording the blues. The following Blues music performers were honored with 2008 Blues Music Awards:

Acoustic Album of the Year:
Mississippi Number One – Eden Brent

Acoustic Artist of the Year:
Eden Brent

Album of the Year:
Skin Deep – Buddy Guy

Band of the Year:
Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year:
Janiva Magness

Best New Artist Debut:
2 Man Wrecking Crew – Cedric Burnside & Lightnin’ Malcolm

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year:
Skin Deep – Buddy Guy

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year:
Buddy Guy

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year:
Janiva Magness

DVD:
M For Mississippi: A Road Trip Through the Birthplace of the Blues – Broke & Hungry Records, Cathead Blues & Mudpuppy Recordings

Historical Album of the Year:
Albert Collins Live at Montreux 1992 – Eagle Records

Instrumentalist-Bass:
Mookie Brill

Instrumentalist-Drums:
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith

Instrumentalist-Guitar:
Sonny Landreth

Instrumentalist-Harmonica:
Billy Gibson

Instrumentalist-Horn:
Deanna Bogart

Instrumentalist-Banjo:
Otis Taylor

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player:
Marcia Ball

Rock Blues Album of the Year:
Mess of Blues – Jeff Healey

Song of the Year:
“Let Life Flow” – Kenny Neal

Soul Blues Album of the Year:
Simply Grand – Irma Thomas

Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year:
Etta James

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year:
Bobby Rush

Traditional Blues Album of the Year:
One Kind Favor – B.B. King

Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year:
B.B. King

Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year:
Koko Taylor