The Blues Foundation, based in Memphis, held the organization’s 33rd annual Blues Music Awards on Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis. The annual event is a houserockin’ party, typically running better than seven hours and featuring performances by dozens of deserving nominees.

The Blues Foundation caught up with blues fans’ musical tastes and artists like Joe Bonamassa, George Thorogood, and Warren Haynes all received their first nominations.

The 33rd Blues Music Awards are in the books after a wonderful evening of community, awards and music. The big winners are Tab Benoit and the Tedeschi-Trucks Band. Tab took home both three awards and Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks combined for five awards. Tab took top honors in Contemporary Male Artist and Album and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. The Tedeschi Trucks Band took Band and Album of the Year Awards, while Susan is the top Contemporary Female Artist and Derek is the Gibson Guitarist of the Year winner. Both Ruthie Foster and Charlie Musselwhite garnered two Blue Music Awards. The complete list of 2012 Blues Music Award winners by category are:

Blues Music Awards

Acoustic Album: Conversations in Blue – David Maxwell & Otis Spann

Acoustic Artist: Eric Bibb

Album: Revelator – Tedeschi Trucks Band

B.B. King Entertainer: Tab Benoit

Band: Tedeschi Trucks Band

Best New Artist Debut: Runaway – Samantha Fish

Contemporary Blues Album: Medicine – Tab Benoit

Contemporary Blues Female Artist: Susan Tedeschi

Contemporary Blues Male Artist: Tab Benoit

DVD: Live at Antone’s – Ruthie Foster (Blue Corn)

Gibson Guitar Award: Derek Trucks

Historical Album: Chess Records – Smokestack Lightning/The Complete Chess Masters 1951-1960 (Howlin’ Wolf)

Instrumentalist-Bass: Biscuit Miller

Instrumentalist-Drums: Chris Layton

Instrumentalist-Harmonica: Charlie Musselwhite

Instrumentalist-Horn: Terry Hanck

Instrumentalist-Other: Sonny Rhodes, lap steel guitar

Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female): Ruthie Foster

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player: Marcia Ball

Rock Blues Album: Dust Bowl – Joe Bonamassa

Song: “The Lord is Waiting, the Devil is Too” – Johnny Sansone

Soul Blues Album: Show You a Good Time Bobby Rush

Soul Blues Female Artist: Denise LaSalle

Soul Blues Male Artist: Curtis Salgado

Traditional Blues Album: Chicago Blues A Living History the (R)evolution Continues – Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell, Carlos Johnson

Traditional Blues Male Artist: Charlie Musselwhite

Source: The Blues Foundation – Blues.org


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