Watermelon Slim Once Again Leads 2008 Blues Music Awards Nominees With Six
Published December 14, 2007
Just as I predicted, Watermelon Slim was again heard from in a big way as the nominees were announced for the 2008 Blues Music Awards. Watermelon Slim and his band The Workers were nominated for six BMAs for the second consecutive year.
Legends Bobby Rush and Koko Taylor each received four nominations. Other artists nominated for multiple awards include Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan (3), Bettye LaVette (3), Nick Moss & The Flip Tops (3), Sugar Ray & the Bluetones (3), James Blood Ulmer (3), and Lurrie Bell (3).
Among the intriguing story lines for this year's awards race is that despite the six nominations last year, Slim walked away empty-handed. With six fresh nods, we'll see if 2008 is kinder. Also, 2008 is the first year that DVDs have had a BMA category of their own. The first DVD nominees include live performances as well as documentaries.
BC Magazine and BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy have already spotlighted several of the nominated albums and artists and will again be the best place to keep up with all the news leading up to the ceremony in Tunica, MS on May 8, 2008.
Here is the complete nominee list:
Acoustic Album of the Year
- Bobby Rush - Raw
- Dave Riley and Bob Corritore - Travelin' the Dirt Road
- Fruteland Jackson - Tell Me What You Say
- Jimmy "Duck" Holmes - Done Got Tired Of Tryin'
- Marie Knight - Let Us Get Together
Acoustic Artist of the Year
- Bobby Rush
- Doug MacLeod
- Eric Bibb
- Fruteland Jackson
- Guy Davis
- Mary Flower
Album of the Year
- Bettye LaVette - The Scene of the Crime
- James Blood Ulmer - Bad Blood in the City
- Koko Taylor - Old School
- Nick Moss & the Flip Tops - Play It 'Til Tomorrow
- Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan - On the Jimmy Reed Highway
- Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - My Life, My Friends, My Music
- Watermelon Slim & the Workers - The Wheel Man
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
- Bettye LaVette
- Bobby Rush
- Janiva Magness
- Tommy Castro
- Watermelon Slim
Band of the Year
- Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials
- Magic Slim & the Teardrops
- Mannish Boys
- Nick Moss & the Flip Tops
- Watermelon Slim & the Workers
Best New Artist Debut
- Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy - Cotton Field to Coffee House
- Gina Sicilia - Allow Me to Confess
- Insomniacs - Left Coast Blues
- John Nemeth - Magic Touch
- The Soul of John Black - The Good Girl Blues
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
- Bryan Lee - Katrina Was Her Name
- James Blood Ulmer - Bad Blood in the City
- Kilborn Alley Blues Band - Tear Chicago Down
- Tommy Castro - Painkiller
- Watermelon Slim & the Workers - The Wheel Man
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
- Bettye LaVette
- Candye Kane
- Debbie Davies
- Fiona Boyes
- Teresa James
Josh Hathaway is Assistant Music Editor for BC Magazine. He is formerly an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and publishes the BC Network site Confessions of a Fanboy .
- Watermelon Slim Once Again Leads 2008 Blues Music Awards Nominees With Six
- Published: December 14, 2007
- Type: News
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Blues, Music: News
- Writer: Josh Hathaway
- Josh Hathaway's BC Writer page
- Josh Hathaway's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
Pico, glad to see you've weighed in. This is the straight news rundown of the nominees. I've now written a companion piece for COAF outlining my initial reactions to the nominations.
I'll be sure to check out your review, though. Well done.
Thanks for the link, Josh. I need a guide just like that to help keep me on top of the current blues scene. I know (and have) a few of these records but there's a lot in there I don't know about.
Also...I noticed that Bruce Katz is up for the Pinetop Perkins award. That dude really stood out on Lee's record and I'm glad to see him get the recognition.
I think I know which of these albums I'm going to have to check out next. ;-)
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Nice to see Bryan Lee get a nod for best contemporary blues album for Katrina Was Her Name. ;&)