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32nd BMAs to be presented May 5, 2011...

Buddy Guy and Charlie Musselwhite Lead Way; 32nd Blues Music Award Nominees Announced

The Blues Foundation purchased has selected its first permanent home in downtown Memphis earlier this week, just in time to announce the nominees for the 32nd Blues Music Awards.

Artists and albums are nominated in 26 categories.  This year’s nominees include 12 first-time nominees and they will be competing with a pair of legends as Blues Hall of Famers Buddy Guy and Charlie Musselwhite tied for the most nominations with five apiece.  BMA-winner Janiva Magness received four nods and Derek Trucks, Eden Brent, Joe Louis Walker, James Cotton, Nick Moss, Paul Oscher and The Mannish Boys pulled three nominations apiece.  Soul legend Solomon Burke, who passed away earlier this year at age 70, is nominated twice.

Among the marquee awards are Album Of The Year, Entertainer Of The Year, and Band Of The Year.  Album of The Year nominees include Guy’s Living Proof, Musselwhite’s The Well, Eden Brent’s AIn’t Got No Troubles, Janiva Magness’ The Devil Is An Angel Too, and The Mannish Boys’ Shake For Me.  Entertainer of The Year nominees include Guy, Magness, Joe Louis Walker, Kenny Neal, and Super Chikan.  There are seven Band Of The Year nominees this year: Derek Trucks Band, Magic Slim & The Teardrops, Nick Moss & The Flip Tops, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, The Holmes Brothers, Kilborn Alley Blues Band, and Mannish Boys.

Presumably among those first-time nominees are those up for the Best New Artist Debut, which includes Chris O’Leary Band, Claudette King, Matt Hill, Peter Parcek 3, and Vincent Hayes Project.

A panel selected by the Blues Foundation chooses nominees in 26 categories and winners are selected by Blues Foundation members, who can begin voting tomorrow.  Tickets for the ceremony and the DVD of last year’s award ceremony – highlighted by Buddy Guy’s acceptance of a Lifetime Achievement Award and performance – will also go on sale tomorrow.

The 32nd Blues Music Awards will be presented in Memphis May 5, 2011.  The show will once again be broadcast live on XM Radio.  My analysis of the nominees and categories will follow in a separate article.  You can begin having your say in the comments below.  Here is the full list of nominees:

Acoustic Album
Eric Bibb – Booker’s Guitar
Lucky Peterson – You Can Always Turn Around
Paul Oscher – Bet on the Blues
South Memphis String Band – Home Sweet Home
The Nighthawks – Last Train to Bluesville

Acoustic Artist
Doug MacLeod
Eric Bibb
Guy Davis
John Hammond
Paul Oscher 

Album
Buddy Guy – Living Proof
Charlie Musselwhite – The Well
Eden Brent – Ain’t Got No Troubles
Janiva Magness – The Devil is an Angel Too
The Mannish Boys – Shake for Me 

B.B. King Entertainer
Buddy Guy
Janiva Magness
Joe Louis Walker
Kenny Neal
Super Chikan 

Band
Derek Trucks Band
Magic Slim & the Teardrops
Nick Moss Band
Rick Estrin & the Nightcats
The Holmes Brothers
The Kilborn Alley Blues Band
The Mannish Boys 

Best New Artist Debut
Chris O’Leary Band – Mr. Used to Be
Claudette King – We’re Onto Something
Matt Hill – On the Floor
Peter Parcek 3 – The Mathematics of Love
The Vincent Hayes Project – Reclamation 

Contemporary Blues Album
Buddy Guy – Living Proof
Janiva Magness – The Devil is an Angel Too
John Nemeth – Name the Day!
Karen Lovely – Still the Rain
Smokin’ Joe Kubek & Bnois King – Have Blues Will Travel 

Contemporary Blues Female Artist
Candye Kane
Janiva Magness
Karen Lovely
Robin Rogers
Shemekia Copeland 

Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Buddy Guy
Joe Louis Walker
John Nemeth
Kenny Neal
Nick Moss   

DVD
Black Hen / Transgrease – The Mississippi Sheiks Tribute Concert – (Various Artists)

Delmark – Live at Rooster’s Place (Tail Dragger)
NorthernBlues Music – Live at Ground Zero Blues Club – (Watermelon Slim & the Workers)
Ruf – Songs from the Road (Luther Allison)
Woodward Studio – Nothing to Prove (Mac Arnold) 

Historical
Black Derby  – Chicago Blues Buddies  – (Little Smokey Smothers & Elvin Bishop)
Delmark – Jimmy Dawkins Presents the Leric Story  – (Various Artists)
Delmark – Live in Boston 1966 – (Junior Wells & the Aces)
Delta Groove – Harmonica Blues (Bob Corritore & Friends)
Ruf – Songs from the Road (Luther Allison) 

Instrumentalist-Bass
Bill Stuve 
Bob Stroger 
Larry Taylor 
Patrick Rynn
Steve Gomes  

Instrumentalist-Drums
Cedric Burnside
Jimi Bott
Kenny Smith
Robb Stupka
Tony Braunagel 

Instrumentalist-Guitar
Derek Trucks
Duke Robillard   
Joe Louis Walker  
Kirk Fletcher
Ronnie Earl

Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Bob Corritore
Charlie Musselwhite
James Cotton
Kim Wilson
Paul Oscher  

Instrumentalist-Horn
Big James Montgomery
Doug James
Eddie Shaw
Keith Crossan
Terry Hanck

Instrumentalist-Other
Gerry Hundt (mandolin)
Johnny Sansone (accordion)
Otis Taylor (banjo)
Rich Del Grosso (mandolin)
Sonny Rhodes (lap steel guitar) 

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
David Maxwell
Dr. John
Eden Brent  
Henry Butler  
Mitch Woods

Rock Blues Album
Derek Trucks – Roadsongs
Kenny Wayne Shepherd – Live In Chicago
Nick Moss – Privileged
Steve Miller Band – Bingo
Walter Trout – Common Ground

Song
Tom Hambridge/Buddy Guy – “Living Proof” (Buddy Guy – Living Proof)
Charlie Musselwhite – “Sad and Beautiful World”  – (Charlie Musselwhite – The Well)
Bruce Iglauer/Wyzard/David Kearney – “Please Mr. President” – (Guitar Shorty – Bare Knuckle)
Dennis Walker/Alan Mirikitani – “Still the Rain”  – (Karen Lovely – Still the Rain)
Steve Gomes – “Rained All Night” – (Tad Robinson – Back in Style)

Soul Blues Album
Arthur Adams – Stomp the Floor
Denise LaSalle – 24 Hour Woman
Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges – Live In San Antonio
Solomon Burke – Nothing’s Impossible
Tad Robinson – Back in Style
The Holmes Brothers – Feed My Soul

Soul Blues Female Artist
Barbara Carr
Claudette King
Denise LaSalle  
Irma Thomas
Sista Monica Parker  

Soul Blues Male Artist
Bobby Rush
Curtis Salgado
Eugene “Hideaway” Bridges
Solomon Burke
Tad Robinson  

Traditional Blues Album
Charlie Musselwhite – The Well
Duke Robillard – Passport to the Blues
James Cotton – Giant
Pinetop Perkins & Willie “Big Eyes” Smith – Joined at the Hip
The Mannish Boys – Shake for Me

Koko Taylor Award-Traditional Blues Female
Eden Brent
Reba Russell
Ruthie Foster
Sue Foley
Teeny Tucker
Zora Young

Traditional Blues Male Artist
Alabama Mike
Charlie Musselwhite
James Cotton
Magic Slim  
Super Chikan  

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