Tuesday , March 19 2024
You've got until July 15 to vote for your favorite blues artists and albums...

Vote For Your Favorite In Living Blues Magazine Readers Poll

Balloting is underway in Living Blues Magazine’s Annual Readers’ poll, giving LB readers and blues fans around the world the opportunity to honor their favorite artists and albums from the past year by casting their ballots in 10 separate categories.

The LB Ballot includes many of the nominees for the 2010 Blues Music Awards as well as the Blues Blast Music Awards but as always there are a few twists in each of the respective categories.  The BMAs have already been presented but balloting is still ongoing for BBMA and LB, giving fans the chance to validate what happened at the BMAs or to perhaps correct perceived wrongs.

As is usually the case with blues awards, the Outstanding Guitar and Outstanding Harmonica awards are going to be nearly impossible to decide.  In the guitar category you have Hall of Famers B.B. King and Buddy Guy going up against giants like Robert Cray, Nick Moss, and Duke Robillard.  Recent Hall of Fame inductee Charlie Musselwhite is going up against Billy Boy Arnold, Chicago Bob Nelson, Billy Branch, and Rod Piazza in the Outstanding Harmonica category.

Nearly every category is equally stacked, meaning voters can hardly go wrong but also that some serious talents are going to walk away emptyhanded when the final votes are tallied.  All ballots must be received by July 15, 2010 and only one ballot per person is permitted.

Blues Artist of the Year (Male)

  •    Eddie C. Campbell
  •    Willie Clayton
  •    Buddy Guy
  •    John Primer
  •    Lil' Ed Williams

Blues Artist of the Year (Female)

  •    Shirley Brown
  •    Shemekia Copeland
  •    Ruthie Foster
  •    Shirley Johnson
  •    Irma Thomas

    
Most Outstanding Blues Singer

  •    Shirley Brown
  •    Shemekia Copeland
  •    Bobby Jones
  •    Bettye LaVette
  •    John Nemeth

    
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)

  •    Robert Cray
  •    Buddy Guy
  •    B.B. King
  •    Nick Moss
  •    Duke Robillard

    
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)

  •    Billy Boy Arnold
  •    Chicago Bob Nelson
  •    Billy Branch
  •    Rod Piazza
  •    Charlie Musselwhite

    
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)

  •    Eden Brent
  •    Henry Butler
  •    Henry Gray
  •    Pinetop Perkins
  •    Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne

    
Best Live Performer

  •    Shemekia Copeland
  •    Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials
  •    Buddy Guy
  •    Bobby Rush
  •    Joe Louis Walker

    
Best Blues Album of 2009 (New Recordings)

  •    Arthur Adams – Stomp The Floor – Delta Groove
  •    Eddie C. Campbell – Tear This World Up – Delmark
  •    Tommy Castro – Hard Believer – Alligator
  •    Shemekia Copeland – Never Going Back – Telarc
  •    Robert Cray – This Time – Nozzle
  •    Bobby Jones – Comin' Back Hard – Delta Groove
  •    Cyril Neville – Brand New Blues – M.C. Records
  •    John Primer – All Original – Blues House
  •    Johnny Rawls – Ace of Spades – Catfood Records
  •    Joe Louis Walker – Between A Rock And The Blues – Stony Plain Records

    
Best Blues Album of 2009 (Historical Recordings)

  •    Buddy Guy – The Definitive Buddy Guy – Shout! Factory
  •    John Lee Hooker – 50 Years: The John Lee Hooker Anthology – Shout! Factory
  •    Roy Lee Johnson – When A Guitar Plays The Blues – Bear Family
  •    Various Artists – Take Me To The Water – Dust To Digital
  •    Little Walter – The Complete Chess Masters – Hip-O Select

    
Best Blues DVD of 2009

  •    Floyd Lee – Full Moon Lightnin' – Willow Tree Pictures
  •    Tail Dragger – Live at Rooster's Lounge – Delmark Records
  •    Ike Turner and the Kings of Rhythm – Live In Concert – Charley Films
  •    Various Artists – It Ain't Over! Delmark Celebrates 55 Years Of Blues – Delmark
  •    Various Artists – Legends Of The American Folk Blues Festivals – Tropical Music

   

About Josh Hathaway

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