Watermelon Slim Once Again Leads 2008 Blues Music Awards Nominees With Six

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

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year

• James Blood Ulmer
• Kim Wilson
• Ronnie Baker Brooks
• Tab Benoit
• Watermelon Slim

DVD

• Carey & Lurrie Bell – Gettin' Up: Live at Buddy Guy's Legends, Rosa's and Lurrrie's Home
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd – 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads
• Pinetop Perkins – Born in the Honey
• Son Seals – A Journey through the Blues – The Son Seals Story
• Willie King – Down in the Woods

Historical Album of the Year

• Blind Pig – The Essential Magic Slim – Magic Slim
• Blue Witch – House Rockin' and Blues Shoutin' – Various Artists
• Delmark – Kidney Stew Is Fine – Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
• Delmark – Steady Rollin' Man – Robert Jr. Lockwood
• Epic/Legacy – Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down – Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter, James Cotton

Instrumentalist – Bass

• Bill Stuve
• Bob Stroger
• Calvin "Fuzz" Jones
• Jeff Turmes
• Larry Taylor
• Michael "Mudcat" Ward

Instrumentalist – Drums

• Jimi Bott
• Richard Innes
• Robb Stupka
• Sam Carr
• Sam Lay

Instrumentalist – Guitar

• Bob Margolin
• Duke Robillard
• Kid Ramos
• Lurrie Bell
• Nick Moss

Instrumentalist – Harmonica

• Carey Bell
• James Cotton
• Kim Wilson
• Mark Hummel
• Sugar Blue
• Sugar Ray Norcia

Instrumentalist – Horn

• Big James Montgomery
• Calvin Owens
• Deanna Bogart
• Doug James
• Kaz Kazanoff

Instrumentalist – Other

• Gerry Hundt – Mandolin
• Johnny Sansone – Accordion
• Otis Taylor – Banjo
• Robert Randolph – Pedal Steel
• Sonny Rhodes – Lap Steel

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year

• Ann Rabson
• Bruce Katz
• David Maxwell
• Henry Butler
• Honey Piazza

Song of the Year

• "Gonna Buy Me a Mule" – Koko Taylor, Koko Taylor – Old School
• "Jimmy Reed Highway" – Omar Kent Dykes & Steve Callif, Omar Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan – On the Jimmy Reed Highway
• "Poor Man's Paradise" – Johnny Sansone, Johnny Sansone – Poor Man's Paradise
• "The Last Words of A Fool" – Sugar Ray Norcia, Sugar Ray & the Bluetones – My Life, My Friends, My Music
• "The Wheel Man" – William Homans, Watermelon Slim & the Workers – The Wheel Man

Soul Blues Album of the Year

• Eugene Hideaway Bridges – Eugene Hideaway Bridges
• Holmes Brothers – State of Grace
• Mem Shannon – A Night at Tipitina's
• Root Doctor –Change Our Ways
• Tad Robinson – A New Point of View

Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year

• Barbara Carr
• Denise LaSalle
• Irma Thomas
• Sharon Jones
• Sista Monica Parker

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year

• Bobby Rush
• Eugene Hideaway Bridges
• Jackie Payne
• Mem Shannon
• Tad Robinson

Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year

• Diunna Greenleaf
• Koko Taylor
• Nora Jean Bruso
• Ruthie Foster
• Sharrie Williams

Traditional Blues Album of the Year

• Big George Brock – Live at Seventy Five
• Darrell Nulisch – Goin' Back to Dallas
• Koko Taylor – Old School
• Nappy Brown – Long Time Coming
• Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan – On the Jimmy Reed Highway

Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year

• Bob Margolin
• Hubert Sumlin
• Lurrie Bell
• Magic Slim
• Nappy Brown
• Phillip Walker