The 30th annual Blues Music Awards will be handed out in Memphis on May 7 and the nominations have been announced. Singer Janiva Magness and newcomer Eden Brent received a year's best four nominations while several other artists received three.
Buddy Guy's Skin Deep and Magness' What Love Will Do are among the nominees for Album of the Year along with efforts from veteran Elvin Bishop, Curtis Salgado, and The Mannish Boys, who also received three nominations this year. While the legendary B.B. King, who actually has an award named after him, was nominated for two awards, his album was mysteriously not among the Album of the Year nominations.
Among the list of nominees are a lot of familiar names, including Watermelon Slim, Nick Moss, and Gerry Hundt. Moss is an 11-time nominee who has yet to bring home a statue from the BMAs, but in November picked up an award for Song of the Year from the Blues Blast Awards for his song “Mistakes From the Past” from his Play It 'Til Tomorrow album. Newcomer Eden Brent's Mississippi Number One was nominated in the Acoustic category as well as for best debut album. Joining Brent in the debut category are wonder kids Homemade Jamz Blues Band and Chris James and Patrick Ryan's collaboration. Lil' Ed Williams and his Blues Imperials were also nominated three times, including a nod for Entertainer of the Year.
Here is the full list of nominees:
Album of the Year
The Mannish Boys – Lowdown Feelin'
Curtis Salgado – Clean Getaway
Buddy Guy – Skin Deep
Janiva Magness – What Love Will Do
Elvin Bishop – The Blues Rolls On
Acoustic Album of the Year
Eden Brent – Mississippi Number One
Rory Block – Blues Walkin' Like a Man
Paul Rishell & Annie Raines – A Night in Woodstock
Hans Theessink & Terry Evans – Visions
Fiona Boyes, Mookie Brill & Rich Del Grosso – Live from Bluesville
Acoustic Artist of the Year
Doug MacLeod
Rory Block
Otis Taylor
Paul Rishell & Annie Raines
Eden Brent
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Janiva Magness
Watermelon Slim
Bobby Rush
Lil' Ed
Magic Slim
Band of the Year
Magic Slim & the Teardrops
Nick Moss & the Flip Tops
The Mannish Boys
Watermelon Slim & the Workers
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
Best New Artist Debut
Chris James and Patrick Rynn – Stop and Think About It
Delta Highway – The Devil Had a Woman
Cedric Burnside & Lightnin' Malcolm – 2 Man Wrecking Crew
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band – Pay Me No Mind
Eden Brent – Mississippi Number One
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Elvin Bishop – The Blues Rolls On
Watermelon Slim & the Workers – No Paid Holidays
Janiva Magness – What Love Will Do
Sean Costello – We Can Get Together
Buddy Guy – Skin Deep
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Gaye Adegbalola
Marcia Ball
Robin Rogers
Bettye LaVette
Janiva Magness
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
Michael Burks
Elvin Bishop
Sean Costello
Watermelon Slim
Buddy Guy
DVD
Broke & Hungry Records, Cathead Blues & Mudpuppy Recordings – M For Mississippi: A Road Trip Through The Birthplace of the Blues
Eagle Eye Media – Albert Collins Live at Montreux 1992
Eagle Eye Media – Carlos Santana Plays Blues At Montreux 2004
Stony Plain Records – Ronnie Earl & Broadcasters – Hope Radio Sessions
Delmark Records – Little Arthur Duncan Live at Rosa's Blues Lounge
Historical Album of the Year
Eagle Records – Albert Collins Live At Montreux 1992
Jamie Records – Barbara Lynn: The Jamie Singles 1962-1965
Delmark Records – On Highway 80 (Sleepy John Estes)
Ruf Records – Rich Man's War: New Blues & Roots Songs of Peace and Protest (Various Artists)
TopCat Records – Hollywood Fats & the Paladins Live 1985
Instrumentalist-Bass
Bob Stroger
Mookie Brill
Larry Taylor
Bill Stuve
Jeff Turmes
Instrumentalist-Drums
Cedric Burnside
Richard Innes
Jimi Bott
Tony Braunagel
Kenny Smith
Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Sonny Landreth
Lurrie Bell
Michael Burks
Kid Ramos
Ronnie Earl
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Steve Guyger
Billy Gibson
Mark Hummel
Jason Ricci
Rick Estrin
Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith
Instrumentalist-Horn
Deanna Bogart
Kaz Kazanoff
Terry Hanck
Keith Crossan
Doug James
Instrumentalist-Other
Johnny Sansone – Accordion
Bob Brozman – Mandolin, Ukulele
Otis Taylor – Banjo
Rich Del Grosso – Mandolin
Gerry Hundt – Mandolin
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
Henry Butler
David Maxwell
Eden Brent
Bruce Katz
Marcia Ball
Rock Blues Album of the Year
Jeff Healey – Mess of Blues
Sonny Landreth – from the REACH
Michael Burks – Iron Man
Gary Moore – Bad for You Baby
Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King – Blood Brothers
Walter Trout – The Outsider
Song of the Year
Dave Duncan & Curtis Salgado – “20 Years of B. B. King” (Curtis Salgado)
Kenny Neal – “Let Life Flow” (Kenny Neal)
Elvin Bishop – “The Blues Rolls On” (Elvin Bishop)
Albert Castiglia – “Bad Year Blues” (Albert Castiglia)
Sonny Landreth – “Blue Tarp Blues” (Sonny Landreth)
Soul Blues Album of the Year
Irma Thomas – Simply Grand
Curtis Salgado – Clean Getaway
Jackie Payne Steve Edmonson Band – Overnight Sensation
Clarence Spady – Just Between Us
Johnny Rawls – Red Cadillac
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year
Sharrie Williams
Irma Thomas
Jean Shy
Etta James
Denise LaSalle
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
Tad Robinson
Bobby Rush
Jackie Payne
Johnny Rawls
Curtis Salgado
Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials – Full Tilt
B.B. King – One Kind Favor
Honeyboy Edwards – Roamin' and Ramblin'
Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater – West Side Strut
The Mannish Boys – Lowdown Feelin'
Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year
Koko Taylor
Maria Muldaur
Nora Jean Bruso
Diunna Greenleaf
Ruthie Foster
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
B.B. King
Lurrie Bell
Magic Slim
Eddy 'The Chief' Clearwater
Honeyboy Edwards