| 21st W.C. Handy Blues Awards Nominations | |
For Immediate Release
from the Blues Foundation
January 10, 2000
| MEMPHIS, January 11, 2000 - The Blues Foundation today announced the
nominees for the 21st Annual W.C.
Handy Blues Awards, the highest honor bestowed upon artists in the
Blues industry. The awards will be presented on Thursday May 25,
2000 at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis,
Tennessee, and will be followed by a two-day Blues Festival on Beale
Street, 'the home of the Blues'.
Ruth Brown and Rufus Thomas will host the evening, which will include star-studded Blues appearances and performances. Nominees include newcomer Shemekia Copeland, campus favorite R.L. Burnside and world-renowned B.B. King, for Blues Entertainer of the Year. |
|
Since its inception in 1980, the Handy Awards(r) have celebrated excellence for both performance and recording of the Blues. A panel of international Blues industry experts vote on the initial nominees and the winners are chosen by thirty-thousand Blues fans. "We have an outstanding list of nominations for this our 21st year," said Howard Stovall, Executive Director of the Blues Foundation, the non-profit organization which produces this event. "These awards allow Blues fans from across the world to honor the musicians who have brought us so much pleasure - and they provide a great excuse for a Blues-infused celebration!"
Named in honor of W.C. Handy, "Father of the Blues," the awards ceremony traditionally opens the Handy Awards Weekend. Celebrations include the Handy Winners Walk, a parade of current and previous Handy winners and nominees, the Blues Symposium with workshops and panel discussions and Handy nominees bands being featured in the clubs along Beale Street.
2000 W.C. Handy Blues Awards Tickets On Sale Now!!
Tickets for the Handy Awards are available online
or by calling The Blues Foundation at (901) 527-2583.
Some of this year's Handy Award nominees:
|
Blues Entertainer of the Year
|
|
Blues Band of the Year
with Sam Myers |
|
Blues Album of the Year
|
|
Best New Blues Artist
|
Congradulations
to all the nominees
Good Luck...
