The Blues Foundation, based in Memphis, has announced the nominees for the organization's 33rd annual Blues Music Awards, confirming the awards show for Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis. The annual event is a houserockin' party, typically running better than seven hours and featuring performances by dozens of deserving nominees. Like last year, the awards ceremony will be broadcast live on XM Sirius satellite radio, on B.B. King's Bluesville channel.
There are few real surprises among this year's group of Blues Music Award nominees. The Blues Foundation caught up with blues fans' musical tastes and artists like Joe Bonamassa, George Thorogood, and Warren Haynes all received their first nominations. There seem to be more multiple nominations this year as well, artists like Sugar Ray & the Bluetones, Tab Benoit, and Johnny Sansone all receiving four nominations while Eugene Hideaway Bridges, Lazy Lester, David Maxwell, Ana Popovic, and Johnny Rawls all received three nominations each.
Here are your Blues Music Award nominations for 2012:
Acoustic Album of the Year
David Maxwell & Otis Spann - Conversations In Blue
Doug MacLeod - Brand New Eyes
Eric Bibb - Troubadour Live
Mary Flower - Misery Loves Company
Rory Block - Shake 'Em On Down
Acoustic Artist of the Year
David Maxwell
Doug MacLeod
Eric Bibb
Guy Davis
Mary Flower
Rory Block
Album of the Year
Various Artists - Chicago Blues: A Living History - The (R)evolution Continues
Eugene Hideaway Bridges - Rock And A Hard Place
Johnny Sansone - The Lord Is Waiting And The Devil Is Too
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - Evening
Tab Benoit - Medicine
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Candye Kane
Lil' Ed
Ruthie Foster
Tab Benoit
Tommy Castro
Band of the Year
Bo-Keys
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Tommy Castro Band
Trampled Under Foot
Best New Artist Debut
Big Pete - Choice Cuts
Demetria Taylor - Bad Girl
Samantha Fish - Runaway
Sena Ehrhardt - Leave The Light On
The Mighty Mojo Prophets - The Mighty Mojo Prophets
Contemporary Blues Album
Ana Popovic - Unconditional
Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Don't Explain
Ian Siegal & the Youngest Sons - The Skinny
Johnny Sansone - The Lord Is Waiting And The Devil Is Too
Tab Benoit - Medicine
Tommy Castro - Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue - Live!
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Ana Popovic
Bettye LaVette
Candye Kane
Janiva Magness
Susan Tedeschi
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
Joe Louis Walker
Johnny Sansone
JP Soars
Tab Benoit
Tommy Castro
DVD of the Year
Ana Popovic - An Evening At Trasimeno Lake (ArtisteXclusive)
Gary Moore - Live At Montreux 2010 (Eagle Rock)
Ruthie Foster - Live At Antone's (Blue Corn)
Trampled Under Foot - The Emporium To The Orpheum (Redwood)
Various Artists - All Jams On Deck (Mug-Shot Productions)
Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton - Play The Blues (Rhino)
Gibson Guitar Award
Derek Trucks
Duke Robillard
Kirk Fletcher
Lurrie Bell
Michael Burks
Historical Album of the Year
Freddie King - Texas Flyer 1974-76 (Bear Family)
Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning (Chess Records)
Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues (Delmark Records)
George "Harmonica" Smith - Teardrops Are Falling - Live In 1983 (Electro-Fi)
Etta James - The Essential Modern Records Collection (Virgin Records)
Best Instrumentalist - Bass
Biscuit Miller
Danielle Schnebelen
Larry Taylor
Michael "Mudcat" Ward
Patrick Rynn
Best Instrumentalist - Drums
Chris Layton
Jimi Bott
Kenny Smith
Robb Stupka
Stanton Moore
Tony Braunagel
Best Instrumentalist - Harmonica
Charlie Musselwhite
Kim Wilson
Lazy Lester
Rick Estrin
Sugar Ray Norcia
Best Instrumentalist - Horn
Al Basile
Doug James
Keith Crossan
Sax Gordon
Terry Hanck
Best Instrumentalist - Other
Ben Prestage (diddley bow)
Lionel Young (violin)
Otis Taylor (banjo)
Rich Del Grosso (mandolin)
Sonny Rhodes (lap steel guitar)
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year
David Maxwell
Eden Brent
Jon Cleary
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne
Marcia Ball
Victor Wainwright
Rock Blues Album
George Thorogood & the Destroyers - 2120 South Michigan Avenue
Joe Bonamassa - Dust Bowl
Mike Zito - Greyhound
Too Slim and the Taildraggers - Shiver
Warren Haynes - Man In Motion
Song of the Year
"Appreciate What You Got" - Terry Hanck (Look Out! - Terry Hanck)
"Back to the Blues" - Hadden Sayers (Hard Dollar - Hadden Sayers)
"Memphis Still Got Soul" - Bob Trenchard & Johnny Rawls (Memphis Still Got Soul - Johnny Rawls)
"Thank You for Giving Me the Blues" - Grady Champion, Zac Harmon & Chris Troy (Dreamin' - Grady Champion)
"The Lord Is Waiting The Devil Is Too" - Johnny Sansone (The Lord Is Waiting And The Devil Is Too - Johnny Sansone)
"The Older I Get the Better I Was" - Joe Shelton (The Older I Get the Better I Was - Big Joe Shelton)
Soul Blues Album of the Year
Bo-Keys - Got To Get Back!
Bobby Rush - Show You A Good Time
Eugene Hideaway Bridges - Rock And A Hard Place
Grady Champion - Dreamin'
Johnny Rawls - Memphis Still Got Soul
Soul Blues Female Artist
Alexis P. Suter
Denise LaSalle
Jackie Johnson
Sharrie Williams
Sista Monica Parker
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
Bobby Rush
Curtis Salgado
Eugene Hideaway Bridges
Johnny Rawls
Otis Clay
Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Various Artists - Chicago Blues: A Living History - The (R)evolution Continues
Diunna Greenleaf - Trying To Hold On
Lazy Lester - You Better Listen
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - Evening
Tracy Nelson - Victim Of The Blues
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
Charlie Musselwhite
John Primer
Lazy Lester
Mac Arnold
Magic Slim
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year)
Diunna Greenleaf
Maria Muldaur
Nora Jean
Ruthie Foster
Tracy Nelson
