The 30th anniversary Blues Music Awards ceremony was held on Thursday night, May 7, 2009 in Memphis, Tennessee. An incredible 46 performers scheduled to appear during the estimated six-hour event, which was broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio's B.B. King's Bluesville channel. The show was also taped in HD video for a DVD to be released in the fall of 2009.
The 2009 Blues Music Awards honored winners in 26 separate categories, recognizing excellence in both performing and recording the blues.
2009 Blues Music Award Nominees by Category
Acoustic Album of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Eden Brent - Mississippi Number One (Yellow Dog Records)
The Winner:
Eden Brent - Mississippi Number One (Yellow Dog Records)
Acoustic Artist of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Rory Block
The Winner:
Eden Brent
Album of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Buddy Guy - Skin Deep (Silvertone Records)
The Winner:
Buddy Guy - Skin Deep (Silvertone Records)
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Janiva Magness
The Winner:
Janiva Magness
Band of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Nick Moss & the Flip Tops
The Winner:
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
Best New Artist Debut
The Reverend's Prediction:
The Homemade Jamz Blues Band - Pay Me No Mind (Northern Blues)
The Winner:
Cedric Burnside & Lightnin' Malcolm - 2 Man Wrecking Crew (Delta Groove)
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Sean Costello - We Can Get Together (Delta Groove Records)
The Winner:
Buddy Guy - Skin Deep (Silvertone Records)
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Gaye Adegbalola
The Winner:
Janiva Magness
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Buddy Guy
The Winner:
Buddy Guy
Blues DVD
The Reverend's Prediction:
Broke & Hungry Records, Cathead Blues & Mudpuppy Recordings - M For Mississippi: A Road Trip Through The Birthplace of the Blues
The Winner:
Broke & Hungry Records, Cathead Blues & Mudpuppy Recordings - M For Mississippi: A Road Trip Through The Birthplace of the Blues
Historical Album of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Delmark Records - On Highway 80 (Sleepy John Estes)
The Winner:
Eagle Records - Albert Collins Live At Montreux 1992
Instrumentalist - Bass
The Reverend's Prediction:
Bob Stroger
The Winner:
Mookie Brill
Instrumentalist - Drums
The Reverend's Prediction:
Cedric Burnside
The Winner:
Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith
Instrumentalist - Guitar
The Reverend's Prediction:
Lurrie Bell
The Winner:
Sonny Landreth
Instrumentalist - Harmonica
]The Reverend's Prediction:
Steve Guyger
The Winner:
Billy Gibson
Instrumentalist - Horn
The Reverend's Prediction:
Keith Crossan
The Winner:
Deanna Bogart
Instrumentalist - Other
The Reverend's Prediction:
Otis Taylor, banjo
The Winner:
Otis Taylor, banjo
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Award
The Reverend's Prediction:
Marcia Ball
The Winner:
Marcia Ball
Rock Blues Album of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Jeff Healey - Mess of Blues (Ruf Records)
The Winner:
Jeff Healey - Mess of Blues (Ruf Records)
Song of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Kenny Neal - "Let Life Flow" (song by Kenny Neal)
The Winner:
Kenny Neal - "Let Life Flow" (song by Kenny Neal)
Soul Blues Album of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Irma Thomas - Simply Grand (Rounder Records)
The Winner:
Irma Thomas - Simply Grand (Rounder Records)
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Irma Thomas
The Winner:
Etta James
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Jackie Payne
The Winner:
Bobby Rush
Traditional Blues Album of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
B.B. King - One Kind Favor (Geffen Records)
The Winner:
B.B. King - One Kind Favor (Geffen Records)
Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Ruthie Foster
The Winner:
Koko Taylor
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
The Reverend's Prediction:
Honeyboy Edwards
The Winner:
B.B. King
The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the "W.C. Handy Awards," are voted on by The Blues Foundation's 3,000 individual members around the world and 160 affiliated member-based local blues societies in a dozen countries. Details on past award winners can be found on The Blues Foundation website.
