2014 Blues Music Awards

The Blues Foundation has announced the winners of the organization's 35th annual Blues Music Awards during their annual awards show, which was held Thursday, May 8th, 2014 at the Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. The annual event is a multi-hour performance party for blues fans, typically featuring performances by dozens of deserving nominees.

Chicago blues legend Lurrie Bell was one of three esteemed bluesmen to garner the most nominations, joining fellow legends Charlie Musselwhite and James Cotton with five Blues Music Awards nominations this year. Another bona fide legend, guitarist Buddy Guy, earned four BMA nominations while Bobby Rush, Rick Estrin, and Doug MacLeod were all honored with three nominations. We'll see come May who walks off with the trophies.

Here are your Blues Music Award winners (in bold) and nominees for 2014:

Acoustic Album of the Year
Doug MacLeod – There's A Time
Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi – Juba Dance
Harrison Kennedy – Soulscape
Rory Block – Avalon
The Hound Kings – Unleashed

Acoustic Artist of the Year
Doug MacLeod
Guy Davis
Harrison Kennedy
Little G Weevil
Rory Block

Album of the Year
Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia & James Harman – Remembering Little Walter
Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite – Get Up!
Buddy Guy –
James Cotton –
Lurrie Bell – Blues in My Soul

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Buddy Guy
Bobby Rush
John Nemeth
Kim Wilson
Rick Estrin

Band of the Year
Tedeschi Trucks Band
The Mannish Boys
Lil Ed & the Blues Imperials
Rick Estrin & the Night Cats
Trampled Under Foot

Best New Artist Debut
Shawn Holt & the Teardrops – Daddy Told Me
Adrianna Marie and Her Groovecutters – Double Crossing Blues
Clay Swafford – Rooster
Gracie Curran & the High Falutin' Band – Proof of Love
Paul Gabriel – What's the Chance...
Valerie June – Pushin’ Against A Stone

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Trampled Under Foot – Badlands
Ben Harper & Charlie Musselwhite – Get Up!
Brandon Santini – This Time Another Year
Buddy Guy – Rhythm & Blues
Cyril Neville – Magic Honey

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Susan Tedeschi
Ana Popovic
Beth Hart
Bettye LaVette
Candye Kane

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
Gary Clark, Jr.
Buddy Guy
Johnny Sansone
Kim Wilson
Otis Taylor

DVD of the Year
Royal Southern Brotherhood – Songs From The Road (Ruf Records)
Floyd Dixon – Time Brings About a Change (High John Records)
Joe Bonamassa – An Acoustic Evening At The Vienna Opera House (J&R Adventures)
Murali Coryell – Adventures Live (Shake-It-Sugar Records)
The Healers –

Historical Album of the Year
Various Artists – The Sun Blues Box (Bear Family)
Roosevelt Sykes – The Original Honeydripper (Blind Pig Records)
Various Artists – The Jewel/Paula Blues Story (Fuel Records)
Various Artists – Death Might Be Your Santa Claus (Legacy Recordings)
Freddie King – The Complete King/Federal Singles (Real Gone Music)

Best Instrumentalist – Bass
Danielle Schnebelen
Bill Stuve
Bob Stroger
Larry Taylor
Patrick Rynn

Best Instrumentalist – Drums
Cedric Burnside
Jimi Bott
Kenny Smith
Tom Hambridge
Tony Braunagel

Best Instrumentalist – Guitar
Ronnie Earl
Anson Funderburgh
Gary Clark, Jr.
Kid Andersen
Lurrie Bell

Best Instrumentalist – Harmonica
Charlie Musselwhite
Brandon Santini
James Cotton
Kim Wilson
Rick Estrin

Best Instrumentalist – Horn
Eddie Shaw
Big James Montgomery
Jimmy Carpenter
Sax Gordon
Terry Hanck

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
Victor Wainwright
Barrelhouse Chuck
Dave Keyes
Marcia Ball
Mike Finnigan

Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)
Diunna Greenleaf
Lavelle White
Teeny Tucker
Trudy Lynn
Zora Young

Rock Blues Album of the Year
Tedeschi Trucks Band –
Mike Zito & the Wheel – Gone To Texas
The Rides – Can't Get Enough
Toronzo Cannon – John the Conquer Root
Walter Trout – Luther's Blues

Song of the Year
“Blues in My Soul” - Lurrie Bell
“He Was There” – James Cotton, Tom Hambridge & Richard Fleming
“That's When the Blues Begins” - James Goode
“The Entitled Few” - Doug MacLeod
“The Night the Pie Factory Burned Down” - Johnny Sansone

Soul Blues Album of the Year
Bobby Rush – Down In Louisiana
Dave Keller – Soul Changes
Frank Bey & Anthony Paule Band – Soul For Your Blues
Johnny Rawls – Remembering O. V.
Otis Clay – Truth Is (Putting Love Back Into the Music)

Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year
Irma Thomas
Barbara Carr
Denise LaSalle
Dorothy Moore
Sista Monica

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
John Nemeth
Bobby Rush
Frank Bey
Johnny Rawls
Otis Clay

Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia, James Harman – Remembering Little Walter
Barrelhouse Chuck & Kim Wilson's Blues All-Stars – Driftin' From Town to Town
James Cotton – Cotton Mouth Man
Lurrie Bell – Blues in My Soul
The Cash Box Kings – Black Toppin'

Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
James Cotton
Anson Funderburgh
Billy Boy Arnold
John Primer
Lurrie Bell

Voting for the 2014 Blues Music Awards kicked off on Monday, December 16, 2013, and was open to all members of The Blues Foundation. Check The Blues Foundation website for more information on the Blues Music Awards.