The Blues Foundation is delivering more than just a new name for its highly-coveted honors in 2006. The list of nominees for the 2006 Blues Music Awards features a number of new names, and the first-time nominees are not limited to the Best New Artist or Comeback categories. The Blues Music Awards, set for May 11, 2006 at the Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis, will see almost 20 artists looking to take home their first Blues Music Award.
Among the veterans and newcomers nominated for the first time are Tab Benoit, Elvin Bishop, Tommy Castro, Rich Del Grosso, Sonny Landreth, Doug McLeod, Big James Montgomery, Sista Monica Parker, James “Blood” Ulmer and The Mannish Boys. Many artists racked up multiple nominations, but Magic Slim and the late Little Milton topped the list with five followed by Marcia Ball and Hubert Sumlin with four nominations each. Shemekia Copeland, Bobby Rush and Kim Wilson each had three nominations among the 25 album, artist, band and instrumentalist categories. For the first time, category names honor two living blues masters: B.B. King Entertainer of the Year and the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year.
“We are thrilled with the diversity of nominees this year. We have legends, newcomers, comebacks and musicians for whom a nomination is probably long-deserved,” noted Paul Benjamin, Blues Foundation President. “I think it is a reflection of both greater attention to the nomination process and the range of Blues music styles today. I encourage everyone to go online to vote and not delay in purchasing tickets because the show itself is usually sold-out,” he added. Online voting begins December 15. Members may purchase tickets online and host hotel information can also be found at www.blues.org.
The Blues Foundation announced in July that its annual recognition of the finest in blues performances and recordings was to be changed from the “W.C. Handy Awards” to “The Blues Music Awards" in a move to bring broader visibility to the music and to make it easier for every person who comes into contact with the name to understand what the awards honor - excellence and achievement in blues music.
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Kim Wilson
Sonny Landreth
Tab Benoit
Tommy Castro
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Bob Margolin
Charlie (Little Charlie) Baty
Hubert Sumlin
Kirk Fletcher
Ronnie Earl
Sonny Landreth
Thanks for keeping us up to date on this.... Sonny is up for two awards, that is so awesome! Congrats to all the nominees! I've been a little M.I.A. lately, sorry about that. Hopefully life will calm down a bit soon and take on a little more normalcy again.
I was very disappointed that he was left off the Grammy nominations. Grant Street is the Contemporary Blues album of the year and "Wind in Denver" is one of the most powerful blues songs I've ever heard.
I'm prejudiced, but Sonny is way better than the other nominees.
Saw Sonny at Southport Hall December 9 with a "newbie" friend and Sonny was awesome - he always exceeds my expectations and my friend was blown away.
Sonny nominated for 2 Blues Awards
