Blues Foundation Announces Blues Music Award Nominees

Today, the Blues Foundation revealed the nominees the 34th Blues Music Awards. With five nominations each, singers John Nemeth and Janiva Magness lead the field — Nemeth on the strength of two, 2012 live releases, Blues Live and Soul Live, and Magness for her studio effort Stronger for It. Magness’ Alligator Record labelmates Curtis Salgado, Joe Louis Walker and the late Michael “Iron Man” Burks all landed four nominations apiece, as did the husband-wife duo of Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi. Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, Mighty Sam McClain, Mud Morganfield, the Mannish Boys, and Joe Bonamassa round out the year’s top-tier performers, each scoring noms in three categories. Tickets are now on sale for the May 9, 2013 ceremony which will be held at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis. Voting is also currently open to foundation members. Take a look at the complete list of nominations below. Representing Louisiana in the group are: Tab Benoit (Contemporary Blues Male Artist), Irma Thomas (Soul Blues Female Artist), Bobby Rush (Soul Blues Male Artist) and the Royal Southern Brotherhood (Rock Blues Album, Royal Southern Brotherhood ).

Royal Southern Brotherhood, Blues Award

The Royal Southern Brotherhood is nominated in the Rock Blues Album category (photo: Jerry Moran)

Acoustic Album
Billy Boy Arnold Sings Big Bill Broonzy – Billy Boy Arnold
Blues on Solid Ground – John Primer
Deeper in the Well – Eric Bibb
Not Alone – Ann Rabson w/ Bob Margolin
Talking Guitar – Paul Rishell

Acoustic Artist
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Doug MacLeod
Eric Bibb
Harrison Kennedy
Paul Rishell

Album
And Still I Rise – Heritage Blues Orchestra
Double Dynamite – The Mannish Boys
Show of Strength – Michael Burks
Son of the Seventh Son – Mud Morganfield
Stronger For It – Janiva Magness

B.B. King Entertainer
Curtis Salgado
Janiva Magness
Joe Louis Walker
John Nemeth
Rick Estrin

Band
Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials
Phantom Blues Band
Rick Estrin & the Nightcats
Tedeschi Trucks Band
The Mannish Boys

Best New Artist Debut
24 Hour Blues – Charles “CD” Davis
They Call Me Big Llou – Big LLou Johnson
Turning on the Naughty – Paula Harris
Uphill from Anywhere – Brad Hatfield
Wanna Feel Somethin’ – Mary Bridget Davies

Contemporary Blues Album
Blak & Blu – Gary Clark, Jr.
Blues Live – John Nemeth
Candy Store Kid – Ian Siegal & the Mississippi Mudbloods
Hellfire – Joe Louis Walker
Show of Strength – Michael Burks
Stronger For It – Janiva Magness

Contemporary Blues Female Artist
Bettye LaVette
Janiva Magness
Shakura S’Aida
Shemekia Copeland
Susan Tedeschi

Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Gary Clark, Jr.
Joe Louis Walker
Michael Burks
Robert Cray
Tab Benoit

DVD
Blackbird Music/55 for Arts Club Production for The Lucky Peterson Band feat. Tamara Peterson: Live at the 55 Arts Club Berlin by Lucky Peterson
Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art/Broke & Hungry Records for We Juke Up in Here! Mississippi’s Juke Joint Culture at the Crossroads
Delta Groove Music for That’s My Thing – Elvin Bishop Live in Concert by Elvin Bishop
Eagle Rock Entertainment for Live at Checkerboard Lounge by Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones
J&R Adventures for Beacon Theatre – Live from New York by Joe Bonamassa

Gibson Guitar
Derek Trucks
Joe Bonamassa
Joe Louis Walker
Kid Andersen
Michael Burks

Historical Album
Bear Family Records for Plug It In! Turn It Up! Electric Blues by Various Artists
Real Gone Music for Complete Hit Singles A’s & B’s by Little Willie John
Rock Beat Records for Raw Blues: Magic Sam Live 1969 by Magic Sam
Silk City Records for Someday… by Otis Spann
Universal Music Group for Ladies & Gentlemen… Mr. B.B. King by B.B. King

Instrumentalist-Drums
Cedric Burnside
Cody Dickinson
Jimi Bott
Kenny Smith
Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist-Bass
Bill Stuve
Bob Stroger
Patrick Rynn
Richard Cousins
Scot Sutherland
Willie J. Campbell

Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Billy Boy Arnold
Bob Corritore
John Nemeth
Kim Wilson
Mark Hummel
Rick Estrin

Instrumentalist-Horn
Al Basile
Big James Montgomery
Eddie Shaw
Kaz Kazanoff
Terry Hanck

Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)
Diunna Greenleaf
Jewel Brown
Maria Muldaur
Ruthie Foster
Tracy Nelson

Rock Blues Album
Blues for the Modern Daze – Walter Trout
Driving Towards the Daylight – Joe Bonamassa
Everybody’s Talkin’ – Tedeschi Trucks Band
Here I Am – Nick Moss
Royal Southern Brotherhood – Royal Southern Brotherhood

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
Barrelhouse Chuck
Chuck Leavell
David Maxwell
Deanna Bogart
Mike Finnegan
Victor Wainwright

Song
“I Won’t Cry”  – Janiva Magness & Dave Darling – Stronger for It – Janiva Magness
“Lemon Pie”- John Hahn & Oliver Wood – 33 1/3 – Shemekia Copeland
“She Didn’t Cut Me Loose” written by Curtis Salgado, Marlon McClain & Dave Duncan on Soul Shot by Curtis Salgado
“The Devil Ain’t Got No Music” written by Matthew Skoller & Lurrie Bell on The Devil Ain’t Got No Music by Lurrie Bell
“Too Much Jesus (Not Enough Whiskey)” written by Sam McClain & Pat Herlehy on Too Much Jesus (Not Enough Whiskey) by Mighty Sam McClain

Soul Blues Album
Blues Heart – Dorothy Moore
Soul Live – John Nemeth
Soul Shot – Curtis Salgado
Soul Survivor – Johnny Rawls

Too Much Jesus (Not Enough Whiskey) – Mighty Sam McClain

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

Soul Blues Male Artist
Bobby Rush
Curtis Salgado
John Nemeth
Johnny Rawls
Mighty Sam McClain

Traditional Blues Album
And Still I Rise – Heritage Blues Orchestra
Double Dynamite – The Mannish Boys
Milton Hopkins with Jewel Brown – Milton Hopkins with Jewel Brown
Son of the Seventh Son – Mud Morganfield
Spider Eating Preacher – Eddie C. Campbell

Traditional Blues Male Artist
Bob Margolin
John Primer
Lil’ Ed
Magic Slim
Mud Morganfield