Blues Music Award
Die Blues Music Awards sind die höchste Auszeichnung der Blues Foundation, einer Organisation zur Förderung des Blues und seines Erbes. Sie werden seit 1980 jährlich in Memphis für besondere Verdienste um den Blues vergeben. Von vielen werden die Awards als die höchste Auszeichnung angesehen, die ein Bluesmusiker in den USA erhalten kann.
Von 1995 bis 2005 hießen die Auszeichnungen offiziell W. C. Handy Blues Awards, nach W. C. Handy, dem „Vater des Blues“. Seit 2006 ist die offizielle Bezeichnung Blues Music Awards. In den Jahren davor firmierten die Preise unter National Blues Music Awards (1980 und 1982), Blues Awards (1981), Annual Blues Awards (1983–1987, 1989–1990), Annual Blues Music Awards (1988) sowie Annual Blues Awards – The Handys (1991) und Annual Blues Music Awards – The Handys (1992–1994).[1] Als Kurzform findet von daher auch der Begriff Handy für einen Blues Music Award Verwendung.
Ähnlich wie die Grammys werden die Handys in verschiedenen Kategorien vergeben, etwa „Blues Album of the Year“, „Blues Entertainer of the Year“, „Blues Song of the Year“ und so weiter. Aus jeweils fünf Nominierten wird der Preisträger jeder Kategorie ermittelt.
Die Preisträger werden von einem Gremium nominiert, das sich aus Vertretern verschiedener Berufsgruppen zusammensetzt, die mit Blues in Verbindung stehen. Sie werden von den Mitgliedern der Blues Foundation ausgewählt, wobei auch die regionale Verteilung berücksichtigt wird. Der Großteil kommt aus den USA, doch gibt es auch Nominatoren aus Kanada, Europa und Zentralamerika. Die endgültige Abstimmung erfolgt durch die Mitglieder der Blues Foundation.
Preisträger 2009
Acoustic Album of the Year
Eden Brent – Mississippi Number One
Acoustic Artist of the Year
Album of the Year
Buddy Guy – Skin Deep
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Janiva Magness
Band of the Year
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
Best New Artist Debut
Cedric Burnside & Lightnin' Malcolm – 2 Man Wrecking Crew
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Buddy Guy – Skin Deep
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Janiva Magness
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
DVD
Broke & Hungry Records, Cathead Blues & Mudpuppy Recordings – M For Mississippi: A Road Trip Through The Birthplace of the Blues
Historical Album of the Year
Eagle Records – Albert Collins Live At Montreux 1992
Instrumentalist-Bass
Mookie Brill
Instrumentalist-Drums
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Billy Gibson
Instrumentalist-Horn
Instrumentalist-Other
Otis Taylor – Banjo
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
Rock Blues Album of the Year
Jeff Healey – Mess of Blues
Song of the Year
Kenny Neal – Let Life Flow (Kenny Neal)
Soul Blues Album of the Year
Irma Thomas – Simply Grand
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
Bobby Rush
Traditional Blues Album of the Year
B.B. King – One Kind Favor
Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year
Koko Taylor
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
B.B. King
Preisträger 2010
Acoustic Album of the Year
- David Maxwell & Louisiana Red, You Got to Move
Acoustic Artist of the Year
Album of the Year
- Joe Louis Walker, Between a Rock and the Blues
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Band of the Year
- Tommy Castro Band
Best New Artist Debut
- Monkey Junk, Tiger in your Tank
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
- Tommy Castro, Hard Believer
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
- Ruthie Foster
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
- Tommy Castro
DVD
- Delmark Records, It Ain't Over! Delmark Celebrates 55 Years of Blues, Live at Buddy Guy's Legends
Historical Album of the Year
- Chess, Authorized Bootleg (Muddy Waters)
Instrumentalist-Bass
- Bob Stroger
Instrumentalist-Drums
- Cedric Burnside
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
- Jason Ricci
Instrumentalist-Horn
- Deanna Bogart
Instrumentalist-Other
- Buckwheat Zydeco (Akkordeon)
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
Rock Blues Album of the Year
- Derek Trucks Band, Already Free
Song of the Year
- Cyril Neville & Mike Zito, 'Pearl River' (Pearl River--Mike Zito)
Soul Blues Album of the Year
- Johnny Rawls, Ace Of Spades
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
- Curtis Salgado
Traditional Blues Album of the Year
- Super Chikan, Chikadelic
Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year
- Debbie Davies
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
Preisträger 2011
Die Blues Music Awards wurden am 5. Mai 2011 bei einer Gala im Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee vergeben.
Acoustic Album of the Year
- Last Train to Bluesville - The Nighthawks
Acoustic Artist of the Year
- John Hammond
Album of the Year
- Living Proof, Buddy Guy
B.B King Entertainer of the Year
- Buddy Guy
Band of the Year
- The Derek Trucks Band
Best New Artist Debut
- Matt Hill - On the Floor
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
- Living Proof - Buddy Guy
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
- Robin Rogers
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
- Buddy Guy
DVD
- Ruf-Songs From The Road - Luther Allison
Historical Album of the Year
- Delta Groove - Harmonica Blues - Bob Corritore & Friends (Koko, Pinetop, Nappy Brown, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, et al.)
Instrumentalist-Bass
- Bob Stroger
Instrumentalist-Drums
- Cedric Burnside
Instrumentalist-Guitar
- Derek Trucks
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
- Charlie Musselwhite
Instrumentalist-Horn
- Eddie Shaw
Instrumentalist-Other
- Sonny Rhodes - Lap Steel Guitar
Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)
- Ruthie Foster
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
- Dr. John
Rock Blues Album of the Year
- Live! In Chicago - Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band featuring Hubert Sumlin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Bryan Lee and Buddy Flett
Song of the Year
- Living Proof - Tom Hambridge/Buddy Guy - Living Proof, Buddy Guy
Soul Blues Album of the Year
- Nothing's Impossible - Solomon Burke
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year
- Irma Thomas
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
- Solomon Burke
Traditional Blues Album of the Year
- Joined At the Hip - Pinetop Perkins & Willie 'Big Eyes' Smith
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
- Charlie Musselwhite
Preisträger 2014
Die Preisträger wurden am 8. Mai 2014 bei einer Gala in Memphis verkündet.
Acoustic Album of the Year
- There’s a Time – Doug MacLeod
Acoustic Artist of the Year
Album of the Year
- Remembering Little Walter – Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia, James Harman
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Band of the Year
Best New Artist Debut
- Daddy Told Me – Shawn Holt & the Teardrops
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
- Badlands – Trampled Under Foot
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
- Gary Clark Jr.
DVD
- Ruf Records – Songs from the Road (Royal Southern Brotherhood)
Historical Album of the Year
Bear Family – The Sun Blues Box
Instrumentalist-Bass
- Danielle Schnebelen
Instrumentalist-Drums
- Cedric Burnside
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Instrumentalist-Horn
Koko Taylor Award
- Diunna Greenleaf
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
- Victor Wainwright
Rock Blues Album
- Made Up Mind – Tedeschi Trucks Band
Song
- ”Blues in My Soul” – Lurrie Bell
Soul Blues Album
- Down in Louisiana – Bobby Rush
Soul Blues Female Artist
Soul Blues Male Artist
- John Nemeth
Traditional Blues Album
- Remembering Little Walter – Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia, James Harman
Traditional Blues Male Artist
Preisträger 2015
Die Preisträger wurden am 7. Mai 2015 bei einer Gala in Memphis verkündet.
Acoustic Album of the Year
- Timeless – John Hammond
Acoustic Artist of the Year
Album of the Year
- Can’t Even Do Wrong Right – Elvin Bishop
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Band of the Year
- Elvin Bishop Band
Best New Artist Debut
- Don’t Call No Ambulance – Selwyn Birchwood
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
- BluesAmericana – Keb’ Mo’
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
- Janivna Magness
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
- Gary Clark Jr.
Historical Album of the Year
Soul & Swagger: The Complete “5” Royales 1951-1967 – The “5” Royales (Rock Beat)
Instrumentalist-Bass
- Lisa Mann
Instrumentalist-Drums
- Jimmi Bott
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Instrumentalist-Horn
Koko Taylor Award
- Ruthie Foster
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
Rock Blues Album
- Step Back – Johnny Winter
Song
- “Can’t Even Do Wrong Right” – Elvin Bishop
Soul Blues Album
- Memphis Grease – John Nemeth
Soul Blues Female Artist
- Sista Monica
Soul Blues Male Artist
Traditional Blues Album
- For Pops (A Tribute to Muddy Waters) – Mud Morganfield & Kim Wilson