The Blues Foundation Music Awards

The Blues Foundation is Memphis-based, but world-renown as THE organization dedicated to preserving blues music history, celebrating recording and performance excellence, supporting blues education and ensuring the future of this American musical art form.

Founded in 1980, The Blues Foundation has over 3500 individual members and over 185 affiliated local blues societies representing an estimated 50,000 fans, musicians and other professionals around the world.

Its signature honors and events–the Blues Music Awards, Blues Hall of Fame, International Blues Challenge and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards–make it the international center of blues music.

The Blues Foundation’s 31st annual Blues Music Awards will be held Thursday, May 6th, 2010 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, TN.

The annual event is often a marathon, typically running 7+ hours including performances by the various nominees.

Here are some of the Blues Music Award nominations for 2010:

Best Instrumentalist – Guitar

• Derek Trucks
• Duke Robillard
• Joe Louis Walker
• Lurrie Bell
• Ronnie Earl

Best New Artist Debut

• Greg Nagy – Walk That Fine Thin Line (Big O Records)
• Joanne Shaw Taylor – White Sugar (Ruf Records)
• Marquise Knox – Man Child (APO Records)
• Monkey Junk – Tiger in Your Tank (Beefy)
• The California Honeydrops – Soul Tub! (Tub-Tone Records)

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year

• Candye Kane – Superhero (Delta Groove)
• Joe Louis Walker – Between a Rock and the Blues (Stony Plain Records)
• Rick Estrin and the Nightcats – Twisted (Alligator Records)
• Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters – Living in the Light (Stony Plain Records)
• Tommy Castro – Hard Believer (Alligator Records)

Historical Album of the Year

• Freddie King – Taking Care of Business 1956-1973 (Bear Family Records)
• Muddy Waters – Authorized Bootleg: Live at the Fillmore Auditorium (Geffen Records)
• Gary Moore – Essential Montreux (Eagle Records)
• Little Walter – The Complete Chess Masters 1950-1967 (Hip-O Select)
• Sean Costello – Sean’s Blues (Landslide Records)

You can find the complete list of nominees and read more at THE BLUES FOUNDATION.
 

The event will also be simulcast on Sirius XM Radio by the Program Director of B.B. king’s Bluesville, Mr. Bill Wax, at Exit 74, on the XM Highway.

CLICK HERE to listen at 8PM EST.