2006 Blues Music Nominees Announced

2006 – 2006 BLUES MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

The 2006 Blues Music Awards honour Blues performers and the best in Blues recordings and performances. Formerly known as the W.C. Handy Awards, the honour is considered the highest recognition bestowed upon those of the Blues music industry. The awards will be handed out at the annual event held in Memphis, Tennesse, on Thursday, May 11, 2006.

Nominees for the 2006 Awards:

Acoustic Album of the Year

A Ship Called Love – Eric Bibb
Down In The Delta – Paul Oscher
Birthright – James Blood Ulmer
In Your Arms Again – John Hammond
Sweet Lovin’ Ol’ Soul – Maria Muldaur

Acoustic Artist of the Year

Rory Block
Doug MacLeod
Paul Oscher
Eric Bibb
Corey Harris

Album of the Year

Think of Me – Little Milton
Sadie Mae – Nick Moss & the Flip-Tops
About Them Shoes – Hubert Sumlin
Anything Can Happen – Magic Slim & the Teardrops
That Represent Man – The Mannish Boys

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year

Magic Slim
Buddy Guy
Marcia Ball
Little Milton
Bobby Rush

Band of the Year

Magic Slim and the Teardrops
Fabulous Thunderbirds
Holmes Brothers
Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers
Little Charlie & the Nightcats

Best New Artist Debut

Mitch Kashmar – Nickels and Dimes
Billy Gibson – The Billy Gibson Band
Duwayne Burnside – Under Pressure
Zac Harmon – The Blues According to Zacariah
Eddie Turner – Rise

Comeback Album of the Year

Better To Have It – Bobby Purify
Black Coffee – Al Kooper
Club Caravan – Big George Brock
Flash Forward – The Siegel-Schwall Band
Soul Sanctuary – Hollywood Blue Flames

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year

Gettin’ My Groove Back – Elvin Bishop
Fever For The Bayou – Tab Benoit
Live! Down The Road – Marcia Ball
Soul Shaker – Tommy Castro
The Soul Truth – Shemekia Copeland

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year

Janiva Magness
Marcia Ball
Shemekia Copeland
Debbie Davies
Susan Tedeschi

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year

Kim Wilson
Tommy Castro
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Sonny Landreth
Tab Benoit

Historical Album of the Year

Stompin’ At Mother Blues – J.B. Hutto
The Great Johnny Adams Blues Album – Johnny Adams
Hoochie Coochie Man: Complete Chess Recordings, Volume 2, 1952-1958 – Muddy Waters
Strictly Live in ’85…Plus! – James Harman,
The Essential Taj Mahal – Taj Mahal

Instrumentalist-Bass

Bob Stroger
Bill Stuve
Larry Taylor
Mookie Brill
Michael “Mudcat” Ward

Instrumentalist-Drums

Willie “Big Eyes” Smith
Jimi Bott
Sam Carr
Sam Lay
Popsy Dixon

Instrumentalist-Guitar

Ronnie Earl
Hubert Sumlin
Kirk Fletcher
Bob Margolin
Charlie (Little Charlie) Baty
Sonny Landreth

Instrumentalist-Harmonica

Charlie Musselwhite
Kim Wilson
James Cotton
Rick Estrin
Carey Bell

Instrumentalist-Horn

Mark Kazanoff
Eddie Shaw
Calvin Owens
Sax Gordon
Big James Montgomery
Greg Piccolo

Instrumentalist-Other

Rich DelGrosso – Mandolin
Otis Taylor – Banjo
Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown – Fiddle
Sonny Rhodes – Lap Steel
Robert Randolph – Pedal steel

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year

Marcia Ball
Honey Piazza
Dr. John
Henry Butler
Jon Cleary

Song of the Year

“Think Of Me”, written by Jon Tiven, Milton Campbell, Pete Shoulder, performed by Little Milton, Think Of Me
“Who Stole My Radio?”, written by John Hahn & Joe Hudson, performed by Shemekia Copeland, The Soul Truth
“What the Hell is Going On”, written by Elvin Bishop, performed by Elvin Bishop, Gettin’ My Groove Back
“Twenty”, written by Robert Cray, performed by Robert Cray, Twenty
“Dubb’s Talkin’ Politician Blues”, written by Doug MacLeod, performed by Doug MacLeod, Dubb

Soul Blues Album of the Year

I’m From Phunkville – Mem Shannon
Night Fishin’ – Bobby Rush
Respect Yourself – Otis Clay
Make Do With What You Got – Solomon Burke
I’ve Got My Own Hell to Raise – Betty LaVette
Think of Me – Little Milton

Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year

Irma Thomas
Mavis Staples
Bettye LaVette
Denise LaSalle
Sista Monica Parker

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year

Mem Shannon
Mighty Sam McClain
Solomon Burke
Little Milton
Bobby Rush

Traditional Album of the Year

That Represent Man – The Mannish Boys
Jukin’ at Bettie’s – Willie King
About Them Shoes – Hubert Sumlin
Anything Can Happen – Magic Slim and the Teardrops
Sadie Mae – Nick Moss & the Flip Tops

Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year
Maria Muldaur
Etta James
Ann Rabson
Ruth Brown
Koko Taylor
Nora Jean Bruso
Precious Bryant

Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year

Hubert Sumlin
Magic Slim
Robert Lockwood Jr.
Willie King
B.B. King