2008 Blues Music Awards Winners Announced

blues music awards

Blues Music Awards
2008 Winners

Event held for the first time in the birthplace of the blues

The Blues Music Awards ceremony was held in the Mississippi Delta, the birthplace of the blues, for the first time in their 29 year history earlier this week, when the prestigious event took place at the Grand Casino and Hotel in Tunica, Mississippi on Thursday, May 8th.

Honouring outstanding achievements in Blues performance, the Blues Music Awards (formally known as the Handy Awards) are considered by many to be the “Grammys” of the blues world and recognize excellence in blues performance and recording. Awards were handed out in twenty-five categories and were selected by the Blues Foundation member’s votes.

More than 65 nominees were confirmed to attend the event, many of whom performed throughout the evening, often in rare pairings for which the awards ceremony has become famous.

The previous night, the Blues Foundation held its induction ceremony for the Blues Hall of Fame, honouring the individual achievements of guitarists Hubert Sumlin and Johnny “Guitar” Watson, pianist Jimmy McCracklin, singer Jimmy Weatherspoon, pre-WWII string band the Mississippi Sheiks, and country blues performer Peetie Wheatstraw.

for more info visit www.blues.org

2008 Blues Music Award Winners

1. DVD – Kenny Wayne Shepherd – 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads

2. Traditional Blues Male Artist – Hubert Sumlin

3. Traditional Blues Female Artist – Koko Taylor

4. Acoustic Artist – Bobby Rush

5. Acoustic Album Bobby Rush – Raw

6. Pinetop Perkins Piano Player – Honey Piazza

7. Instrumentalist-Guitar – Bob Margolin

8. Soul Blues Male Artist – Bobby Rush

9. Soul Blues Female Artist – Irma Thomas

10. Soul Blues Album – The Holmes Brothers – State of Grace

11. Historical Album – Epic/Legacy – Breakin’ It UP, Breakin’ it DOWN

12. Contemporary Blues Album – Tommy Castro – Painkiller

13. Contemporary Blues Female Artist – Bettye LaVette

14. Contemporary Blues Male Artist – Tab Benoit

15. Instrumentalist-Harmonica – Kim Wilson

16. Instrumentalist-Bass – Bob Stroger

17. Instrumentalist-Drums – Sam Lay

18. Instrumentalist-Horn – Deanna Bogart

19. Instrumentalist-Pedal Steel- Robert Randolph

20. Best New Artist Debut – Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy – Cotton Field to Coffee House

21. Song – “Gonna Buy Me a Mule” – Koko Taylor

22. Traditional Blues Album – Koko Taylor – Old School

23. Album – Watermelon Slim & the Workers – The Wheel Man

24. Band – Watermelon Slim & the Workers

25. B.B. King Entertainer – Tommy Castro