Blues Music Awards facts for kids
The Blues Music Awards are super important awards given out every year to celebrate the best in blues music. They are like the "Oscars" for blues artists! These awards are presented by the Blues Foundation, which is a group that works to keep the history and future of blues music strong.
The awards started in 1980 and were first called the W. C. Handy Awards. They were named after W. C. Handy, who is known as the "Father of the Blues." In 2006, the name was changed to Blues Music Awards. This was done so more people would understand how special these awards are.
The awards ceremony usually happens in Memphis, Tennessee. That's where the Blues Foundation is located. It's a big event where musicians and fans come together to honor amazing blues artists. The 45th Blues Music Awards were held on May 8, 2024, in Memphis. The 46th event took place on May 9, 2025.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremonies in 2020 and 2021 were held online. But in 2022, the awards returned to being an in-person event.
Contents
What Are the Blues Music Awards?
The Blues Music Awards honor many different parts of blues music. There are awards for the best albums, songs, and artists. They also recognize musicians who play specific instruments like guitar, harmonica, or piano.
Some awards are named after famous blues legends. For example, the B. B. King Entertainer of the Year award celebrates an artist who is great at performing. The Koko Taylor Award honors a top female traditional blues singer.
Blues Music Awards Categories
The awards cover many styles of blues. This includes Acoustic Blues, Contemporary Blues, Soul Blues, and Traditional Blues. There are also awards for Blues Rock. This shows how diverse and exciting blues music is!
2025 Blues Music Award Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Acoustic Album of the Year | One Guitar Woman, Sue Foley |
| Acoustic Artist of the Year | Keb' Mo' |
| Album of the Year | Blame it on Eve, Shemekia Copeland |
| B. B. King Entertainer of the Year | Mr. Sipp |
| Band of the Year | Rick Estrin & The Nightcats |
| Best Emerging Artist Album | Revelation, Piper and the Hard Times |
| Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | Blues in My DNA, Ronnie Baker Brooks |
| Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Ruthie Foster |
| Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Ronnie Baker Brooks |
| Instrumentalist – Bass | Bob Stroger |
| Instrumentalist – Drums | Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith |
| Instrumentalist – Guitar | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Billy Branch |
| Instrumentalist – Horn | Vanessa Collier |
| Instrumentalist – Vocals | Ruthie Foster |
| Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Eden Brent |
| Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Sue Foley |
| Blues Rock Album of the Year | Life is Hard, Mike Zito |
| Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Tommy Castro |
| Song of the Year | "Blues in My DNA", written by Ronnie Baker Brooks |
| Soul Blues Album of the Year | Fine By Me, Curtis Salgado |
| Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Thornetta Davis |
| Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Curtis Salgado |
| Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Crawlin' Kingsnake, John Primer and Bob Corritore |
| Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | John Primer |
2024 Blues Music Award Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Acoustic Album of the Year | Raw Blues 1, Doug MacLeod |
| Acoustic Artist of the Year | Keb' Mo' |
| Album of the Year | Live In London, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| B. B. King Entertainer of the Year | Bobby Rush |
| Band of the Year | Nick Moss Band |
| Best Emerging Artist Album | The Right Man, D.K. Harrell |
| Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | Live In London, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Danielle Nicole |
| Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Instrumentalist – Bass | Bob Stroger |
| Instrumentalist – Drums | Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith |
| Instrumentalist – Guitar | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Jason Ricci |
| Instrumentalist – Horn | Vanessa Collier |
| Instrumentalist – Vocals | Ruthie Foster |
| Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne |
| Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Sue Foley |
| Blues Rock Album of the Year | Blood Brothers, Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia |
| Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Mike Zito |
| Song of the Year | "What Kind of Fool", written by Ruthie Foster, Hadden Sayers and Scottie Miller |
| Soul Blues Album of the Year | All My Love for You, Bobby Rush |
| Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Annika Chambers |
| Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | John Németh |
| Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Teardrops for Magic Slim: Live at Rosa's Lounge, John Primer |
| Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | John Primer |
2023 Blues Music Award Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Acoustic Album of the Year | Mississippi Son, Charlie Musselwhite |
| Acoustic Artist of the Year | Doug MacLeod |
| Album of the Year | The Blues Don't Lie, Buddy Guy |
| B. B. King Entertainer of the Year | Tommy Castro |
| Band of the Year | Tedeschi Trucks Band |
| Best Emerging Artist Album | Who Is He?, Dylan Triplett |
| Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | The Blues Don't Lie, Buddy Guy |
| Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Ruthie Foster |
| Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Instrumentalist – Bass | Danielle Nicole |
| Instrumentalist – Drums | Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith |
| Instrumentalist – Guitar | Laura Chavez |
| Instrumentalist – Harmonica | John Németh |
| Instrumentalist – Horn | Deanna Bogart |
| Instrumentalist – Vocals | Shemekia Copeland |
| Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Anthony Geraci |
| Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Sue Foley |
| Blues Rock Album of the Year | I Got Love, Albert Castiglia |
| Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Albert Castiglia |
| Song of the Year | "Blues Don't Lie" (Tom Hambridge), Buddy Guy |
| Soul Blues Album of the Year | In Too Deep, Sugaray Rayford |
| Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Thornetta Davis |
| Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Curtis Salgado |
| Traditional Blues Album of the Year | May Be the Last Time, John Németh |
| Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | John Primer |
2022 Blues Music Award Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Acoustic Album of the Year | Dear America, Eric Bibb |
| Acoustic Artist of the Year | Keb' Mo' |
| Album of the Year | Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town, Tommy Castro |
| B. B. King Entertainer of the Year | Tommy Castro |
| Band of the Year | Tommy Castro & The Painkillers |
| Best Emerging Artist Album | Live On Beale Street: A Tribute To Bobby "Blue" Bland, Rodd Bland and the Members Only Band |
| Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | 662, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Vanessa Collier |
| Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Instrumentalist – Bass | Danielle Nicole |
| Instrumentalist – Drums | Tom Hambridge |
| Instrumentalist – Guitar | Eric Gales |
| Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Jason Ricci |
| Instrumentalist – Horn | Jimmy Carpenter |
| Instrumentalist – Vocals | John Németh |
| Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Mike Finnigan |
| Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Sue Foley |
| Blues Rock Album of the Year | Resurrection, Mike Zito |
| Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Albert Castiglia |
| Song of the Year | "I'd Climb Mountains", Selwyn Birchwood |
| Soul Blues Album of the Year | Long As I Got My Guitar, Zac Harmon |
| Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Annika Chambers |
| Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Curtis Salgado |
| Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Pinky's Blues, Sue Foley |
| Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | Taj Mahal |
2021 Blues Music Award Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Acoustic Album of the Year | Rawer Than Raw, Bobby Rush |
| Acoustic Artist of the Year | Keb' Mo' |
| Album of the Year | 100 Years of Blues, Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite |
| B. B. King Entertainer of the Year | Shemekia Copeland |
| Band of the Year | Rick Estrin & The Nightcats |
| Best Emerging Artist Album | Harlem, King Solomon Hicks |
| Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | Uncivil War, Shemekia Copeland |
| Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Shemekia Copeland |
| Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Instrumentalist – Bass | Danielle Nicole |
| Instrumentalist – Drums | Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith |
| Instrumentalist – Guitar | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Kim Wilson |
| Instrumentalist – Horn | Jimmy Carpenter |
| Instrumentalist – Vocals | Ruthie Foster |
| Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Anthony Geraci |
| Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Rory Block |
| Blues Rock Album of the Year | Mike Zito and Friends – Rock 'n' Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry, Mike Zito |
| Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Mike Zito |
| Song of the Year | "All Out of Tears" – written by Walter Trout, Marie Trout, and Teeny Tucker (performed by Walter Trout) |
| Soul Blues Album of the Year | That's What I Heard, Robert Cray Band |
| Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Bettye LaVette |
| Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Curtis Salgado |
| Traditional Blues Album of the Year | 100 Years of Blues, Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite |
| Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | John Primer |
2020 Blues Music Award Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Acoustic Album of the Year | This Guitar and Tonight, Bob Margolin |
| Acoustic Artist of the Year | Doug MacLeod |
| Album of the Year | Kingfish, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| B. B. King Entertainer of the Year | Sugaray Rayford |
| Band of the Year | The Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling |
| Best Emerging Artist Album | Kingfish, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | Kingfish, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Shemekia Copeland |
| Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Instrumentalist – Bass | Michael "Mudcat" Ward |
| Instrumentalist – Drums | Cedric Burnside |
| Instrumentalist – Guitar | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram |
| Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Rick Estrin |
| Instrumentalist – Horn | Vanessa Collier |
| Instrumentalist – Vocals | Mavis Staples |
| Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Victor Wainwright |
| Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Sue Foley |
| Blues Rock Album of the Year | Masterpiece, Albert Castiglia |
| Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Eric Gales |
| Song of the Year | "Lucky Guy", Nick Moss |
| Soul Blues Album of the Year | Sitting on Top of the Blues, Bobby Rush |
| Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Bettye LaVette |
| Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Sugaray Rayford |
| Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Lucky Guy!, The Nick Moss Band featuring Dennis Gruenling |
| Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | Jimmie Vaughan |
2019 Blues Music Award Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Acoustic Album of the Year | Journeys to the Heart of the Blues, Joe Louis Walker, Bruce Katz, Giles Robson |
| Acoustic Artist of the Year | Rory Block |
| Album of the Year | America's Child, Shemekia Copeland |
| B. B. King Entertainer of the Year | Mike Ledbetter |
| Band of the Year | Welch-Ledbetter Connection |
| Best Emerging Artist Album | Free, Amanda Fish |
| Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | America's Child, Shemekia Copeland |
| Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Danielle Nicole |
| Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Kenny Neal |
| Instrumentalist – Bass | Danielle Nicole |
| Instrumentalist – Drums | Cedric Burnside |
| Instrumentalist – Guitar | Monster Mike Welch |
| Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Dennis Gruenling |
| Instrumentalist – Horn | Vanessa Collier |
| Instrumentalist – Vocals | Mike Ledbetter |
| Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Marcia Ball |
| Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Ruthie Foster |
| Blues Rock Album of the Year | The Big Bad Blues, Billy F Gibbons |
| Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Eric Gales |
| Song of the Year | "No Mercy In This Land", Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite |
| Soul Blues Album of the Year | I'm Still Around, Johnny Rawls |
| Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Annika Chambers |
| Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Sugaray Rayford |
| Traditional Blues Album of the Year | The Blues Is Alive and Well, Buddy Guy |
| Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | Nick Moss |
2018 Blues Music Award Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|---|
| Acoustic Album of the Year | Break the Chain, Doug MacLeod |
| Acoustic Artist of the Year | Taj Mahal |
| Album of the Year | TajMo, Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' |
| B. B. King Entertainer of the Year | Taj Mahal |
| Band of the Year | Rick Estrin & The Nightcats |
| Best Emerging Artist Album | Southern Avenue – Southern Avenue |
| Contemporary Blues Album of the Year | TajMo, Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' |
| Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year | Samantha Fish |
| Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year | Keb' Mo' |
| Historical Album of the Year | A Legend Never Dies, Essential Recordings 1976-1997 – Luther Allison |
| Instrumentalist – Bass | Michael "Mudcat" Ward |
| Instrumentalist – Drums | Tony Braunagel |
| Instrumentalist – Guitar | Ronnie Earl |
| Instrumentalist – Harmonica | Jason Ricci |
| Instrumentalist – Horn | Trombone Shorty |
| Instrumentalist – Vocals | Beth Hart |
| Pinetop Perkins Piano Player | Victor Wainwright |
| Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female) | Ruthie Foster |
| Blues Rock Album of the Year | We’re All In This Together, Walter Trout |
| Blues Rock Artist of the Year | Mike Zito |
| Song of the Year | "The Blues Ain’t Going Nowhere", Rick Estrin |
| Soul Blues Album of the Year | Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm – Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm |
| Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year | Mavis Staples |
| Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year | Curtis Salgado |
| Traditional Blues Album of the Year | Right Place, Right Time, Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter |
| Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year | Rick Estrin |
See also
In Spanish: Blues Music Awards para niños
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Blues Music Awards Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.