Winners of the 2026 Blues Music Awards + Canadian Nominees

The winners of the 2026 Blues Music Awards were announced on May 7.

Below is complete list of winners & nominees. Canadian artists are bolded.

International Blues Album

• WINNER: J.T.Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters, “Still be friends”
• Brandon Isaak, “Walkin With The Blues”
• Honeybear, the Band, “I Was Wrong”
• The Angelique Francis Band, “Not Defeated”
• Hubert Dorigatti & Blues Harp Masters, “Poor Boy”

Instrumentalist – Harmonica

• WINNER: Billy Branch
• Kim Wilson (from Fabulous Thunderbirds) (signed to Waterdown's Stony Plain Records)
• Bob Corritore
• Brandon Santini
• John Nemeth

Acoustic Blues Album

• WINNER: Doug MacLeod, “Between Somewhere and Goodbye”
• Catfish Keith, “Sugar for Sugar – Vol. 1 2025 Summer Sessions”
• Erin Harpe, “Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt”
• Hudspeth & Taylor, “Kimuziki Live in Des Moines”
• Johnny Iguana, “At Delmark”

Acoustic Blues Artist

• WINNER: Kevin Burt
• Catfish Keith
• Doug MacLeod
• Eric Bibb
• Rhiannon Giddens

Album of the Year

• WINNER: D.K. Harrell, “Talkin’ Heavy”
• Blood Brothers Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia, “Help Yourself”
• Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “Young Fashioned Ways”
• Larry McCray, “Heartbreak City”
• Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, “Closer To The Bone”

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year

• WINNER: Ronnie Baker Brooks
• Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp)
• Rick Estrin
• Ruthie Foster
• Vanessa Collier

Band of the Year

• WINNER: Tedeschi Trucks Band
• Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
• John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers
• Southern Avenue
• Vanessa Collier Band

Best Emerging Artist Album

• WINNER: Sean McDonald, “Have Mercy!”
• Brody Buster, “Redemption”
• Allison August, “August Moon”
• Robbin Kapsalis, “THE BLUES IS IN THE HOUSE”
• Kyle Rowland, “NOT HOLDING BACK!”

Blues Rock Album

• WINNER: Blood Brothers Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia, “Help Yourself”
• Devon Allman, “BLUES SUMMIT”
• Kent Burnside, “Hill Country Blood”
• Tom Hambridge, “Down The Hatch”
• Walter Trout, “Sign Of The Times”

Blues Rock Artist

• WINNER: Tommy Castro
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd
• Kirk Fletcher
• Walter Trout

Contemporary Blues Album

• WINNER: D.K. Harrell, “Talkin’ Heavy”
• Brandon Santini, “Which Way Do We Go?”
• Carolyn Wonderland, “Truth Is”
• Monster Mike Welch, “Keep Living Til I Die”
• Southern Avenue, “Family”

Contemporary Blues Female Artist

• WINNER: Danielle Nicole
• Carolyn Wonderland
• Ruthie Foster
• Samantha Fish
• Vanessa Collier

Contemporary Blues Male Artist

• WINNER: Christone ”Kingfish” Ingram
• Brandon Santini
• Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp)
• Chris Cain
• D.K. Harrell

Instrumentalist – Bass

• WINNER: Scot Sutherland
• Benny Turner
• Larry Fulcher
• Michael ”Mudcat” Ward
• Rodrigo Mantovani

Instrumentalist – Drums

• WINNER: Derrick D’Mar Martin
• Chris Layton
• Chris Peet
• Tom Hambridge
• Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist – Guitar

• Derek Trucks
• Chris Cain
• Christoffer ”Kid” Andersen
• Joanna Connor
• Ronnie Baker Brooks

Instrumentalist – Horn

• WINNER: Trombone Shorty
• Greg Piccolo
• Jimmy Carpenter
• Mark Kaz Kazanoff
• Regi Oliver

Instrumentalist – Piano 

• WINNER: Marcia Ball
• Anthony Geraci
• Bruce Katz
• Dave Keyes
• Jon Cleary

Instrumentalist – Vocals

• WINNER: Danielle Nicole
• Candice Ivory
• John Nemeth
• Shemekia Copeland
• Susan Tedeschi

Song of the Year

• WINNER: “Can’t Catch a Break” written by Tommy Castro & Christoffer Andersen
  
  
  
  Links: Tommy Castro, More Tommy Castro Stories, Video above courtesy of Tommy Castro
  
  
• “Mile After Mile” written by Brandon Santini & Jeff Jensen
• “Bye Bye Blues” written by Larry McCray & Charlie Walmsley
• “Upside” written by Tierinii Jackson, Tikyra Jackson, Ori Naftaly, Dylan Altman & Marshall Altman
• “Who Was That?” written by Emmett Ellis Jr. & Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Soul Blues Album

• WINNER: Johnny Rawls, “Make Them Dance”
• Dave Keller, “La Brea”
• Jimmy Burns & Soul Message Band, “Full Circle”
• Tad Robinson Band, “Soul In Blue”
• The Soul of John Black, “Soul Salvation”

Soul Blues Female Artist

• WINNER: Thornetta Davis
• Annika Chambers
• Candice Ivory
• Kat Riggins
• Vaneese Thomas

Soul Blues Male Artist

• WINNER: Curtis Salgado
• Alabama Mike
• John Nemeth
• Johnny Rawls
• Tad Robinson

Traditional Blues Album

• WINNER: Buddy Guy, “Ain’t Done With The Blues”
• Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “Young Fashioned Ways”
• Charlie Musselwhite, “Look Out Highway”
• Maria Muldaur, “One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey”
• Roomful Of Blues, “Steppin’ Out”

Traditional Blues Female Artist 

• WINNER: Eden Brent
• Diunna Greenleaf
• Maria Muldaur
• Rhiannon Giddens
• Teeny Tucker

Traditional Blues Male Artist

• WINNER: John Primer
• Billy Branch
• Jimmie Vaughan
• Jontavious Willis
• Rick Estrin

Links: Blues Music Awards, More Blues Music Awards Stories

---

Previous