Blues Music Award Nominations, including Canadian Artists

Nominations for the 2025 Blues Music Awards were recently unveiled. They will be handed out on May 8, 2025 in Memphis.

Below is a complete list of nominees, Canadian artists are bolded.

*signed to Waterdown's Stony Plain Records)

Blues Rock Album

• Struck Down, The Fabulous Thunderbirds - produced, co-written & featuring Steve Strongman (Hamilton) & backing vocals by Chris Ayries (Hamilton) on 'Sideline'*
  
  
  
  Links: Fabulous Thunderbirds, More Fabulous Thunderbirds Stories, Chris Ayries, More Chris Ayries Stories, Video above courtesy of The Fabulous Thunderbirds - Topic
  
  
• About Time, Dennis Jones
• Broken, Walter Trout
• Life is Hard, Mike Zito
• Righteous Souls, Albert Castiglia

Traditional Blues Female Artist

• Sue Foley (Ottawa)*
• Diunna Greenleaf
• Eden Brent
• Rhiannon Giddens
• Teeny Tucker

Acoustic Blues Album

• One Guitar Woman, Sue Foley (Ottawa) *
  
  
  
  Links: Sue Foley, More Sue Foley Stories, Video above courtesy of Sue Foley
  
  
• Naked Truth, Tinsley Ellis
• Raw Blues 2, Doug Macleod
• The Legend of Sugarbelly, Guy Davis
• Things Done Changed, Jerron Paxton

BB King Entertainer of the Year

• Duke Robillard *
• Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
• Rick Estrin
• Shemekia Copeland
• Sugaray Rayford

Traditional Blues Album

• Roll With Me, Duke Robillard *
• Crawlin’ ’Kingsnake, John Primer & Bob Corritore
• Getaway Blues, Eden Brent
• HAPPY HOUR, Mitch Woods
• Hill Country Love, Cedric Burnside

Traditional Blues Male Artist

• Duke Robillard *
• Cedric Burnside
• Jimmie Vaughan
• John Primer
• Jontavious Willis

Acoustic Blues Artist

• Eric Bibb *
• Keb’ Mo’*
• Doug MacLeod
• Guy Davis
• Kevin Burt

Instrumentalist - Harmonica

• Kim Wilson (Fabulous Thunderbirds) *
• Billy Branch
• Bob Corritore
• Mark Hummel
• Rick Estrin

Album of the Year

• Blame It On Eve, Shemekia Copeland
• Fine By Me, Curtis Salgado
• Hill Country Love, Cedric Burnside
• Person of Interest, Billy Price
• What Are You Waiting For?, Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Willy Jordan

Band of the Year

• Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
• John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers
• Nick Moss Band
• Rick Estrin and the Nightcats
• Southern Avenue

Song of the Year

• “Blues For My Dad” performed and written by Chris Cain
• “Blues In My DNA” performed and written by Ronnie Baker Brooks
• “Mama, I love you” performed by Albert Castiglia and written by Albert Castiglia, Kevin Burt, & Jerry Jemmott
• “Tough Mother” performed by Shemekia Copeland and written by John Hahn & Will Kimbrough
• “Watch the World Go By” performed by Eden Brent and written by Bob Dowell & Eden Brent

Best Emerging Artist Album

• 8000 Miles to the Crossroads, Prakash Slim
• Carry On, Destini Rawls
• Drifter, Jovin Webb
• Go Be Free, Sonny Gullage
• Revelation, Piper & The Hard Times

Contemporary Blues Album

• Blame It On Eve, Shemekia Copeland
• Blues In My DNA, Ronnie Baker Brooks
• Do It My Own Way, Vanessa Collier
• Good Intentions Gone Bad, Chris Cain
• The Hits Keep Coming, Rick Estrin & the Nightcats

Soul Blues Album

• Fine By Me, Curtis Salgado
• Human Decency, Sugaray Rayford
• Person of Interest, Billy Price
• REVIVAL, Kat Riggins & her Blues Revival
• What Are You Waiting For?, Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Willy Jordan

Blues Rock Artist

• Albert Castiglia
• Mike Zito
• Tab Benoit
• Tommy Castro
• Walter Trout

Contemporary Blues Female Artist

• Beth Hart
• Carolyn Wonderland
• Danielle Nicole
• Ruthie Foster
• Vanessa Collier

Contemporary Blues Male Artist

• Chris Cain
• Johnny Sansone
• Mike Zito
• Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
• Ronnie Baker Brooks

Soul Blues Female Artist

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

Soul Blues Male Artist

• Alabama Mike
• Billy Price
• Curtis Salgado
• Johnny Rawls
• William Bell

Instrumentalist - Bass

• Benny Turner
• Bob Stroger
• Jerry Jemmott
• Michael ”Mudcat” Ward
• Rodrigo Mantovani

Instrumentalist - Drums

• Chris Peet
• Derrick D’Mar Martin
• June Core
• Kenny ”Beedy Eyes” Smith
• Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist - Guitar

• Chris Cain
• Christoffer ”Kid” Andersen
• Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
• Eric Gales
• Ronnie Baker Brooks

Instrumentalist - Horn

• Jimmy Carpenter
• Doug James
• Deanna Bogart
• Trombone Shorty
• Vanessa Collier

Instrumentalist - Piano (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player)

• Anthony Geraci
• Ben Levin
• Bruce Katz
• Eden Brent
• Mitch Woods

Instrumentalist - Vocals

• Beth Hart
• Billy Price
• Curtis Salgado
• Danielle Nicole
• Ruthie Foster

Links: Blues Music Awards, More Blues Music Awards Stories

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