BMI Stars Grab Fistful of Handy Nominations

Posted in News on January 23, 2002

BMI's top Blues artists/composers lead the list of stars nominated for the 23rd Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards, announced recently by the Blues Foundation. Singer/pianist Marcia Ball earned the most nods with five including the coveted Entertainer of the Year nomination. Singer/guitarist Ike Turner, harp player Kim Wilson, guitarist Kid Ramos and vocalist Otis Taylor each received four nominations, while harp player/singer Rod Piazza drew three. The Handy Awards, co-sponsored by BMI, will be presented on Thursday, May 23, 2002 at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee.

BMI once again swept many of the top categories including all nominations in the Entertainer of the Year, Band of the Year, Contemporary Blues Album of the Year, Blues Album of the Year and both the Guitar and Horns Instrumentalist categories.

For over two decades, the Handy Awards have celebrated excellence in performance and recording of the Blues and is the highest honor bestowed upon artists in the Blues industry. A panel of international Blues industry experts votes on the initial nominees and 30,000 Blues fans then choose the winners.

Named in honor of W.C. Handy, "Father of the Blues", the awards ceremony traditionally opens the Handy Weekend. Celebrations include the Blues Symposium with workshops, a Children’s Festival, the Handy Awards Festival with Blues bands performing in the clubs along Beale Street, and a Handy Artists Relief Trust Benefit Concert.

BMI Handy Award Nominees

Blues Entertainer of the Year
B. B. King
Ike Turner
Bobby Rush
Rod Piazza
Shemekia Copeland
Marcia Ball

Blues Band of the Year
Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets w/ Sam Myers
The Holmes Brothers
Magic Slim & The Teardrops
Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers
Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials

Contemporary Blues-Male Artist of the Year
Buddy Guy
Kid Ramos
Larry Garner
Kim Wilson
Rod Piazza

Contemporary Blues-Female Artist of the Year
Debbie Davies
Deborah Coleman
Marcia Ball
Shemekia Copeland

Soul/Blues-Male Artist of the Year
Ike Turner
Bobby Rush
Little Milton Campbell

Soul/Blues-Female Artist of the Year
E.C. Scott
Etta James
Irma Thomas

Traditional Blues-Male Artist of the Year
Henry Jackson
Magic Slim
R.L. Burnside
Robert Lockwood, Jr.

Traditional Blues-Female Artist of the Year
Ann Rabson
Koko Taylor

Acoustic Blues- Artist of the Year
Honeyboy Edwards
John Hammond
Keb' Mo'

Best New Artist Debut
Otis Taylor - White African
Rico McFarland - Tired of Being Alone

Blues Instrumentalist-Guitar
Buddy Guy
Duke Robillard
Kid Ramos
Ronnie Earl
Jimmy Vaughan

Blues Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Kim Wilson
Charlie Musselwhite
Rod Piazza
Snooky Pryor

Blues Instrumentalists-Keyboards
Dr. John
Honey Piazza
Marcia Ball
Pinetop Perkins
Henry Gray

Blues Instrumentalists-Bass
Bill Stuve
Willie Kent
Johnny B. Gayden
Larry Taylor

Blues Instrumentalists-Horns
Roomful of Blues Horns
Memphis Horns
Sax Gordon Beadle
Eddie Shaw
Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff

Blues Instrumentalists-Other
Boozoo Chavis - Accordion
Buckwheat Zydeco - Accordion
Claude "Fiddler" Williams - Fiddle

Comeback Blues Album of the Year
Henry Gray - Plays Chicago Blues
Ike Turner - Here and Now

Acoustic Blues Album of the Year
Honeyboy Edwards - Mississippi Delta Blues Man
John Hammond - Wicked Grin
Otis Taylor - White African

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Buddy Guy - Sweet Tea
The Holmes Brothers - Speaking in Tongues
Jimmy Vaughan - Do You Get the Blues
Kim Wilson - Smokin' Joint
Marcia Ball - Presumed Innocent

Soul/Blues Album of the Year
Ike Turner - Here and Now
Little Milton - Feel It
Terry Evans - Mississippi Magic

Traditional Blues Album Of the Year
Billy Boy Arnold - Boogie N Shuffle
Henry Gray - Plays Chicago Blues
Kid Ramos - Greasy Kid Stuff
R.L. Burnside - Burnside on Burnside

Blues Album Of The Year
John Hammond - Wicked Grin
Kid Ramos - Greasy Kid Stuff
Kim Wilson - Smokin' Joint
Marcia Ball - Presumed Innocent
Otis Taylor - White African

Historical Blues Album Of The Year
Lightnin' Hopkins - Lightnin' and the Blues: The Herald Session
Magic Sam - The Essential Magic Sam: Cobra & Chief Recordings
Muddy Waters - Fathers and Sons

Blues Song of the Year
"Charlie's Old Highway 51 Blues" written by Charlie Musselwhite (from Kid Ramos/Greasy Kid Stuff)
"Gratitude Is Riches (And Complaint Is Poverty)" written by James Harman (from Kid Ramos/Greasy Kid Stuff)
"My Soul's in Louisiana" written by Otis Taylor (from Otis Taylor/White African)
"S.U.V." written by Mem Shannon (from Mem Shannon/Memphis in the Morning)

SOURCENews TAGS Blues International Artists Shemekia Copeland Buddy Guy The Holmes Brothers Etta James Little Milton Muddy Waters Koko Taylor Irma Thomas