BMI Songwriters Dominate List of 2008 Blues Music Awards Nominees

Posted in News on December 20, 2007

Once again, noted BMI songwriters overwhelmingly populate the list of nominees for the upcoming Blues Music Awards. 2008's round of recognition will take place May 8, 2008, at Grand Casino Event Center in Tunica Resorts, Mississippi. In addition to the impressive caliber of 2008's honorees, the ceremony itself boasts historic significance: it will mark the first time the Blues Foundation has ever presented its annual awards in the Mississippi Delta, birthplace of the blues.

Legend Bobby Rush earned four nominations this year, including Artist of the Year nods in both Acoustic and Soul Blues categories. Rush is the first artist to ever garner simultaneous Artist of the Year nominations in the two separate categories - a reflection of his distinct acoustic and soul revue performances witnessed throughout 2007. His aptly titled Raw album also snagged an Acoustic Album of the Year nod.

"Queen of the Blues" Koko Taylor also secured four nominations. The Grammy-award winning chanteuse recorded her 2007 release,Old School, after a seven year recording hiatus. Taylor's welcome return cured her aching absence and garnered the icon nods in Album, Song and Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year categories.

Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan'sOn the Jimmy Reed Highway snagged three prestigious nominations, including Album of the Year. Singer Dykes, frontman of Omar & The Howlers, and guitarist Vaughn, co-founder of blues rockers The Fabulous Thunderbirds, collaborated to pay homage to revered bluesman Jimmy Reed.

Nick Moss & the Flip Tops also garnered three nods. Their project,Play It 'Til Tomorrow, earned an Album of the Year nomination, while the group itself is up for Band of the Year, and frontman Nick Moss received a Guitarist of the Year nod.

My Life, My Friends, My Music by Sugar Ray & the Bluetones also received an Album of the Year nomination, while frontman Sugar Ray Norcia snagged an Instrumentalist of the Year nod in the Harmonica category. The band's tune "The Last Words of A Fool" also numbers among the prestigious Song of the Year nominees.

Eclectic artist Lurrie Bell also earned three nominations. Bell received individual nods in the Guitarist and Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year categories, while he also shares a nomination with his late father, legendary harpist Carey Bell, in the newly created DVD category. The DVD, entitledGettin' Up: Live at Buddy Guy's Legends, captures a stunning live performance by the father and son.

Online voting began December 13 for members. For voting, ticket and host hotel information, please visit blues.org.

The Blues Music Awards are universally recognized as the highest honor given to Blues artists.  The presenting sponsor will once again be The Gibson Foundation.  In 2008, the State of Mississippi, the Tunica Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Grand Casino and Resort are also sponsoring the Blues Music Awards.  The Blues Music Awards are also sponsored by BMI, Casey Family Programs, Eagle Rock Entertainment, FedEx and the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

ALL BMI 2008 BLUES MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES

Acoustic Album of the Year
Bobby Rush -Raw
Dave Riley and Bob Corritore -Travelin' the Dirt Road
Fruteland Jackson -Tell Me What You Say
Jimmy "Duck" Holmes -Done Got Tired Of Tryin'

Acoustic Artist of the Year
Bobby Rush
Doug MacLeod
Eric Bibb
Fruteland Jackson
Guy Davis
Mary Flower

Album of the Year
Koko Taylor -Old School
Nick Moss & the Flip Tops -Play It 'Til Tomorrow
Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan -On the Jimmy Reed Highway
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones -My Life, My Friends, My Music

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Bobby Rush
Janiva Magness
Tommy Castro

Band of the Year
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
Magic Slim & the Teardrops
Mannish Boys
Nick Moss & the Flip Tops

Best New Artist Debut
Gina Sicilia -Allow Me to Confess
John Nemeth -Magic Touch

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Bryan Lee -Katrina Was Her Name
Tommy Castro -Painkiller

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Candye Kane
Debbie Davies

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
Kim Wilson
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Tab Benoit

DVD
Carey & Lurrie Bell -Gettin' Up: Live at Buddy Guy's Legends
Kenny Wayne Shepherd -10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads
Pinetop Perkins -Born in the Honey
Son Seals -A Journey through the Blues - The Son Seals Story
Willie King -Down in the Woods

Historical Album of the Year
Blind Pig -The Essential Magic Slim - Magic Slim
Blue Witch -House Rockin' and Blues Shoutin' - Various Artists
Delmark -Kidney Stew Is Fine - Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson
Delmark -Steady Rollin' Man - Robert Jr. Lockwood
Epic/Legacy -Breakin' It Up, Breakin' It Down - Muddy Waters, Johnny Winter

Instrumentalist-Bass
Bill Stuve
Bob Stroger
Calvin "Fuzz" Jones
Jeff Turmes
Larry Taylor
Michael "Mudcat" Ward

Instrumentalist-Drums
Jimi Bott
Richard Innes

Instrumentalist-Guitar
Bob Margolin
Duke Robillard
Kid Ramos
Lurrie Bell
Nick Moss

Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Carey Bell
Kim Wilson
Mark Hummel
Sugar Ray Norcia

Instrumentalist-Horn
Big James Montgomery
Calvin Owens
Deanna Bogart
Doug James
Kaz Kazanoff

Instrumentalist-Other
Gerry Hundt - Mandolin
Johnny Sansone - Accordion
Otis Taylor - Banjo
Robert Randolph - Pedal Steel
Sonny Rhodes - Lap Steel

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year
Ann Rabson
Bruce Katz
David Maxwell
Henry Butler
Honey Piazza

Song of the Year
'Gonna Buy Me a Mule' - Koko Taylor, Koko Taylor -Old School
'Jimmy Reed Highway' - Omar Kent Dykes & Steve Callif, Omar Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan -On the Jimmy Reed Highway
'Poor Man's Paradise' - Johnny Sansone, Johnny Sansone -Poor Man's Paradise
'The Last Words of A Fool' - Sugar Ray Norcia, Sugar Ray & the Bluetones -My Life, My Friends, My Music

Soul Blues Album of the Year
Eugene Hideaway Bridges -Eugene Hideaway Bridges
Holmes Brothers -State of Grace
Mem Shannon -A Night at Tipitina's
Root Doctor -Change Our Ways
Tad Robinson -A New Point of View

Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year
Denise LaSalle
Irma Thomas
Sharon Jones
Sista Monica Parker

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
Bobby Rush
Eugene Hideaway Bridges
Jackie Payne
Mem Shannon
Tad Robinson

Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year
Koko Taylor
Ruthie Foster
Sharrie Williams

Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Big George Brock -Live at Seventy Five
Darrell Nulisch -Goin' Back to Dallas
Koko Taylor -Old School
Nappy Brown -Long Time Coming
Omar Kent Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan -On the Jimmy Reed Highway

Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
Bob Margolin
Hubert Sumlin
Lurrie Bell
Magic Slim
Nappy Brown
Phillip Walker

SOURCENews TAGS Blues Tab Benoit Guy Davis Buddy Guy B.B. King Janiva Magness Bobby Rush Sugar Ray Koko Taylor Irma Thomas Kim Wilson