2026 Blues Music Awards nominees announced
The Blues Foundation has announced its nominees for the 2026 Blues Music Awards. The awards are voted on by the members of the Blues Foundation. The 47th annual Blues Music Awards will take place on May 7, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee.
View the full list of nominees below.
Acoustic Blues Album
Catfish Keith, “Sugar for Sugar – Vol. 1 2025 Summer Sessions”
Doug MacLeod, “Between Somewhere and Goodbye”
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
Catfish Keith
Doug MacLeod
Eric Bibb
Kevin Burt
Rhiannon Giddens
Album of the Year
Blood Brothers Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia, “Help Yourself”
Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “Young Fashioned Ways”
D.K. Harrell, “Talkin’ Heavy”
Larry McCray, “Heartbreak City”
Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, “Closer To The Bone”
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp)
Rick Estrin
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Ruthie Foster
Vanessa Collier
Band of the Year
Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers
Southern Avenue
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Vanessa Collier Band
Best Emerging Artist Album
Brody Buster, “Redemption”
Allison August, “August Moon”
Sean McDonald, “Have Mercy!”
Robbin Kapsalis, “THE BLUES IS IN THE HOUSE”
Kyle Rowland, “NOT HOLDING BACK!”
Blues Rock Album
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
Ana Popovic
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kirk Fletcher
Tommy Castro
Walter Trout
Contemporary Blues Album
Brandon Santini, “Which Way Do We Go?”
Carolyn Wonderland, “Truth Is”
D.K. Harrell, “Talkin’ Heavy”
Monster Mike Welch, “Keep Living Til I Die”
Southern Avenue, “Family”
Contemporary Blues Female Artist
Carolyn Wonderland
Danielle Nicole
Ruthie Foster
Samantha Fish
Vanessa Collier
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Brandon Santini
Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp)
Chris Cain
Christone ”Kingfish” Ingram
D.K. Harrell
Instrumentalist – Bass
Benny Turner
Larry Fulcher
Michael ”Mudcat” Ward
Rodrigo Mantovani
Scot Sutherland
Instrumentalist – Drums
Chris Layton
Chris Peet
Derrick D’Mar Martin
Tom Hambridge
Tony Braunagel
Instrumentalist – Guitar
Chris Cain
Christoffer ”Kid” Andersen
Derek Trucks
Joanna Connor
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Instrumentalist – Harmonica
Billy Branch
Bob Corritore
Brandon Santini
John Nemeth
Kim Wilson
Instrumentalist – Horn
Greg Piccolo
Jimmy Carpenter
Mark Kaz Kazanoff
Regi Oliver
Trombone Shorty
Instrumentalist – Piano (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player)
Anthony Geraci
Bruce Katz
Dave Keyes
Jon Cleary
Marcia Ball
Instrumentalist – Vocals
Candice Ivory
Danielle Nicole
John Nemeth
Shemekia Copeland
Susan Tedeschi
Song of the Year
“Mile After Mile”
written by Brandon Santini & Jeff Jensen
“Bye Bye Blues”
written by Larry McCray & Charlie Walmsley
“Can’t Catch a Break”
written by Tommy Castro & Christoffer Andersen
“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
Dave Keller, “La Brea”
Jimmy Burns & Soul Message Band, “Full Circle”
Johnny Rawls, “Make Them Dance”
Tad Robinson Band, “Soul In Blue”
The Soul of John Black, “Soul Salvation”
Soul Blues Female Artist
Annika Chambers
Candice Ivory
Kat Riggins
Thornetta Davis
Vaneese Thomas
Soul Blues Male Artist
Alabama Mike
Curtis Salgado
John Nemeth
Johnny Rawls
Tad Robinson
Traditional Blues Album
Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “Young Fashioned Ways”
Buddy Guy, “Ain’t Done With The Blues”
Charlie Musselwhite, “Look Out Highway”
Maria Muldaur, “One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey”
Roomful Of Blues, “Steppin’ Out”
Traditional Blues Female Artist (Koko Taylor Award)
Diunna Greenleaf
Eden Brent
Maria Muldaur
Rhiannon Giddens
Teeny Tucker
Traditional Blues Male Artist
Billy Branch
Jimmie Vaughan
John Primer
Jontavious Willis
Rick Estrin
International Blues Album
Brandon Isaak, “Walkin With The Blues”
Honeybear, the Band, “I Was Wrong”
Hubert Dorigatti & Blues harp masters, “Poor Boy”
J.T.Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters, “Still be friends”
The Angelique Francis Band, “Not Defeated”
Where is Ally Venable Band. I am beyond surprised I saw nothing. Her Albums, the songs are brilliant. She is one of the most entertaining performers (no matter genre). I just find it so hard to believe I am seeing her name anywhere.i listen to all of the artists listed above and they are great. Ally Venable is adding something that’s long overdue in Blues. She lights it on fire and is growing a whole generation of new younger blues lovers.
I’m surprised Anthony Gomes didn’t make the list.
How can Joe Bonamassa’s ” Breakthrough ” album debut at #1 on the Billboard Blues chart and I don’t see his name anywhere in the above ? There’s no explanation for that. At least the Grammy voters realized that the album was very popular and Joe had to be nominated.
My thoughts exactly !!! WHERE IS JB ???
Too many younger and new guitarist are over coming the older ones for some reason. No matter the genre younger are coming up. A surprise that the grammy for album was a shock. Just movevon and keep trying. Shocks of alot in the world now days. Dont give up keep going forward. Maybe Joe Bonamassa will win one day
Anthony Gomes should be nominated. And Jacob his bass player should be nominated.
My girl Samantha Fish made the list…Woohoo
Where is Sue Foley? ???
I don’t see how “Who Was That?” could be nominated as “song of the year.” This song was originally recorded in 1936 by Casey Bill Weldon as “Back Door Blues” and then in 1954 by Little Walter as “Tell Me Mama.” Who’s making these nominations?
And where’s Eric Gales??
What no Joe Bonamassa?? This has to be a joke. Not to disrespect anyone else, but hello. He belongs in all of these male categorizes..
I can’t believe Joe Bonamassa is not on the list.
I’m with all the rest that are SHOCKED that Joe Bonnamassa is not on the list of nominees. Most of the others do belong there as well, BUT ,NO JOE!!!
Something sure as hell is Amis
Bluesman, from Canada ,eh
What about Barbara Blue the queen of Bille Street?
The fact that Joe B has put out so much recorded material in the past few years including his collaborations with many other Blues artists, not to mention his latest tribute to BB King, it simply puts him above this nomination committee and he deserves his own category or even his own award show, with all his other blues colleagues there for a jam session… I’d support that!
Looks like they are pushing the younguns to keep the blues alive. I don’t think the old guys and legends mind. They have won plenty of awards and just want to keep it all going. God bless Buddy Guy and Eric Clapton!
Where’s Joe Bonamassa!!!
No Bonamassa can’t understand that and Walter Trout sign of the times is one of the best releases of the year