The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards, are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, "Father of the Blues". The first award was presented in 1980 and is "universally recognized as the highest accolade afforded musicians and songwriters in blues music". In 2006, the awards were renamed Blues Music Awards in an effort to increase public appreciation of the significance of the awards.
The Blues Foundation is an American nonprofit corporation, headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, that is affiliated with more than 175 blues organizations from various parts of the world. Founded in 1980, a 25-person board of directors governs the foundation whose stated mission is to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, and expand worldwide awareness of the blues.
Memphis in May International Festival is a month-long festival held in Memphis, Tennessee. The festival, which is saluting Ghana in 2022, honors a specific foreign country every year and features many events. The Beale Street Music Festival takes place the first weekend in May and showcases an eclectic lineup of national and local musical talent. International Week is a series of exhibits, screenings, arts and performances dedicated to each year's honored country. The World Championship Barbecue Cooking Contest has become one of the most popular barbecue contests in the country and has been observed for 46 years. The Great American River Run Half Marathon & 5K welcomes runners of all experience levels through the streets of Memphis and along the banks of the Mississippi River, while 901Fest includes a salute to all things Memphis.
Michael Robert "Mojo" Webb is a multi-instrumentalist blues musician, based in Brisbane, Australia. On 8 February 2007, Mojo Webb was awarded the Australian Blues Music Chain Award for 'New Talent of the Year'.
Matt Andersen is a Canadian blues guitarist and singer-songwriter from Perth-Andover, New Brunswick. He is a Juno Award nominee. His musical career started in 2002 with the New Brunswick band Flat Top.
The Kentuckiana Blues Society (KBS) is a U.S. non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and perpetuation of blues music, founded in 1988 and based in Louisville, Kentucky. The KBS is an affiliate member of the Blues Foundation, an international network of blues organizations headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.
Fiona Boyes is an Australian blues musician. She has been recording for more than 25 years and tours regularly in Australia, the United States, and Europe.
James Kevin Hocking otherwise known as Jimi the Human is an Australian musician. He has been a member of hard rock groups, The Angels (1988) and The Screaming Jets. As a solo artist he has fronted various backing bands playing hard rock, electric and acoustic blues by providing lead guitar, vocals, mandolin and keyboards. In 2005 he won the Solo/Duo category at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.
Mike Zito is an American guitarist, singer, record producer, and songwriter from St. Louis, Missouri, United States. He is a co-founder of Royal Southern Brotherhood that features Cyril Neville, Devon Allman, Charlie Wooton and Yonrico Scott.
Selwyn Birchwood is an American blues guitarist, vocalist and songwriter from Tampa, Florida. He was the winner of the Blues Foundation’s 2013 International Blues Challenge, as well the winner of the Albert King Guitarist of the Year award, presented at the same event. To win, he bested 125 other bands from around the world. Birchwood plays electric guitar and electric lap steel guitar. His live performances feature his original songs. Living Blues magazine said, "Selwyn Birchwood is making waves, surprising people and defying expectations. Be on the lookout. He revels in the unexpected." The Tampa Tribune said Birchwood plays with "power and precision reminiscent of blues guitar hero Buddy Guy. He is a gritty vocalist [who is] commanding with his axe." Rolling Stone said "Birchwood is a young, powerhouse guitarist and soulful vocalist. Don't Call No Ambulance is a remarkable debut by a major player." The Washington Post said, "Selwyn Birchwood is an indelibly modern and original next-generation bluesman; his tough vocals, guitar and lap steel touch on classic Chicago blues, Southern soul and boogie."
Trampled Under Foot was an American soul blues and blues rock band. The original trio consisted of the siblings Danielle Schnebelen, Nick Schnebelen and Kris Schnebelen.
Erin Harpe & the Delta Swingers are an American Delta blues band from Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, United States. Formed in 2010, the group features founding members Erin Harpe and Jim Countryman.
Grady Champion is an American electric blues harmonicist, singer, guitarist and songwriter. He has released ten albums to date. His influences include Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson II, and Koko Taylor. His "rough, raspy vocals", complement his "authentic Mississippi juke joint blues and... modern ultra produced dance party soul and R&B".
Castro Coleman aka Mr. Sipp is an American blues and gospel singer, musician, songwriter and guitarist. Mr. Sipp is the 2014 International Blues Challenge winner by way of The Vicksburg Blues Society as well as the 2014 Gibson Best Guitarist Award Winner. The same year Castro was given the Bobby Rush Entertainer of the Year Award by the Jus' Blues Foundation. In 2015, he won several Jackson Music Awards including International Male Blues Artist, Blues Artist of the Year, and Entertainer of the year.
Southern Avenue is an American five- to six-member blues and soul blues band from Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Formed in 2015, they took their name from a street in Memphis running from the easternmost part of the city limits to "Soulsville", which was the original home of Stax Records. Rock 103 described them as "the most talked about band in Memphis." Southern Avenue reached the finals of the International Blues Challenge in 2016.
Joe Asselin is an American Chicago blues and electric blues musician based out of Champaign, Illinois. He has appeared on five releases with the Blues Music Award-nominated Kilborn Alley Blues Band, with three of them being produced by fellow blues musician Nick Moss at his Blue Bella Records label. He was also a part of the International Blues Challenge finalist group the Sugar Prophets from 2011-2013. More recently he has worked with several other Champaign-based local blues, rock, and country bands and released his own solo acoustic album Blue Genes in 2016.
Vanessa N. Collier is an American blues, funk, and soul saxophonist, singer and songwriter. She has been nominated for twelve Blues Music Awards, including B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, and Horn Player of the Year, and has won four of them.
Nicholas Robert Schnebelen is an American blues rock musician from Kansas City, Missouri, United States. He has toured with Buddahead and was an original member of Trampled Under Foot. Schnebelen became a solo artist in 2015, and released two live albums the following year. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer stated that Schnebelen offers "[e]chos of the blues like Freddie King, Buddy Guy... Nick Schnebelen’s world-class guitar playing leads the way."
Arthur Migliazza is an American blues and boogie woogie pianist.
Bad Temper Joe [bæd ˈtɛmpə ˈʤəʊ] is a German musician and guitarist. He plays a Weissenborn guitar. He has released eight studio albums since 2014 and was the only European finalist of the International Blues Challenge 2020 in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the winner of the 12th German Blues Challenge 2022.
