Nominees for the 39th Blues Music Awards

The Blues Foundation has announced the nominees for the 39th Annual Blues Music Awards, taking place on May 10th, 2018 in Memphis Tennessee, and like every year I post them for ya!

Here we go for this year:

Acoustic Album Catfish Keith - Mississippi River Blues Doug MacLeod - Break The Chain Guy Davis & Fabrizio Poggi - Sonny and Brownie's Last Train Harrison Kennedy - Who U Tellin ? Mitch Woods - Friends Along The Way Rory Block - Keepin' Outta Trouble Acoustic Artist Guy Davis Harrison Kennedy Taj Mahal Doug MacLeod Rory Block Album Don Bryant - Don't Give Up on Love Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter -Right Place, Right Time Rick Estrin & The Nightcats - Groovin' In Greaseland TajMo - TajMo Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra - After A While B.B. King Entertainer Bobby Rush Michael Ledbetter Rick Estrin Sugaray Rayford Taj Mahal Band The Cash Box Kings Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter Nick Moss Band North Mississippi All-Stars Rick Estrin & the Nightcats Best Emerging Artist Album Altered Five Blues Band - Charmed & Dangerous Larkin Poe - Peach Miss Freddye - Lady Of The Blues R.L. Boyce - Roll and Tumble Southern Avenue - Southern Avenue Tas Cru - Simmered & Stewed Contemporary Blues Album  Beth Hart - Fire On The Floor Corey Dennison Band - Night After Night Ronnie Baker Brooks - Times Have Changed Selwyn Birchwood - Pick Your Poison TajMo - TajMo Contemporary Blues Female Artist Beth Hart Karen Lovely Samantha Fish Shemekia Copeland Vanessa Collier Contemporary Blues Male Artist Keb' Mo' Michael Ledbetter Ronnie Baker Brooks Selwyn Birchwood Toronzo Cannon Historical Album Jimmy Reed, Mr Luck: The Complete Vee-Jay Singles (Craft Recordings) John Lee Hooker, King of the Boogie(Craft Recordings) Luther ALlison, A Legend Never Dies (Ruf Records) The Paul deLay Band, Live at Notodden ’97 (Little Village Foundation) Various, American Epic: The Collection(Sony Legacy) Instrumentalist - Bass Benny Turner Bob Stroger Larry Fulcher Michael "Mudcat" Ward Patrick Rynn Instrumentalist - Drums Jimi Bott June Core Kenny Smith Tom Hambridge Tony Braunagel Instrumentalist - Guitar Anson Funderburgh Chris Cain Christoffer "Kid" Andersen Monster Mike Welch Ronnie Earl

Instrumentalist - Harmonica  Billy Branch Dennis Gruenling Jason Ricci Kim Wilson Rick Estrin Instrumentalist - Horn  Al Basile Jimmy Carpenter Nancy Wright Trombone Shorty Vanessa Collier Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Anthony Geraci Henry Gray Jim Pugh Mitch Woods Victor Wainright Instrumentalist - Vocals Beth Hart Don Bryant John Németh Michael Ledbetter Sugaray Rayford Wee Willie Walker Rock Blues Album Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - Lay It On Down Mike Zito - Make Blues Not War North Mississippi Allstars - Prayer For Peace Savoy Brown - Witchy Feelin' Walter Trout - We're All In This Together Rock Blues Artist  Eric Gales Jason Ricci Kenny Wayne Shepherd Mike Zito Walter Trout Song "Don't Give Up on Love" - written by Don Bryant and Scott Bomar "Don't Leave Me Here" - written by Kevin R. Moore, Taj Mahal, and Gary Nicholson "Hate Take A Holiday" - written by Wee Willie Walker, Anthony Paule, and Ernie Williams "Prayer For Peace" - written by Luther Dickinson, Cody Dickinson, and Oteil Burbridge "The Blues Ain't Going Nowhere" - written by Rick Estrin Soul Blues Album Don Bryant - Don't Give Up on Love Johnny Rawls - Waiting For The Train Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm - Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm Sugaray Rayford - The World That We Live In Wee Willie Walker &The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra - After A While Soul Blues Female Artist Bettye LaVette Denise LaSalle Mavis Staples Trudy Lynn Vaneese Thomas Soul Blues Male Artist  Curtis Salgado Don Bryant Johnny Rawls Sugaray Rayford Wee Willie Walker William Bell Traditional Blues Album The Cash Box Kings - Royal Mint Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio - Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio Kim Wilson - Blues and Boogie Vol. 1 Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter -Right Place, Right Time Rick Estrin & The Nightcats - Groovin' In Greaseland Various Artists - Howlin' At Greaseland Traditional Blues Female Artist Annika Chambers Diunna Greenleaf Janiva Magness Miss Freddye Ruthie Foster Traditional Blues Male Artist John Primer Kim Wilson Lurrie Bell R.L.Boyce Rick Estrin