Readers’ Awards:
Blues Artist of the Year (Male):
B.B. King
Blues Artist of the Year (Female):
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Blues Singer:
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Guitar):
B.B. King
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Harmonica):
Carey Bell
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Keyboards):
Pinetop Perkins
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Guitar):
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Best Live Performer:
Bobby Rush
Best Blues Album of 1998 (New Recording):
B.B. King, Blues On the Bayou (MCA)
Best Blues Album of 1998 (Historical Recording):
Junior Wells, Blues Hit Big Town (Delmark)
Blues Artist of the Year (Male):
B.B. King
Blues Artist of the Year (Female):
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Blues Singer:
Bobby “Blue” Bland
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Harmonica):
Snooky Pryor
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Keyboards):
Pinetop Perkins
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Drums):
Sam Carr
Critics’ Awards:
Blues Artist of the Year (Male):
B.B. King
Blues Artist of the Year (Female):
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Blues Singer:
Bobby “Blue” Bland
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Guitar):
Alvin Youngblood Hart
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Harmonica):
Snooky Pryor
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Keyboards):
Pinetop Perkins
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Drums):
Sam Carr
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Bass):
Willie Kent
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Other instrument):
Otha Turner (fife)
Most Outstanding Blues Musician (Sax, Trumpet, or Horn Section):
Eddie Shaw
Best Live Performer:
Bobby Rush
Comeback Artist of the Year:
Roy Gaines
Artist Most Deserving of Wider Recognition:
Big Lucky Carter
Best Blues Album of 1998 (New Recording-Contemporary):
B.B. King, Blues On the Bayou (MCA)
Best Blues Album of 1998 (New Recording-All Types):
Alvin Youngblood Hart, Territory (Hannibal)
Best Blues Album of 1998 (New Recording-Traditional or Acoustic):
Alvin Youngblood Hart, Territory (Hannibal)
Best Blues Album of 1998 (New Recording-Soul/Blues):
Little Milton, For Real (Malaco)
Best Debut Album of 1998:
Shemekia Copeland, Turn the Heat Up (Alligator)
Best Blues Album of 1998 (Historical-Postwar):
Junior Wells, Blues Hit Big Town (Delmark)
Best Blues Album of 1998 (Historical-Postwar):
Various Artists, Ruckus Juice & Chittlins: The Great Jug Bands, Vols. 1 & 2 (Yazoo)
Producers of the Year (New Recordings):
Wolf Stephenson & Tommy Couch, Malaco Records
Producer/Compiler of the Year (Historical Recordings):
Don Kent, Yazoo Records
Best Liner Notes, 1998 Blues Release:
David Evans & Mike Vernon for Big Lucky Carter, Lucky 13 (Blueside)
Best Cover Art/Photo, 1998 Blues Release:
Patterson-Barnes (artists)/Errol Dillon (photographer),
Dennis Heckler-DDL (graphic design),
for Bobby Bland, Memphis Monday Morning (Malaco)
