32nd Annual Living Blues Awards (2025)

Critics’ Poll


Blues Artist of the Year (Male)

Ronnie Baker Brooks


Blues Artist of the Year (Female)

Shemekia Copeland


Blues Band of the Year

Rick Estrin & the Nightcats


Most Outstanding Blues Singer

Shemekia Copeland


Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram


Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)

Billy Branch


Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)

Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne


Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)

Bob Stroger


Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)

Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith


Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)

Vanessa Collier


Most Outstanding Musician (Other)

Sharde Thomas-Mallory (Fife)


Best Live Performer

Bobby Rush


Comeback Artist of the Year

Daddy Mack Orr


Artist Deserving More Attention

Jovin Webb


Best Blues Albums of 2024


Album of the Year

Shemekia Copeland – Blame It on Eve – Alligator


Best New Recording / Contemporary Blues

Ronnie Baker Brooks – Blues in My DNA – Alligator


Best New Recording / Traditional or Acoustic Blues

Jontavious Willis – West Georgia Blues – Strolling Bones


Best New Recording / Soul Blues

Sugaray Rayford – Human Decency – Forty Below


Best New Recording / Best Debut Release

Sonny Gullage – Go Be Free – Blind Pig


Best Historical Release / Pre-war

Sleepy John Estes – Working Man Blues, 1929–1952 – Jasmine  


Best Historical Reissue / Postwar

Jimmy Reed – I’m Jimmy Reed (LP) – Bluesville / Craft Recordings


Best Blues Book of 2024

Jelly Roll Blues: Censored Songs and Hidden Histories 

By Elijah Wald 

Hachette Books  


Producer of the Year / New Recording

Will Kimbrough – Blame It on Eve – Alligator



Readers’ Poll


Blues Artist of the Year (Male)

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram


Blues Artist of the Year (Female)

Shemekia Copeland


Blues Band of the Year

Southern Avenue


Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram


Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)

Charlie Musselwhite


Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)

Marcia Ball


Best Live Performer

Bobby Rush


Most Outstanding Blues Singer

Mavis Staples


Best Blues Album of 2024 (New Release)

Sue Foley – One Guitar Woman: A Tribute to the Female Pioneers of Guitar – Stony Plain Records


Best Blues Album of 2024 (Historical Recording)

B.B. King – Live in Japan (LP) – Elemental Records 


Best Blues Book of 2024

Out of the Blue: Life on the Road with Muddy Waters 

By Brian Bisesi 

University Press of Mississippi