Critics’ Poll
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Bobby Rush
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Mavis Staples
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Jimmy Johnson
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Billy Branch
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Marcia Ball
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)
Benny Turner
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)
Cedric Burnside
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)
The Texas Horns: Kaz Kazanoff,
Critics’ Poll
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Lurrie Bell
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Lurrie Bell
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Billy Branch
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Marcia Ball
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)
Benny Turner
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)
Cedric Burnside
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)
James “Boogaloo” Bolden
Most Outstanding Musician (Other)
Rhiannon Giddens – Banjo
Best Live Performer
Bobby Rush
Comeback Artist of the Year
Don Bryant
Artist Deserving More Attention
Marquise Knox
Best Blues Albums of 2018
Album of the Year
Shemekia Copeland – America’s Child – Alligator
New Recordings / Contemporary Blues
Walter Wolfman Washington – My Future Is My Past – Anti-
New Recordings / Southern Soul
Johnny Rawls – I’m Still Around – Third Street Cigar Records
New Recordings / Best Debut
Keeshea Pratt – Believe – No Label
New Recordings / Traditional &
Critics’ Poll
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Taj Mahal
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Mavis Staples
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Wee Willie Walker
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
John Primer
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Omar Coleman
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Henry Gray
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)
Benny Turner
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)
Cedric Burnside
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)
James “Boogaloo” Bolden
Most Outstanding Musician (Other)
Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton – Banjo/Fiddle
Best Live Performer
Bobby Rush
Comeback Artist of the Year
Don Bryant
Artist Deserving More Attention
Jontavious Willis
Best Blues Albums of 2017
Album of the Year
Taj Mahal &
Critics’ Poll
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Bobby Rush
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Rhiannon Giddens
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
William Bell
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Lurrie Bell
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Billy Branch
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Henry Gray
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)
Bob Stroger
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)
Cedric Burnside
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)
Big Jay McNeely
Most Outstanding Musician (Other)
Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton – Banjo
Best Live Performer
Bobby Rush
Comeback Artist of the Year
William Bell
Artist Deserving More Attention
Bruce “Mississippi” Johnson
Best Blues Albums of 2016
Album of the Year
Lurrie Bell – Can’t Shake This Feeling – Delmark
New Recordings / Contemporary Blues
Toronzo Cannon – The Chicago Way – Alligator
New Recordings / Southern Soul
William Bell – This Is Where I Live – Stax
New Recordings / Best Debut
Anthony Sherrod &
Critics’ Poll
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Buddy Guy
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Otis Clay
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Lurrie Bell
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Sugar Blue
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Allen Toussaint
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)
Bob Stroger
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)
Cedric Burnside
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)
Trombone Shorty
Most Outstanding Musician (Other)
Freddie Roulette – Lap steel
Best Live Performer
Bobby Rush
Comeback Artist of the Year
Wee Willie Walker
Artist Deserving More Attention
Matthew Robinson
Best Blues Albums of 2015
Album of the Year
Shemekia Copeland – Outskirts of Love – Alligator Records
New Recordings / Contemporary Blues
Cedric Burnside Project – Descendants of Hill Country – Cedric Burnside Project
New Recordings / Southern Soul
Wee Willie Walker – If Nothing Ever Changes – Little Village Foundation
New Recordings / Best Debut
The Peterson Brothers – The Peterson Brothers – Blue Point Records
New Recordings / Traditional & …
The 22nd Annual Living Blues Awards
Critics’ Poll:
Blues Artist of the Year (Male):
B.B. King
Blues Artist of the Year (Female):
Diunna Greenleaf
Most Outstanding Blues Singer:
Bobby Patterson
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar):
Joe Louis Walker
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica):
James Cotton
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard):
Kenny “Blues Boss” …
The 21st Annual Living Blues Awards
Critics’ Poll:
Blues Artist of the Year (Male):
James Cotton
Blues Artist of the Year (Female):
Irma Thomas
Most Outstanding Blues Singer:
Johnny Rawls
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar):
Lurrie Bell
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica):
James Cotton
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard):
Barrelhouse Chuck
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass):
Bob Stroger
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums):
Kenny Smith
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns):
Eddie Shaw
Most Outstanding Musician (Other):
Chuck Campbell – Pedal Steel
Best Live Performer:
Bobby Rush
Comeback Artist of the Year:
Swamp Dogg
Artist Deserving More Attention:
Birdlegg
Best Blues Albums of 2013:
Album of the Year:
James Cotton, …
Critics’ Poll
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Lurrie Bell
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Ruthie Foster
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Bobby Bland
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Lurrie Bell
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Billy Boy Arnold
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Ironing Board Sam
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)
Bob Stroger
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)
Kenny Smith
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)
Eddie Shaw
Most Outstanding Musician (Other)
Dom Flemons –
19th Annual Living Blues Awards
Critics’ Poll:
Blues Artist of the Year (Male):
Lurrie Bell
Blues Artist of the Year (Female):
Etta James
Most Outstanding Blues Singer:
Shemekia Copeland
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar):
Buddy Guy
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica):
Lazy Lester
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard):
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass):
Lee Allen Zeno
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums):
Kenny Smith
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns):
Terry Hanck
Most Outstanding Musician (Other):
Otis Taylor – …
18th Annual Living Blues Awards
Critics’ Poll:
Blues Artist of the Year (Male):
James Cotton
Blues Artist of the Year (Female):
Mavis Staples
Most Outstanding Blues Singer:
Mavis Staples
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar):
Lurrie Bell
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica):
James Cotton
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard):
Pinetop Perkins
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass):
Bob Stroger
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums):
Kenny Smith
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns):
Eddie Shaw
Most Outstanding Musician (Other):
Major Handy – …
