Blues and soul harmonist, singer and songwriter John Nemeth has been named a frontrunner for the 2023 Blues Music Awards. Nemeth received his five nominations for Song of the Year, Traditional Blues for His Album, Band of the Year, Instrumentalist-Harmonica, and Instrumentalist-Vocal.
Following Nemeth in terms of nominations are Shemekia Copeland, Rory Bullock and Eric Gales, each with three nominations. The 44th Annual Blues Music Awards will be held on his May 11th at the Rena Santo Convention Center in Memphis.
Three past winners of the BB King Entertainer of the Year Award have been nominated in that category again this year. Last year’s winner, Tommy Castro. 2020 winner Sugar Ray Rayford. And Bobby Rush, who won in 2015.
Two-time Band of the Year winners Tedeschi Trucks Band and Rick Estrin and the Nightcats are Anthony Gerarch & The Botton Blues Allstars, John Nemeth & The Blue – Re-nominated in that category, along with Dreamers and Southern Avenue.
buddy guy blues don’t liewas nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album, but here it is nominated for Contemporary Blues Album.Copeland’s too much It was nominated in the Contemporary Blues Album category at both award shows.
Charlie Musselwhite son of mississippiwas nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album, but here it is nominated for Acoustic Blues Album.Gales crownNominated for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Blues Rock Album.
Willie J. Campbell, who died in December, was posthumously nominated for Instrumentalist-Bass.
Tastefully, the three awards are named after late blues legends. The Entertainer of the Year award is named after his BB King who passed away in 2015. The award, which goes to female artists of traditional blues, is named after Coco’s Taylor, who died in 2009. who died in 2011.
The Blues Music Awards are provided by the Blues Foundation. Tickets range from $150 for individual seats to $1,800 for premium tables (10 seats). Ticket sales have started.
On May 10, the night before the BMAs, the Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at the Halloran Center in Orpheum, Memphis. Tickets, including admission to the ceremony and reception, are $75 each. The 2023 Hall of Fame inductees will be announced in the coming weeks.
A full list of nominations for the Blues Music Awards can be found below and on The Blues Foundation’s website (www.blues.org). Voting for current Blues Foundation members is open until Friday, March 20th at 11:59pm CST. Once membership is confirmed, new and renewing members will be sent instructions on how to access their 2023 Blues Music Awards ballots.
The Blues Foundation is a Memphis-based organization dedicated to preserving the blues legacy, celebrating blues recordings and performances, promoting global recognition of the blues, and ensuring the future of this unique American art form. mission. Founded in 1980, the foundation has approximately 4,000 individual members and 173 affiliated blues societies representing his 50,000 fans and professionals worldwide.
Here’s the full list of nominees for the 2023 Blues Music Awards.
BB King Entertainer of the Year
sugar ray rayford
Tommy Castro
Eric Gales
Bobby Rush
Mr. Ship (Castro Coleman)
Band of the Year
Anthony Geraci & The Botton Blues Allstars
John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers
Rick Estrin and the Nightcats
Southern Avenue
Tedeschi Trucks Band
song of the year
Altered Five Blues Band “Great Minds Drink Alike” (Jeff Schroedl)
Buddy Guy “The Blues Don’t Lie” (Tom Hambridge)
Eric Gales “I Want My Crown” (Eric Gales, Joe Bonamassa)
John Nemeth “The Last Time” (John Nemeth)
Shemekia Copeland “Too Far To Be Gone” (John Hahn/Will Kimbrough)
Best Emerging Artist Album
blue moon marquee / scream, horror, howl
DaShawn Hickman / Drums, Roots & Steel
Dylan Triplet / who is he?
Jose Ramirez / major league blues
Yeats McKendry / Buchanan Lane
acoustic blues album
Charlie Musselwhite / son of mississippi
Corey Harris / insurrection blues
Dwayne Burnside / acoustic burnside
Harrison Kennedy / thank you for tomorrow
Rory Bullock / no one cares
blues rock album
Albert Castiglia / i got love
Bernard Allison / high and low
Colin James / pave the way
Eric Gales / crown
Tinsley Ellis / devil makeup
contemporary blues album
Buddy Guy / blues don’t lie
Diuna Greenleaf / I Ain’t Playin’
Janiva Magness / hard to kill
Larry McRae / blues without you
Shemekian Copeland / too much
soul blues album
Kat Riggins / descendants
Kirk Fletcher / heartache by the pound
Sugar Ray Rayford / too deep
love light orchestra / leave the lights on
Trudy Lynn / golden girl
traditional blues album
Kenny Neal / straight from the heart
Bob Colitore / Bob Volitore & Friends: You Shocked Me
Duke Robilard / they called it rhythm and blues
John Nemeth / may be the last
John Primer / tough times
acoustic blues artist
Doug MacLeod
Guy Davis
Harrison Kennedy
Rhiannon Giddens
Rory Bullock
blues rock artist
Walter Trout
Albert Castiglia
Tommy Castro
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Tinsley Ellis
female contemporary blues artists
Lucy Foster
Beth Hart
Janiva Magness
Teresa James
Vanessa Collier
male contemporary blues artists
selwyn birch wood
Chris Kane
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Mr. Ship (Castro Coleman)
female soul blues artists
Anika Chambers
Trudy Lynn
Sonetta Davis
Kat Riggins
vannies thomas
Male soul blues artists
John Nemeth
Johnny Rawls
Curtis Salgado
Don Bryant
Billy Price
Traditional Blues Female Artist (Coco Taylor Award)
dietra fur
diuna green leaf
Rhiannon Giddens
Rory Bullock
Sue Foley
male traditional blues artists
billy branch
Duke of Robilard
John Primer
Johnny Virgin
sugar ray nocha
Instrumentalist – Bass
Bob Stronger
Daniel Nicol
Larry Fulcher
Michael “Madcat” Ward
Willie J. Campbell
Instrumentalist – Drums
Chris Layton
Cody Dickinson
Derrick Demar Martin
Kenny “Beady Eyes” Smith
Tony Branagel
instrumentalist – guitar
Chris Kane
Christopher “Kid” Andersen
Joanna Conner
Kirk Fletcher
Laura Chavez
Instrumentalist – Harmonica
billy branch
Bob Colitore
Jason Rich
John Nemeth
Dennis Gruenling
Instrumentalist – Horn
Diana Bogart
Greg Piccolo
Jimmy Carpenter
Mark Kaz Kazanov
sax gordon beadle
Instrumentalist – Piano (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Award)
Anthony Geraci
Ben Levin
Dave Keyes
Jim Pugh
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne
Instrumentalist – Vocal
Curtis Salgado
Daniel Nicol
diuna green leaf
John Nemeth
Shemekian Copeland
