Blues Music Awards 2025 Nominees Announced

Blues Music Awards 2025 Nominees Announced. Congratulations to all the nominees!

Album of the Year
Blame It On Eve, Shemekia Copeland
Fine By Me, Curtis Salgado
Hill Country Love, Cedric Burnside
Person of Interest, Billy Price
What Are You Waiting For?, Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Willy Jordan

B.B. King Entertainer
Duke Robillard
Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
Rick Estrin
Shemekia Copeland
Sugaray Rayford

Band of the Year
Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers
Nick Moss Band
Rick Estrin and the Nightcats
Southern Avenue

Best Emerging Artist Album
8000 Miles to the Crossroads, Prakash Slim
Carry On, Destini Rawls
Drifter, Jovin Webb
Go Be Free, Sonny Gullage
Revelation, Piper & The Hard Times

Blues Rock Album
About Time, Dennis Jones
Broken, Walter Trout
Life is Hard, Mike Zito
Righteous Souls, Albert Castiglia
Struck Down, The Fabulous Thunderbirds

Blues Rock Artist
Albert Castiglia
Mike Zito
Tab Benoit
Tommy Castro
Walter Trout

Contemporary Blues Album
Blame It On Eve, Shemekia Copeland
Blues In My DNA, Ronnie Baker Brooks
Do It My Own Way, Vanessa Collier
Good Intentions Gone Bad, Chris Cain
The Hits Keep Coming, Rick Estrin & the Nightcats

Contemporary Blues Female Artist
Beth Hart
Carolyn Wonderland
Danielle Nicole
Ruthie Foster
Vanessa Collier

Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Chris Cain
Johnny Sansone
Mike Zito
Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
Ronnie Baker Brooks

Instrumentalist – Bass
Benny Turner
Bob Stroger
Jerry Jemmott
Michael ”Mudcat” Ward
Rodrigo Mantovani

Acoustic Album
Naked Truth, Tinsley Ellis
One Guitar Woman, Sue Foley
Raw Blues 2, Doug Macleod
The Legend of Sugarbelly, Guy Davis
Things Done Changed, Jerron Paxton

Acoustic Artist
Doug MacLeod
Eric Bibb
Guy Davis
Keb’ Mo’
Kevin Burt

Instrumentalist – Drums
Chris Peet
Derrick D’Mar Martin
June Core
Kenny ”Beedy Eyes” Smith
Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist – Guitar
Chris Cain
Christoffer ”Kid” Andersen
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Eric Gales
Ronnie Baker Brooks

Instrumentalist – Harmonica
Billy Branch
Bob Corritore
Kim Wilson
Mark Hummel
Rick Estrin

Instrumentalist – Horn
Jimmy Carpenter
Doug James
Deanna Bogart
Trombone Shorty
Vanessa Collier

Instrumentalist – Pinetop Perkins Piano Player
Anthony Geraci
Ben Levin
Bruce Katz
Eden Brent
Mitch Woods

Instrumentalist – Vocals
Beth Hart
Billy Price
Curtis Salgado
Danielle Nicole
Ruthie Foster

Song of the Year
“Blues For My Dad”
performed and written by Chris Cain
“Blues In My DNA”
performed and written by Ronnie Baker Brooks
“Mama, I love you”
performed by Albert Castiglia and written by Albert Castiglia, Kevin Burt, & Jerry Jemmott
“Tough Mother”
performed by Shemekia Copeland and written by John Hahn & Will Kimbrough
“Mother Watch the World Go By”
performed by Eden Brent and written by Bob Dowell & Eden Brent

Soul Blues Album
Fine By Me, Curtis Salgado
Human Decency, Sugaray Rayford
Person of Interest, Billy Price
REVIVAL, Kat Riggins & her Blues Revival
What Are You Waiting For?, Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Willy Jordan

Soul Blues Female Artist
Annika Chambers
Candice Ivory
Kat Riggins
Thornetta Davis
Vaneese Thomas

Soul Blues Male Artist
Alabama Mike
Billy Price
Curtis Salgado
Johnny Rawls
William Bell

Traditional Blues Album
Crawlin’ ’Kingsnake, John Primer & Bob Corritore
Getaway Blues, Eden Brent
HAPPY HOUR, Mitch Woods
Hill Country Love, Cedric Burnside
Roll With Me, Duke Robillard

Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female Artist)
Diunna Greenleaf
Eden Brent
Rhiannon Giddens
Sue Foley
Teeny Tucker

Traditional Blues Male Artist
Cedric Burnside
Duke Robillard
Jimmie Vaughan
John Primer
Jontavious Willis

Congratulations to all musicians, producers, engineers, and record labels for making such stellar music this past year!