Les Blues Awards (nouvelle appellation des W.C. Handy Awards) ont été proclamés à Memphis, le 10 mai dernier. Voici le palmarès réparti en 24 catégories.
Acoustic Artist of the Year – Paul Oscher
Album of the Year : « Think of Me » – Little Milton
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year – Buddy Guy
Band of the Year – Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers
Best New Artist Debut : Zac Harmon : « The Blues According to Zacariah »
Comeback Album of the Year : « Black Coffee » – Al Kooper
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year : « Fever For The Bayou » – Tab Benoit
Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year – Janiva Magness
Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year – Kim Wilson
Historical Album of the Year : “Hoochie Coochie Man: Complete Chess Recordings, Vol. 2, 1952-1958” – Muddy Waters, (Chess/Hip-O Select)
Instrumentalist-Bass – Mookie Brill
Instrumentalist-Drums – Willie « Big Eyes » Smith
Instrumentalist-Guitar Hubert Sumlin
Instrumentalist-Harmonica – Charlie Musselwhite
Instrumentalist-Horn – Eddie Shaw
Instrumentalist-Other – Clarence « Gatemouth » Brown – Fiddle
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year – Marcia Ball
Song of the Year – « Think Of Me », written by Jon Tiven, Milton Campbell, Pete Shoulder, performed by Little Milton.
Soul Blues Album of the Year – « Think of Me » – Little Milton
Soul Blues Female Artist of the Year – Mavis Staples
Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year – Little Milton
Traditional Album of the Year : « About Them Shoes » – Hubert Sumlin
Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year – Etta James
Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year – B.B. King