Blues Music Awards Held In Memphis

Winners Honored

The 40th Annual BLUES MUSIC AWARDS, held MAY 9th at the MEMPHIS COOK CONVENTION CENTER, was a somewhat bittersweet affair, as this year's top award winner, MICHAEL LEDBETTER, passed away in JANUARY. 

LEDBETTER won the Instrumentalist-Vocals award and the B.B. KING Entertainer of the Year, while his group, The WELCH-LEDBETTER CONNECTION, were named Band of the Year. His co-bandleader, MONSTER MIKE WELCH, who won in the Instrumentalist-Guitar category, said at the ceremony, "I am the guitarist I am in 2019 because I had to keep up with MIKE LEDBETTER." 
   
The BLUES MUSIC AWARD winners were:

• Acoustic Album: Journeys to the Heart of the Blues – JOE LOUIS WALKER/BRUCE KATZ/GILES ROBSON 
• Acoustic Artist:  RORY BLOCK         
• Album:  America's Child – SHEMEKIA COPELAND         
• B.B. King Entertainer: MICHAEL LEDBETTER                             
• Band: WELCH-LEDBETTER CONNECTION          
• Best Emerging Artist Album: Free – AMANDA FISH         
• Blues Rock Album: The Big Bad Blues – BILLY F GIBBONS                
• Blues Rock Artist: ERIC GALES
• Contemporary Blues Album: America's Child – SHEMEKIA COPELAND      
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist: DANIELLE NICOLE         
• Contemporary Blues Male Artist: KENNY NEAL
• Instrumentalist-Bass: Danielle Nicole           
• Instrumentalist-Drums: Cedric Burnside     
• Instrumentalist-Guitar: MONSTER MIKE WELCH        
• Instrumentalist-Harmonica: DENNIS GRUENLING         
• Instrumentalist-Horn: VANESSA COLLIER        
• Instrumentalist- Pinetop Perkins Piano Player: MARCIA BALL
• Instrumentalist-Vocals: MICHAEL LEDBETTER       
• Song: "No Mercy In This Land" Written By BEN HARPER and Performed by BEN HARPER and CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE 
• Soul Blues Album: I'm Still Around – JOHNNY RAWLS     
• Soul Blues Female Artist: ANNIKA CHAMBERS    
• Soul Blues Male Artist:  SUGARAY RAYFORD                                                    
• Traditional Blues Album: The Blues is Alive and Well – BUDDY GUY      
• Koko Taylor Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist: RUTHIE FOSTER           
• Traditional Blues Male Artist: NICK MOSS

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