Not just any old fool with six strings and a broken heart gets honored with a W.C. Handy Blues Award. The award is generally regarded as the blues industry’s highest honor and this year’s list of nominees is made up of guitar heavyweights, soul brothers and blues-belting divas.
Folk revivalist Taj Mahal, Bobby Rush, Little Milton, Rod Piazza, Shemekia Copeland and B.B. King are all nominated in multiple categories. Copeland’s most recent album, Wicked, is up against B.B. King and Eric Clapton’s recent release, Riding With the King, for Contemporary Blues Album of the Year.
Other notable nominees include Ruth Brown, Corey Harris and Henry Butler and The North Mississippi AllStars.
The 22nd Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards will be held on May 24th at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee. New Orleans legend Dr. John will host the evening, which will include appearances and performances from stars in the blues industry.
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