The nominees have been announced for the 33rd Annual Blues Music Awards with a list that includes artists both new and veteran.

A long list of artists received four nominations including Tommy Castro, the Tedeschi-Trucks Band, Tab Benoit, Johnny Sansone and Sugar Ray and the Bluetones. Three nods went to Eugene Hideaway Bridges, Lazy Lester, David Maxwell, Ana Popovic and Johnny Rawls.

Amazingly, among the thirty first-time nominees are big names like George Thorogood, Warren Haynes and Joe Bonamassa. Jay Sielman, the executive director of the Blues Foundation, said "The number of first-time nominees demonstrate the vitality of blues music and reflect the releases and live performances of the past year. The nominations prove not only the sustaining power of Blues music, but also its ability to constantly evolve and remain relevant to today’s fans."

This year's awards will be held on May 10 and, for the sixth year, will be broadcast on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio.

The nominees (Veteran artists in bold):

B.B. King Entertainer

Candye Kane
Lil’ Ed
Ruthie Foster
Tab Benoit
Tommy Castro

Album of the Year

Chicago Blues A Living History The (R)evolution Continues - Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell, Carlos Johnson
Rock and a Hard Place- Eugene Hideaway Bridges
The Lord is Waiting and the Devil is Too - Johnny Sansone
Evening -Sugar Ray & the Bluetones
Medicine -Tab Benoit
Revelator -Tedeschi Trucks Band

Song

Appreciate What You Got - Terry Hanck (Look Out! - Terry Hanck)
Back to the Blues - Hadden Sayers (Hard Dollar - Hadden Sayers)
Memphis Still Got Soul - Bob Trenchard & Johnny Rawls (Memphis Still Got Soul - Johnny Rawls)
Thank You for Giving Me the Blues - Grady Champion, Zac Harmon & Chris Troy (Dreamin’ - Grady Champion)
The Lord is Waiting the Devil is Too - Johnny Sansone (The Lord is Waiting and the Devil is Too - Johnny Sansone)
The Older I Get the Better I Was - Joe Shelton (The Older I Get the Better I Was - Big Joe Shelton

Historical Album

Texas Flyer 1974-76 (Freddie King)
Smokestack Lightning/The Complete Chess Masters 1951-1960 (Howlin' Wolf)
Hoodoo Man Blues (Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band with Buddy Guy)
Teardrops Are Falling - Live in 1983 (George “Harmonica” Smith)
The Essential Modern Records Collection (Etta James)

Band

Bo-Keys
Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Tommy Castro Band
Trampled Under Foot

Best New Artist Debut

Choice Cuts - Big Pete
Bad Girl - Demetria Taylor
Runaway - Samantha Fish
Leave the Light On - Sena Ehrhardt
The Mighty Mojo Prophets - The Mighty Mojo Prophets

Acoustic Album

Conversations in Blue - David Maxwell & Otis Spann
Brand New Eyes - Doug MacLeod
Troubadour Live - Eric Bibb
Misery Loves Company - Mary Flower
Shake ‘Em on Down - Rory Block

Acoustic Artist

David Maxwell
Doug MacLeod
Eric Bibb
Guy Davis
Mary Flower
Rory Block

Contemporary Blues Album

Unconditional -Ana Popovic
Don’t Explain - Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa
The Skinny - Ian Siegal & the Youngest Sons
The Lord is Waiting and the Devil is Too - Johnny Sansone
Medicine - Tab Benoit
Tommy Castro Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue--Live! - Various Artists

Contemporary Blues Female Artist

Ana Popovic
Bettye LaVette
Candye Kane
Janiva Magness
Susan Tedeschi

Contemporary Blues Male Artist

Joe Louis Walker
Johnny Sansone
JP Soars
Tab Benoit
Tommy Castro

Rock Blues Album

2120 South Michigan Avenue - George Thorogood & the Destroyers
Dust Bowl - Joe Bonamassa
Greyhound - Mike Zito
Shiver -Too Slim and the Taildraggers
Man in Motion -Warren Haynes

Soul Blues Album

Got to Get Back! - Bo-Keys
Show You a Good Time - Bobby Rush
Rock and a Hard Place - Eugene Hideaway Bridges
Dreamin’ - Grady Champion
Memphis Still Got Soul- Johnny Rawls

Soul Blues Female Artist

Alexis P. Suter
Denise LaSalle
Jackie Johnson
Sharrie Williams
Sista Monica Parker

Soul Blues Male Artist

Bobby Rush
Curtis Salgado
Eugene Hideaway Bridges
Johnny Rawls
Otis Clay

Traditional Blues Album

Chicago Blues A Living History The (R)evolution Continues - Billy Boy Arnold, John Primer, Billy Branch, Lurrie Bell, Carlos Johnson
Trying To Hold On - Diunna Greenleaf
You Better Listen - Lazy Lester
Evening - Sugar Ray & the Bluetones
Victim of the Blues - Tracy Nelson

Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female)

Diunna Greenleaf
Maria Muldaur
Nora Jean
Ruthie Foster
Tracy Nelson

Traditional Blues Male Artist

Charlie Musselwhite
John Primer
Lazy Lester
Mac Arnold
Magic Slim

Gibson Guitar Award

Derek Trucks
Duke Robillard
Kirk Fletcher
Lurrie Bell
Michael Burks

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player

David Maxwell
Eden Brent
Jon Cleary
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne
Marcia Ball
Victor Wainwright

Instrumentalist - Bass

Biscuit Miller
Danielle Schnebelen
Larry Taylor
Michael “Mudcat” Ward
Patrick Rynn

Instrumentalist - Drums

Chris Layton
Jimi Bott
Kenny Smith
Robb Stupka
Stanton Moore
Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist - Harmonica

Charlie Musselwhite
Kim Wilson
Lazy Lester
Rick Estrin
Sugar Ray Norcia

Instrumentalist - Horn

Al Basile
Doug James
Keith Crossan
Sax Gordon
Terry Hanck


Instrumentalist - Other

Ben Prestage (diddley bow)
Lionel Young (violin)
Otis Taylor (banjo)
Rich Del Grosso (mandolin)
Sonny Rhodes (lap steel guitar)

DVD

An Evening at Trasimeno Lake - Ana Popovic
Live at Montreux 2010 - Gary Moore
Live At Antone’s - Ruthie Foster
The Emporium to the Orpheum -Trampled Under Foot
All Jams on Deck - Various Artists
Play the Blues -Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton (Rhino)

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