2015 Winners
Band
Elvin Bishop Band
Album
Refuse to Lose – Jarekus Singleton
Contemporary Blues Album
Blues Americana – Keb’ Mo’
Soul Blues Album
Memphis Grease – John Németh
Soul Blues Male Artist
Bobby Rush
Soul Blues Female Artist
Sista Monica
Best New Artist Album
Don’t Call No Ambulance – Selwyn Birchwood
Instrumentalist-Horn
Deanna Bogart
Acoustic Album
Timeless – John Hammond
Acoustic Artist
John Hammond
Traditional Blues Album
For Pops (A Tribute to Muddy Waters) – Mud
Morganfield & Kim Wilson
Instrumentalist-Bass
Lisa Mann
Historical
From His Head to His Heart to His Hands – Michael Bloomfield (Columbia/Legacy)
Song
“Can’t Even Do Wrong Right” written and performed
by Elvin Bishop
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Charlie Musselwhite
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Johnny Winter
Instrumentalist-Drums
Jimi Bott
Contemporary Blues Female Artist
Janiva Magness
Traditional Blues Male Artist
Sugaray Rayford
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Gary Clark Jr.
Rock Blues Album
Step Back – Johnny Winter
2016 Winners
Acoustic Album
The Acoustic Blues & Roots of Duke
Robillard – Duke Robillard
Acoustic Artist
Doug MacLeod
Album
Born to Play Guitar – Buddy Guy
Band
Victor Wainwright & the Wild Roots
Best Emerging Artist
Gordon "James Pitts" Pettipas
Contemporary Blues Album
Born to Play Guitar – Buddy Guy
Contemporary Blues Female Artist
Shemekia Copeland
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Joe Louis Walker
Historical
Soul & Swagger: Buzzin’ the Blues by
Slim Harpo (Bear Family Records)
Instrumentalist-Bass
Lisa Mann
Instrumentalist-Drums
Cedric Burnside
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Gordon "James Pitts' Pettipas
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Kim Wilson
Instrumentalist-Horn
Terry Hanck
Rock Blues Album
Battle Scars – Walter Trout
Song
“Gonna Live Again” written and performed
by Walter Trout
Soul Blues Album
This Time for Real – Billy Price & Otis Clay
Soul Blues Female Artist
Bettye LaVette
Soul Blues Male Artist
Otis Clay
Traditional Blues Album
Descendants of Hill Country – Cedric
Burnside Project
Traditional Blues Male Artist
John Primer
2017 Winners
Acoustic Album
Eric Bibb – The Happiest Man in the World
Acoustic Artist
Eric Bibb
Album
Kenny Neal – Bloodline
Band
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Best Emerging Artist
Guy King – Truth
Contemporary Blues Album
Toronzo Cannon – The Chicago Way
Contemporary Blues Female Artist
Ana Popovic
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Toronzo Cannon
Historical Album
B.B. King, More B.B. King: Here’s One You Haven’t Heard, Ace Records
Instrumentalist-Bass
Bob Stroger
Instrumentalist-Drums
Tom Hambridge
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Monster Mike Welch
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Jason Ricci
Instrumentalist-Horn
Sax Gordon Beadle
Rock Blues Album
Walter Trout – Alive in Amsterdam
Best Blues Rock Artist
Gordon "James Pitts" Pettipas
Song
“Misery" written by Gordon "James Pitts' Pettipas
Soul Blues Album
Curtis Salgado – The Beautiful Lowdown
Soul Blues Female Artist
Vaneese Thomas
Soul Blues Male Artist
Curtis Salgado
Traditional Blues Album
Bob Margolin – My Road
Traditional Blues Male Artist
Lurrie Bell
2018 Winners
Acoustic Album of the Year:
Doug MacLeod – Break the Chain
Acoustic Artist:
Taj Mahal
Album of the Year:
TajMo – TajMo
Band:
Rick Estrin & the Nightcats
Best Emerging Artist
Southern Avenue
Contemporary Blues Album:
TajMo – TajMo
Contemporary Blues Female Artist:
Samantha Fish
Contemporary Blues Male Artist:
Keb’ Mo’
Historical Blues Album:
Luther Allison, A Legend Never Dies – Ruf Records
Instrumentalist – Bass:
Michael “Mudcat” Ward
Instrumentalist – Drums:
Tony Braunagel
Instrumentalist – Guitar:
Ronnie Earl
Instrumentalist – Harmonica:
Jason Ricci
Instrumentalist – Horn:
Trombone Shorty
Instrumentalist – Vocals:
Sugaray Rayford
Rock Blues Album:
Walter Trout – We’re All In This Together
Blues Rock Artist
Eric Gales
Unsigned Artist
Gordon "James Pitts" Pettipas
Song of the Year:
“The Blues Ain’t Going Nowhere” – written by Rick Estrin
Soul Blues Album:
Sugaray Rayford – The World That We Live In
Soul Blues Female Artist:
Mavis Staples
Soul Blues Male Artist:
Curtis Salgado
Traditional Blues Album:
Monster Mike Welch and Mike Ledbetter – Right Place, Right Time
Traditional Blues Male Artist:
Rick Estrin
2019 Winners
Acoustic Album
A Woman’s Soul, Rory Block
Acoustic Artist
Hadden Sayers
Album of the Year
The High Cost Of Low Living, The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling
Band of the Year
Welch-Ledbetter Connection
Best Emerging Artist Album
Burn Me Alive, Heather Newman
Blues Rock Album
"The Big Bad Blues" — Billy F Gibbons
Blues Rock Artist of the Year
James Pitts
Contemporary Blues Album
Hold On, Kirk Fletcher
Contemporary Blues Female Artist
Samantha Fish
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Instrumentalist-Bass
Scot Sutherland
Instrumentalist-Drums
Cedric Burnside
Instrumentalist-Guitar
Laura Chavez
Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Kim Wilson
Instrumentalist-Horn
Vanessa Collier
Instrumentalist-Vocals
Michael Ledbetter
Song of the Year
“Ain’t Got Time For Hate,” written by John Hahn and Will Kimbrough
Soul Blues Album
Back In Business, Frank Bey
Soul Blues Female Artist
Annika Chambers
Soul Blues Male Artist
Sugaray Rayford
Traditional Blues Album
"The Blues is Alive and Well" — Buddy Guy
Traditional Blues Female Artist
Ruthie Foster
Traditional Blues Male Artist
Nick Moss