The Blues Foundation has announced its nominees for the 2026 Blues Music Awards. The awards are voted on by the members of the Blues Foundation. The 47th annual Blues Music Awards will take place on May 7, 2026, in Memphis, Tennessee.

View the full list of nominees below.

Acoustic Blues Album

Catfish Keith, “Sugar for Sugar – Vol. 1 2025 Summer Sessions”
Doug MacLeod, “Between Somewhere and Goodbye”
Erin Harpe, “Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me: A Tribute to Mississippi John Hurt”
Hudspeth & Taylor, “Kimuziki Live in Des Moines”
Johnny Iguana, “At Delmark”

Acoustic Blues Artist

Catfish Keith
Doug MacLeod
Eric Bibb
Kevin Burt
Rhiannon Giddens

Album of the Year

Blood Brothers Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia, “Help Yourself”
Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “Young Fashioned Ways”
D.K. Harrell, “Talkin’ Heavy”
Larry McCray, “Heartbreak City”
Tommy Castro & The Painkillers, “Closer To The Bone”

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year

Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp)
Rick Estrin
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Ruthie Foster
Vanessa Collier

Band of the Year

Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
John Nemeth and the Blue Dreamers
Southern Avenue
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Vanessa Collier Band

Best Emerging Artist Album

Brody Buster, “Redemption”
Allison August, “August Moon”
Sean McDonald, “Have Mercy!”
Robbin Kapsalis, “THE BLUES IS IN THE HOUSE”
Kyle Rowland, “NOT HOLDING BACK!”

Blues Rock Album

Blood Brothers Mike Zito & Albert Castiglia, “Help Yourself”
Devon Allman, “BLUES SUMMIT”
Kent Burnside, “Hill Country Blood”
Tom Hambridge, “Down The Hatch”
Walter Trout, “Sign Of The Times”

Blues Rock Artist

Ana Popovic
Kenny Wayne Shepherd
Kirk Fletcher
Tommy Castro
Walter Trout

Contemporary Blues Album

Brandon Santini, “Which Way Do We Go?”
Carolyn Wonderland, “Truth Is”
D.K. Harrell, “Talkin’ Heavy”
Monster Mike Welch, “Keep Living Til I Die”
Southern Avenue, “Family”

Contemporary Blues Female Artist

Carolyn Wonderland
Danielle Nicole
Ruthie Foster
Samantha Fish
Vanessa Collier

Contemporary Blues Male Artist

Brandon Santini
Castro Coleman (Mr. Sipp)
Chris Cain
Christone ”Kingfish” Ingram
D.K. Harrell

Instrumentalist – Bass

Benny Turner
Larry Fulcher
Michael ”Mudcat” Ward
Rodrigo Mantovani
Scot Sutherland

Instrumentalist – Drums

Chris Layton
Chris Peet
Derrick D’Mar Martin
Tom Hambridge
Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist – Guitar

Chris Cain
Christoffer ”Kid” Andersen
Derek Trucks
Joanna Connor
Ronnie Baker Brooks

Instrumentalist – Harmonica

Billy Branch
Bob Corritore
Brandon Santini
John Nemeth
Kim Wilson

Instrumentalist – Horn

Greg Piccolo
Jimmy Carpenter
Mark Kaz Kazanoff
Regi Oliver
Trombone Shorty

Instrumentalist – Piano (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player)

Anthony Geraci
Bruce Katz
Dave Keyes
Jon Cleary
Marcia Ball

Instrumentalist – Vocals

Candice Ivory
Danielle Nicole
John Nemeth
Shemekia Copeland
Susan Tedeschi

Song of the Year

“Mile After Mile”
written by Brandon Santini & Jeff Jensen

“Bye Bye Blues”
written by Larry McCray & Charlie Walmsley

“Can’t Catch a Break”
written by Tommy Castro & Christoffer Andersen

“Upside”
written by Tierinii Jackson, Tikyra Jackson, Ori Naftaly, Dylan Altman & Marshall Altman

“Who Was That?”
written by Emmett Ellis Jr. & Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Soul Blues Album

Dave Keller, “La Brea”
Jimmy Burns & Soul Message Band, “Full Circle”
Johnny Rawls, “Make Them Dance”
Tad Robinson Band, “Soul In Blue”
The Soul of John Black, “Soul Salvation”

Soul Blues Female Artist

Annika Chambers
Candice Ivory
Kat Riggins
Thornetta Davis
Vaneese Thomas

Soul Blues Male Artist

Alabama Mike
Curtis Salgado
John Nemeth
Johnny Rawls
Tad Robinson

Traditional Blues Album

Bobby Rush & Kenny Wayne Shepherd, “Young Fashioned Ways”
Buddy Guy, “Ain’t Done With The Blues”
Charlie Musselwhite, “Look Out Highway”
Maria Muldaur, “One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey”
Roomful Of Blues, “Steppin’ Out”

Traditional Blues Female Artist (Koko Taylor Award)

Diunna Greenleaf
Eden Brent
Maria Muldaur
Rhiannon Giddens
Teeny Tucker

Traditional Blues Male Artist

Billy Branch
Jimmie Vaughan
John Primer
Jontavious Willis
Rick Estrin

International Blues Album

Brandon Isaak, “Walkin With The Blues”
Honeybear, the Band, “I Was Wrong”
Hubert Dorigatti & Blues harp masters, “Poor Boy”
J.T.Lauritsen & The Buckshot Hunters, “Still be friends”
The Angelique Francis Band, “Not Defeated”