John Nemeth, Shemekia Copeland & More Lead 2023 Blues Music Awards Nominations (Full List)

Blues and soul harmonicist, singer, and songwriter John Németh is the top nominee for the 2023 Blues Music Awards. Németh received five nominations – song of the year, traditional blues album, band of the year, instrumentalist – harmonica, and instrumentalist – vocals.

Trailing Németh in the nomination count are Shemekia Copeland, Rory Block and Eric Gales, with three nods each. The 44th Annual Blues Music Awards are set for May 11 at Memphis’ Renasant Convention Center.

Three past winners of the B.B. King entertainer of the year award are nominated in that category again this year – Tommy Castro, who won last year; Sugaray Rayford, who won in 2020; and Bobby Rush, who won in 2015. This year’s other two nominees are Gales and Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman).

Tedeschi Trucks Band and Rick Estrin and the Nightcats, both two-time winners of band of the year, are nominated again in that category, along with Anthony Geraci & The Boton Blues Allstars, John Németh and the Blue Dreamers and Southern Avenue.

Buddy Guy’s The Blues Don’t Lie, which is nominated for a Grammy for best traditional blues album, is nominated here for contemporary blues album. Copeland’s Done Come Too Far is nominated in the contemporary blues album category at both awards shows.

Charlie Musselwhite’s Mississippi Son, which is nominated for a Grammy for best traditional blues album, is nominated here for acoustic blues album. Gales’ Crown, which is Grammy-nominated for best contemporary blues album is nominated here for blues rock album.

Willie J. Campbell, who died in December, is posthumously nominated for instrumentalist – bass. 

In a nice touch, three awards are named after late blues legends. As noted, the entertainer of the year award is named after B.B. King, who died in 2015. The award for traditional blues female artist is named after Koko Taylor, who died in 2009. The award for instrumentalist – piano is named after Pinetop Perkins, who died in 2011.

The Blues Music Awards are presented by The Blues Foundation. Tickets range from individual seats for $150 to premium tables (seats 10) for $1,800. Ticket sales are now open.

On May 10, the night before the BMAs, the Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at Memphis’ Halloran Centre at the Orpheum. Tickets, which include ceremony and reception admission, are $75 each. The 2023 class of inductees will be announced in the coming weeks.

The complete list of Blues Music Award nominees can be found below and on The Blues Foundation’s website (www.blues.org). The ballot will be open for current Blues Foundation members until 11:59 P.M. CST on Friday, March 20. To become a Blues Foundation member, visit www.blues.org to learn about the different membership levels and how to join. Upon membership confirmation, new and renewing members will be sent instructions on how to access the 2023 Blues Music Awards ballot.

The Blues Foundation is a Memphis-based organization whose mission is to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, expand worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form. Founded in 1980, the Foundation has approximately 4,000 individual members and 173 affiliated blues societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals worldwide.

Here’s a complete list of the nominees for the 2023 Blues Music Awards.

B.B. King entertainer of the year 

Sugaray Rayford

Tommy Castro

Eric Gales

Bobby Rush

Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)

Band of the year 

Anthony Geraci & The Boton Blues Allstars

John Németh and the Blue Dreamers

Rick Estrin and the Nightcats

Southern Avenue

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Song of the year

Altered Five Blues Band “Great Minds Drink Alike” (Jeff Schroedl)

Buddy Guy “The Blues Don’t Lie” (Tom Hambridge)

Eric Gales “I Want My Crown” (Eric Gales, Joe Bonamassa)

John Németh “The Last Time” (John Németh)

Shemekia Copeland “Too Far to Be Gone” (John Hahn/Will Kimbrough)

Best emerging artist album

Blue Moon Marquee / Scream, Holler & Howl

DaShawn Hickman / Drums, Roots & Steel

Dylan Triplett / Who Is He?

Jose Ramirez / Major League Blues

Yates McKendree / Buchanan Lane

Acoustic blues album

Charlie Musselwhite / Mississippi Son

Corey Harris / The Insurrection Blues

Duwayne Burnside / Acoustic Burnside

Harrison Kennedy / Thanks for Tomorrow

Rory Block / Ain’t Nobody Worried

Blues rock album

Albert Castiglia / I Got Love

Bernard Allison / Highs & Lows

Colin James / Open Road

Eric Gales / Crown

Tinsley Ellis / Devil May Care

Contemporary blues album

Buddy Guy / The Blues Don’t Lie

Diunna Greenleaf / I Ain’t Playin’

Janiva Magness / Hard to Kill

Larry McCray / Blues Without You

Shemekia Copeland / Done Come Too Far

Soul blues album

Kat Riggins / Progeny

Kirk Fletcher / Heartache by the Pound

Sugaray Rayford / In Too Deep

The Love Light Orchestra / Leave the Light On

Trudy Lynn / Golden Girl

Traditional blues album

Kenny Neal / Straight From the Heart

Bob Corritore / Bob Borritore & Friends: You Shocked Me

Duke Robillard / They Called it Rhythm & Blues

John Németh / May Be the Last Time

John Primer / Hard Times

Acoustic blues artist

Doug MacLeod

Guy Davis

Harrison Kennedy

Rhiannon Giddens

Rory Block

Blues rock artist

Walter Trout

Albert Castiglia

Tommy Castro

Joanne Shaw Taylor

Tinsley Ellis

Contemporary blues female artist

Ruthie Foster

Beth Hart

Janiva Magness

Teresa James

Vanessa Collier

Contemporary blues male artist

Selwyn Birchwood

Chris Cain

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

Ronnie Baker Brooks

Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)

Soul blues female artist

Annika Chambers

Trudy Lynn

Thornetta Davis

Kat Riggins

Vaneese Thomas

Soul blues male artist

John Németh

Johnny Rawls

Curtis Salgado

Don Bryant

Billy Price

Traditional blues female artist (Koko Taylor award)

Dietra Farr

Diunna Greenleaf

Rhiannon Giddens

Rory Block

Sue Foley

Traditional blues male artist

Billy Branch

Duke Robillard

John Primer

Johnny Burgin

Sugar Ray Norcia

Instrumentalist – bass

Bob Stronger

Danielle Nicole

Larry Fulcher

Michael “Mudcat” Ward

Willie J. Campbell

Instrumentalist – drums

Chris Layton

Cody Dickinson

Derric D’Mar Martin

Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith

Tony Braunagel

Instrumentalist – guitar

Chris Cain

Christoffer “Kid” Andersen

Joanna Connor

Kirk Fletcher

Laura Chavez

Instrumentalist – harmonica

Billy Branch

Bob Corritore

Jason Ricci

John Németh

Dennis Gruenling

Instrumentalist – horn

Deanna Bogart

Gregg Piccolo

Jimmy Carpenter

Mark Kaz Kazanoff

Sax Gordon Beadle

Instrumentalist – piano (Pinetop Perkins piano player award)

Anthony Geraci

Ben Levin

Dave Keyes

Jim Pugh

Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne

Instrumentalist – vocals

Curtis Salgado

Danielle Nicole

Diunna Greenleaf

John Németh

Shemekia Copeland

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