Winners have been revealed at the 2026 Blues Music Awards held on Thursday, May 7, in Memphis, Tennessee. The awards were voted on by the members of the Blues Foundation.
View the full list of winners below, which are bolded.
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”
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