2016 Blues Music Awards: Who Will Win?
With the 2016 Blues Music Awards just around the corner, we take a look at who we think will take home the top prize in each category.
Best Male Artist
2016 has been a great year for the blues, and there have been some fantastic albums released by both established and up-and-coming artists. This year’s Blues Music Awards will be handed out on May 5th, and there are a number of fantastic candidates in the running for the coveted Best Male Artist award. Here are a few of the frontrunners.
William Bell
William Bell is an American soul singer and songwriter. He is a Grammy Award winner, and he has been nominated for several other major music awards. His best-known song is “Born Under a Bad Sign”, which was first recorded by Albert King in 1967. Bell’s second album, Bound to Happen, was released in 2016.
Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush is up for Best Male Artist at the 2016 Blues Music Awards. He is a legendary figure in the blues world, and has been playing music for over 50 years. He is known for his soulful voice and his ability to cross genres, playing everything from blues to R&B to funk. He has won numerous awards throughout his career, including a Grammy and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Blues Foundation.
Buddy Guy
The legendary Buddy Guy is up for six awards at the 2016 Blues Music Awards, and he’s got a pretty good chance of taking home the trophy for Best Male Artist. The octogenarian has been nominated in this category five times before, and he won in 2013. Guy is also nominated for Album of the Year, B.B. King Entertainer of the Year, Song of the Year, Traditional Blues Album, and Contemporary Blues Album.
Best Female Artist
This year’s Blues Music Awards will be held on May 5, 2016, at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. The nominees for Best Female Artist are Koko Taylor, Bettye LaVette, Shemekia Copeland, Mavis Staples, and Janiva Magness.
Shemekia Copeland
Shemekia Copeland is one of the most exciting female vocalists in the blues today. She has been nominated for five Grammy Awards and won the Blues Music Award for Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist in 2014. Her most recent album, Outskirts of Love, was released to critical acclaim in 2015 and she is up for four awards at the 2016 Blues Music Awards: Album of the Year, Contemporary Blues Album of the Year, Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. She is a strong contender in all four categories and is sure to take home at least one award on May 5th.
Mavis Staples
Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer, songwriter, and activist. She has recorded and performed with her family’s band The Staple Singers, and has also worked in a solo capacity. Her musical style incorporates elements of gospel, soul, folk, and R&B.
Staples was born in Chicago on July 10, 1939. She began her career with The Staple Singers in 1950. The group signed with Vee-Jay Records in 1955 and released their first single “Uncloudy Day”. They went on to achieve commercial success with a string of hits including “The Weight”, “Respect Yourself”, and “I’ll Take You There”.
Staples released her debut solo album If All I Was Was Black in November 2017. The album peaked at number 24 on the Billboard 200 chart. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised its political themes and Staples’ vocal performance.
Staples is nominated for three awards at the 2016 Blues Music Awards: Best Female Artist, Best Contemporary Blues Album (for Livin’ on a High Note), and Best Traditional Blues Album (for Can’t Wait).
Irma Thomas
Irma Thomas is a titan of the New Orleans music scene, and her strong vocal performances have earned her the nickname “The Soul Queen of New Orleans.” She’s been active in the music industry for over 50 years, and her most recent album, “After the Rain,” was released to critical acclaim in 2014. Thomas is up for three awards at the 2016 Blues Music Awards: Best Female Artist, Entertainer of the Year, and Album of the Year (for “After the Rain”).
Best Band
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are a blues rock band that formed in London in 1962. The band members are Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, and Ronnie Wood. The Rolling Stones have released over 30 studio albums and have sold over 200 million records worldwide. The Rolling Stones have been nominated for eleven Grammy Awards and have won three. The Rolling Stones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004.
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band that became arguably the most successful act of the 20th century. They contributed to music, film, literature, art, and fashion, made a prolonged impact on popular culture and the lifestyle of several generations. Their songs and images carrying powerful messages of love, peace and sisterhood still resonate with people across the globe, many of whom were not even born when the band was at its peak.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin was an English rock band originally formed in 1968 by guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With their heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are regularly cited as one of the progenitors of heavy metal. The band’s style drew from a wide variety of influences, including blues and folk music.
While the group was initially unpopular with critics, they achieved significant commercial success with eight studio albums released over eleven years, from Led Zeppelin (1969) to In Through the Out Door (1979). Their untitled fourth studio album, commonly known as Led Zeppelin IV (1971) and featuring the song “Stairway to Heaven”, is among the most popular and influential works in rock music, and it helped to secure the group’s popularity.
Best New Artist
The 2016 Blues Music Awards will be held on May 5, 2016, at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee. The nominees for Best New Artist are: Ghost Town Blues Band, Selwyn Birchwood, Shemekia Copeland, Toronzo Cannon, and Vanessa Collier.
Sturgill Simpson
Sturgill Simpson is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His sound combines country, blues, rock and roll, and bluegrass. He has released three albums: High Top Mountain, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, and A Sailor’s Guide to Earth.
Simpson was born in Jackson, Kentucky on August 8, 1978. He was raised in a musical home – his father was a fiddle player and his mother was a gospel singer. Simpson’s first exposure to music came from watching old westerns with his grandfather. He grew up listening to country music, but he also loved rock and roll. In high school, Simpson played in a country band called Heaven’s Mountain Band.
Simpson enlisted in the United States Navy after high school and served for four years. He was stationed in Japan during his time in the Navy. It was while he was living in Japan that Simpson began writing songs. After he left the Navy, Simpson moved to Nashville to pursue a career in music.
Simpson’s debut album, High Top Mountain, was released in 2013. The album peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. The album’s lead single, “Life Ain’t Fair and the World Is Mean”, peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Simpson’s second album, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, was released in 2014. The album debuted at number 5 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and number 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. The album’s lead single, “Turtles All the Way Down”, peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
Simpson won the Grammy Award for Best New Artist at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards on February 12th 2017 .
Margo Price
Margo Price is an American singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. She released her debut album, Midwest Farmer’s Daughter, on Third Man Records in 2016. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Americana Album.
In 2017, Price released her second album, All American Made. The album peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.
Price has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, winning one for Best Americana Album for Midwest Farmer’s Daughter.
Chris Stapleton
Chris Stapleton is one of the most talked about artists in country music right now. He’s up for several awards at the 2016 Blues Music Awards, including Best New Artist.
Stapleton burst onto the scene in 2015 with his debut album Traveller. The album was a huge success, reaching number one on the Billboard Country chart and earning high praise from critics.
Stapleton is a throwback to the classic country sound of artists like Hank Williams and Merle Haggard. He has a powerful voice and a knack for writing catchy, heart-wrenching songs.
If he wins Best New Artist at the 2016 Blues Music Awards, it will be well-deserved. Chris Stapleton is one of the brightest new stars in country music.
Best Album
The 2016 Blues Music Awards are right around the corner and the nominees for best album have been announced. The nominees are: Sugar Ray Rayford – There’s A Riot Goin’ On, Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues – Roots and Branches – The Songs of Little Walter, William Bell – This Is Where I Live, and Shemekia Copeland – Outskirts of Love. So, who will take home the award for best album?
William Bell – This Is Where I Live
Bell’s album who will win is up against some stiff competition, but This Is Where I Live has been garnering critical acclaim since its release. The title track is a poignant ode to the city of Memphis, and other standout tracks include “The Dapper Man” and ” Born Under a Bad Sign.” If anyone can dethrone last year’s winner, Buddy Guy, it might be Bell.
Buddy Guy – Born to Play Guitar
There’s no doubt that Buddy Guy is a living legend. The 82-year-old blues icon has been playing guitar for over six decades, and he shows no signs of slowing down. In 2015, he released his 23rd studio album, Born to Play Guitar, to critical acclaim. The record debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues chart, making it Guy’s sixth album to reach the top spot.
Now, Guy is up for three awards at the 2016 Blues Music Awards: Album of the Year, Traditional Blues Album of the Year, and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year. With such a strong showing, it’s safe to say that Buddy Guy is one of the frontrunners for this year’s awards.
The Rolling Stones – Blue & Lonesome
The Rolling Stones have been a force in the music industry for over 50 years, and they show no signs of slowing down. With the release of their latest album, “Blue & Lonesome,” the Stones have once again proved that they are still a relevant and important part of the music world.
“Blue & Lonesome” is a return to the Stones’ roots, with the band focusing on their love of the blues. The album features 12 tracks, all of which are covers of classic blues songs. Despite being covers, the Stones manage to put their own spin on each song, making them sound fresh and new.
The album has been met with critical acclaim, with many critics calling it one of the best albums of 2016. The Rolling Stones are nominated for several 2016 Blues Music Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Traditional Blues Album. Given their history and the quality of “Blue & Lonesome,” there’s a good chance that the Stones will take home some awards come May 5th.
