Reader’s Awards:

Blues Artist of the Year (Male):
B.B. King

Blues Artist of the Year (Female):
Etta James

Best Blues Album of 2004 (Historical Recording):
Percy Mayfield, His Tangerine And Atlantic Sides- Rhino Handmade

Best Blues Album of 2004 (New Recording):
Bobby Rush, Folk Funk- Deep Rush Records

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica):
Charlie Musselwhite

Best Live Performer:
Bobby Rush

Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar):
Alvin “Youngblood” Hart

Most Outstanding Blues Singer:
Ray Charles

Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard):
Pinetop Perkins

Critic’s Awards:

Blues Artist of the Year (Male):
Robert Lockwood, Jr.

Blues Artist of the Year (Female):
Mavis Staples

Comeback Artist of the Year:
Mavis Staples

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica):
Carey Bell

Most Outstanding Blues Singer:
Etta James

Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard):
Pinetop Perkins

Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar):
Jody Williams

Most Outstanding Musician (Horns):
Big James Montgomery

Most Outstanding Musician (Bass):
Willie Kent

Most Outstanding Musician (Drums):
Sam Carr

Most Outstanding Musician (other):
Chuck Campbell—Pedal Steel Guitar

Best Live Performer:
Bobby Rush

Artist Deserving More Attention:
Jimmy Burns

Best Blues Albums of 2004:

Album of the Year
Gatemouth Brown
Timeless
Hightone

New Recordings/Best debut
Michael Powers
Onyx Root
Baryon Records

Historical Reissue/ Pre-war
Lucille Bogan
Shave ‘Em Dry: The Best of Lucille Bogan
Columbia/Legacy

Producer of the Year—New recording:
Greg Preston
Folk Funk
Bobby Rush
Deep Rush Records

Producer of the Year—Hist./ Reissue
Bob Koester
The United Records Series, Delmark

Best Liner Notes
Elijah Wald
Poor Bob’s Blues
Robert Pete Williams
Arhoolie Records

Best Song (original comp., rel. in 2004)
We Meet, We Part, We Remember
Wendell Holmes, Alligator Records

Historical Reissue/ Post-war:
Percy Mayfield
His Tangerine And Atlantic Sides
Rhino Handmade

New Recordings/ Soul-blues
Charles Wilson
If Heartaches Were Nickels
Delmark

New Recordings/Contemporary
Jody Williams
You Left Me in the Dark
Evidence Music

New Recordings/ Trad. & Acoustic:
Robert Lockwood, Jr.
The Legend Live
M.C. Records