Reader’s Awards:

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

Blues Artist of the Year (Female):
Shemekia Copeland

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica):
Sam Myers

Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar):
Buddy Guy

Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard):
Pinetop Perkins

Most Outstanding Blues Singer:
Solomon Burke

Best Live Performer:
Chick Willis

Best Blues Album of 2005 (New Recording:
Buddy Guy
Bring ‘Em In
Silvetone/Zomba

Best Blues Album of 2005 (Historical Recording):
Ray Charles

Pure Genius—The Complete Atlantic Recordings (1952-59)
Atlantic/Rhino

Best Blues DVD of 2005:
Marvin Sease
Live With The Candylicker
Malaco

Critic’s Awards:

Blues Artist of the Year (Male):
Little Milton

Blues Artist of the Year (Female):
Irma Thomas

Most Outstanding Musician (Bass):
Willie Kent

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica):
Big George Brock

Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard):
Floyd Dixon

Most Outstanding Blues Singer:
Etta James

Most Outstanding Musician (Horns):
Big James Montgomery

Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar):
Magic Slim

Best Live Performer:
Bobby Rush

Artist Deserving More Attention:
Cool John Ferguson

Most Outstanding Musician (Drums):
Cedric Burnside

Comeback Artist of the Year:
Bettye LaVette

Most Outstanding Musician (Other):
Calvin Cooke—Pedal Steel Guitar

Album of the Year:
Otis Rush
All Your Love I Miss Loving: Live At Wise Fools Pub Chicago
Delmark

New Recording/ Soul-blues
Bobby Rush
Night Fishin’
Deep Rush

New Recordings/ Best debut
Earl Gilliam
Texas Doghouse Blues
Dialtone

New Recordings/ Traditional & acoustic
Precious Bryant
My Name Is Precious
Music Maker

New Recordings/ Contemporary blues
Eddie Burns
2^nd Degree Burns
Blue Suit

Historical Reissue/ Pre-war
Various Artists
Good For What Ails You—Music Of The Medicine Shows 1926-1937
Old Hat

Historical Reissue/Post-war
Blind Arvella Gray
The Singing Drifter
Conjuroo

Producer of the Year/ New recording
Joe Henry
I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise
Bettye LaVette—Anti

Producer of the Year—Historical/Reissue
Marshall Wyatt
Good For What Ails You
Old Hat 

DVD
Tail Dragger
My Head Is Bald: Live At Vern’s Friendly Lounge, Chicago
Delmark