Readers’ Poll 

Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Buddy Guy

Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Marcia Ball

Best Blues Album of 2008 (New Release)
Buddy Guy – Skin Deep - Silvertone

Best Blues Album of 2008 (Historical Recording)
Various Artists – Boogie Woogie And Blues Piano – Mosaic Records

Best Blues DVD of 2008
M For Mississippi – Broke And Hungry Records, Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, Mudpuppy Recordings

Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
B.B. King

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Charlie Musselwhite

Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Marcia Ball

Best Live Performer
Buddy Guy

Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Irma Thomas 

 

Critics’  Poll 

Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Honeyboy Edwards

Blues Artist of the Year (Female) 
    Koko Taylor

Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Buddy Guy

Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Lurrie Bell

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Charlie Musselwhite

Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Pinetop Perkins

Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)
Bob Stroger

Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)
Kenny Smith

Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)
Big James Montgomery

Most Outstanding Musician (Other)
Stanley Dural Jr. aka. Buckwheat Zydeco - Accordian

Best Live Performer
Lil’ Ed Williams

Comeback Artist of the Year
Eddy Clearwater

Artist Deserving More Attention
John Dee Holeman

Best Blues Albums of 2008 -

Album of the Year
B.B. King – One Kind Favor - Geffen

New Recordings/ Southern Soul
Johnny Rawls – Red Cadillac – Catfood Records

New Recordings/ Best debut
Elmore James Jr. – Daddy Gave Me The Blues – JSP Records

New Recordings/ Contemporary blues
Kenny Neal – Let Life Flow – Blind Pig Records

New Recordings/ Traditional & acoustic
Honeyboy Edwards – Roamin’ And Ramblin’ -  Earwig Records

Historical Reissue/ Pre-war
Various Artists – Boogie Woogie And Blues Piano – Mosaic Records

Historical Reissue/ Post-war
Howlin’ Wolf – Rockin’ The Blues - Live In Germany 1964 – Acrobat Records

 

DVD
M For Mississippi – Broke And Hungry Records, Cat Head Delta Blues & Folk Art, Mudpuppy Recordings

 

Producer of the Year - New recording
T-Bone Burnett – B.B. King – One Kind Favor - Geffen Records

 

Producer of the Year - Historical/ Reissue 
     Bob Koester – Delmark Records