Inside Living Blues 2006 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
2nd 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
2007 Readers’ Awards:
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Lil’ Ed Williams
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Koko Taylor
Best Blues Album of 2006 (New Release)
Junior Wells
Live At Theresa’s 1975
Delmark
Best Blues Album of 2006 (Historical Recording)
John Lee Hooker
Hooker
Shout! Factory
Best Blues DVD of 2006
Mel Brown
Mel Brown: The DVD
Electro-Fi
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Mel Brown
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Charlie Musselwhite
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Marcia Ball
Best Live Performer
Bobby Rush
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Bobby “Blue” Bland
Critics’ Awards
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Lil’ Ed Williams
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Bettye LaVette
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Bettye LaVette
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Lurrie Bell
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Carey Bell
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Henry Gray
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)
Bob Stroger
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)
Willie “Big Eyes” Smith
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)
Big James Montgomery
Most Outstanding Musician (Other)
Stanley Dural a.k.a. Buckwheat Zydeco - Accordion
Best Live Performer
Bobby Rush
Comeback Artist of the Year
Jackie Payne
Artist Deserving More Attention
Lee Gates
Best Blues Albums of 2006:
Album of the Year
Junior Wells – Live At Theresa’s 1975 - Delmark
New Recordings/ Southern Soul
Mel Waiters – Throw Back Days – Malaco/Waldoxy
New Recordings/ Best debut
Jimmy “Duck” Holmes - Back To Bentonia – Broke & Hungry
New Recordings/ Contemporary blues
Irma Thomas – After The Rain - Rounder
New Recordings/ Traditional & acoustic
Jimmy “Duck” Holmes – Back To Bentonia – Broke & Hungry
Historical Reissue/ Pre-war
Various Artists – The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of – Yazoo
Historical Reissue/ Post-war
John Lee Hooker – Hooker – Shout! Factory
DVD
Antone’s Home Of The Blues: A Legend Every Night – Koch Vision
Producer of the Year - New recording
Jeff Konkel – Broke & Hungry Records
Producer of the Year - Historical/ Reissue
Richard Nevins – Yazoo Records
2008 Readers’ Awards:
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Lurrie Bell
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Koko Taylor
Best Blues Album of 2007 (New Release)
Koko Taylor – Old School – Alligator
Best Blues Album of 2007 (Historical Recording)
Andrew Brown – Big Brown’s Blues – Black Magic
Best Blues DVD of 2007
Otis Redding – Dreams To Remember: The Legacy Of Otis Redding - Stax
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
B.B. King
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
Charlie Musselwhite
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Marcia Ball
Best Live Performer
Bobby Rush
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Solomon Burke
Critics’ Awards:
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Lurrie Bell
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Koko Taylor
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Nappy Brown
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Lurrie Bell
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
James Cotton
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)
Pinetop Perkins
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)
Bob Stroger
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)
(Tie) Willie “Big Eyes” Smith & Kenny Smith
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)
Big James Montgomery
Most Outstanding Musician (Other)
Aubrey Ghent (Lap steel)
Best Live Performer
Bobby Rush
Comeback Artist of the Year
Nappy Brown
Artist Deserving More Attention
Catherine Russell
Best Blues Albums of 2007
Album of the Year
Nappy Brown – Long Time Coming – Blind Pig
New Recordings/ Southern Soul
Denise LaSalle – Pay Before You Pump – Ecko Records
New Recordings/ Best debut
Albert White – Soul Of The Blues – Music Maker
New Recordings/ Contemporary blues
Phillip Walker – Going Back Home – Delta Groove
New Recordings/ Traditional & acoustic
Bobby Rush – Raw – Deep Rush Records
Historical Reissue/ Pre-war
Various Artists – Desperate Man Blues (Soundtrack) – Dust To Digital
Historical Reissue/ Post-war
Robert Lockwood, Jr. – Steady Rolling Man - Delmark
DVD
Various Artists
The American Folk-Blues Festival: The British Tours 1963-’66
Hip-O DVD
Producer of the Year - New recording
Randy Chortkoff – Delta Groove Productions
Producer of the Year - Historical/ Reissue
Lance Ledbetter – Dust To Digital
2009 Readers’ Awards
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
Critic's Awards
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
