Inside Living Blues 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
