Nine Alligator Artists Receive 18 Blues Music Award Nominations

The Blues Foundation today announced the nominees for the 2009 Blues Music Awards, recognized as the highest honor given to blues artists. 

Nine Alligator recording artists received a total of 18 nominations. Soul and blues singer Janiva Magness leads the Alligator pack with four nominations. Electric blues guitar master Michael "Iron Man" Burks and Chicago slide guitar legend Lil' Ed Williams and his band The Blues Imperials each received three. Marcia Ball (who is currently nominated for a Grammy Award for her CD Peace, Love & BBQ) received two nominations, as did Chicago blues icon Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater. Chicago's reigning Queen of the Blues, Koko Taylor, Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King, Gaye Adegbalola (of Saffire—The Uppity Blues Women, who also records as a solo artist), and Rick Estrin (of Rick Estrin & The Nightcats), each received one nomination.

The Blues Music Awards ceremony and concert will be held May 7, 2009 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, TN. The awards ceremony and concert will be broadcast live by Sirius XM Satellite Radio's B.B. King's Bluesville channel. The Blues Music Awards will be shot in HD for a DVD to be released in 2010.

Alligator artists and nominations are as follows:

JANIVA MAGNESS
B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year
Album Of The Year – What Love Will Do
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year – What Love Will Do
Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year

LIL' ED AND THE BLUES IMPERIALS
B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year
Band Of The Year
Traditional Blues Album Of The Year – Full Tilt

MICHAEL "IRON MAN" BURKS
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year
Instrumentalist – Guitar
Rock Blues Album Of The Year – Iron Man

MARCIA BALL
Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year
Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Of The Year

EDDY "THE CHIEF" CLEARWATER
Traditional Blues Album Of The Year – West Side Strut
Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year

KOKO TAYLOR
Traditional Blues Female Artist Of The Year

SMOKIN' JOE KUBEK & BNOIS KING
Rock Blues Album Of The Year - Blood Brothers

GAYE ADEGBALOLA (of SAFFIRE—THE UPPITY BLUES WOMEN)
Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year

RICK ESTRIN (of RICK ESTRIN AND THE NIGHTCATS)
Instrumentalist Of The Year - Harmonica