Ten Alligator Artists Receive 18 Blues Music Award Nominations

Ten Alligator Artists Receive 18 Blues Music Award Nominations
Rick Estrin Leads All Artists With Seven Nominations
Selwyn Birchwood And The Cash Box Kings Each Receive Two
Shemekia Copeland, Elvin Bishop, Curtis Salgado, Toronzo Cannon, The Nick Moss Band, Dennis Gruenling And Kid Andersen Each Receive One


On Tuesday, January 9, 2018, The Blues Foundation announced the nominees for the 39th Annual Blues Music Awards, the blues world's highest honors. Ten Alligator recording artists received a total of 18 nominations.
 
Rick Estrin, leader of Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, received seven nominations, including the B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year, Album Of The Year (for Groovin' In Greaseland) and Song Of The Year (for The Blues Ain't Goin' Nowhere). Estrin was also recognized with nominations for Best Instrumentalist - Harmonica, Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year and Traditional Blues Album Of The Year. Nightcats' guitarist Kid Andersen received a nomination for Best Instrumentalist - Guitar.
 
Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, The Nick Moss Band and The Cash Box Kings were all nominated for the coveted Band Of The Year award. Nick Moss Band harmonica player Dennis Gruenling received a nomination for Best Instrumentalist - Harmonica.

In addition, The Cash Box Kings' Royal Mint and Elvin Bishop's Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio were nominated for Traditional Blues Album Of The Year.

Blues visionary Selwyn Birchwood received nominations for Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year (for Pick Your Poison) and Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year. Fellow blues groundbreaker Toronzo Cannon was also nominated for Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year.

Shemekia Copeland was nominated as Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The year.

Curtis Salgado received a nod in the Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year category.

The 39th Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented in Memphis on May 10, 2018 at the Cook Convention Center.
 
Alligator artists and nominations are as follows:

RICK ESTRIN:
Album Of The Year: Groovin' In Greaseland
Traditional Blues Album Of The Year: Groovin' In Greaseland
Band Of The Year: Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year
Song Of The Year: The Blues Ain't Goin' Nowhere
Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year
Best Instrumentalist - Harmonica


Best Instrumentalist - Guitar: Kid Andersen

SELWYN BIRCHWOOD:
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year: Pick Your Poison
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year

THE CASH BOX KINGS:
Band Of The Year
Traditional Blues Album Of The Year: Royal Mint

ELVIN BISHOP:
Traditional Blues Album Of The Year: Elvin Bishop's Big Fun Trio

SHEMEKIA COPELAND:
Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year

THE NICK MOSS BAND:
Band Of The Year


Best Instrumentalist - Harmonica: Dennis Gruenling

TORONZO CANNON:
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year

CURTIS SALGADO:
Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year