What are the BMAs?
This event brings together Blues performers, industry representatives, and fans from all over the world to celebrate the best in Blues recordings and performances from the previous year. The BMAs are generally recognized as the highest honor given to blues musicians and are awarded by vote of Blues Foundation members.
Nominees and winners of the Blues Music Awards must be in keeping with The Blues Foundation’s values as a welcoming and inclusive organization,
as reflected in our Statement Against Racism.
What are the BMAs?
This event brings together Blues performers, industry representatives, and fans from all over the world to celebrate the best in Blues recordings and performances from the previous year. The BMAs are generally recognized as the highest honor given to blues musicians and are awarded by vote of Blues Foundation members.
Nominees and winners of the Blues Music Awards must adhere to The Blues Foundation’s values as a welcoming and inclusive organization,
as reflected in our Statement Against Racism.
Blues Music Awards Process
The 43rd Blues Music Awards submission process is now open. Click here to submit your recording(s).
Any blues recording released between November 1, 2020 and October 31, 2021 is eligible for 2022 Blues Music Award consideration.
The submission process for Blues Music Award consideration begins with artists and record companies submitting entries in the following ways:
- The Blues Foundation accepts CDs through the year and logs them based on their release dates. All recordings sent directly to The Blues Foundation will be put on a master list for future communications regarding our submission process.
- The Blues Foundation opens the formal submission process on or about July 1st of each year. The Blues Foundation has moved to a digital platform for recording submissions. Your complete album or minimum 6-song EP music must be uploaded as a WAV file with album artwork uploaded as either JPEG or PDF files. We will no longer accept hard copy CDs for the purposes of BMA submission review.
Artists may submit a single for Song of the Year consideration that has been professionally released to the public between November 1, 2020 – October 31, 2021, and is not part of a larger EP or full album release. To submit a single for Song of the Year, you must contact Joe Whitmer at [email protected] directly. Singles may not be directly uploaded to the online submission platform without a special code.
Submission fees and deadlines:
- July 1, 2021 – July 31, 2021
$135 per album or EP submission / $35 per song submission - August 1, 2021 – August 31, 2021
$155 per album or EP submission / $55 per song submission - September 1, 2021 – September 30, 2021
$180 per album or EP submission / $80 per song submission - October 1, 2021 – October 15, 2021
$225 per album or EP submission submission / $125 per song submission
The submission process officially closes on October 15, 2021.
You must upload your music and artwork and complete payment for your submission transaction no later than OCTOBER 15TH to be considered for a Blues Music Award nomination. All music must be uploaded as a WAV file with album artwork uploaded as a JPEG or PDF file. If you need assistance with uploading your music, contact Joe Whitmer at [email protected] will be available to help you and walk you through the process. The submission process officially closes on October 15, 2021 at 8:00am CST. You must upload your music and artwork and complete payment for your submission transaction no later than OCTOBER 15 to be considered for a Blues Music Award.
The nominators work through two rounds in order to come up with between four and six final nominees in each category. During the first round, each nominator distributes 6 total points to their top choices within each category, with no more than 2 total points given to any single entry. The top entries in each category move into Round 2. The Blues Foundation does not publicize which recordings and/or artists move to Round 2. The nominators then repeat the point distribution for each category in a second round ballot and those artists and recordings receiving the most total points in each category become the final Nominees for Blues Music Awards.
Final nominees will be announced in early January 2022.
All Blues Foundation members in good standing, whose dues are current, may access one online ballot via the Membership portal at blues.org. Membership Login credentials and password required to gain access to the ballot. Any member who renews his or her membership or joins as a new member during the voting period will also receive a ballot. Voting will open in late January and will officially close at 11:59pm CT on February 28, 2022 at which point no additional ballots will be accepted.
Winners will be announced during the 43rd Blues Music Awards in 2022.
42nd Blues Music Awards Winners & Nominees
Download and stream the music of the BMA nominees:
Sponsored by B.B. King’s Blues Club
Shemekia Copeland
Rick Estrin
John Németh
Sugaray Rayford
Lil’ Ed Williams
*Listen to the Album of the Year Nominees on Spotify
Sponsored by Stony Plain Records
100 Years of Blues, Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite
Rawer Than Raw, Bobby Rush
Rise Up, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters
Too Far From the Bar, Sugar Ray & The Bluetones featuring Little Charlie
Uncivil War, Shemekia Copeland
Sponsored by BlueCross Blue Shield of Tennessee
Anthony Geraci & The Boston Blues Allstars
John Németh & The Blue Dreamers
Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
Southern Avenue
Sugar Ray & The Bluetones
*Listen to the Song of the Year Nominees on Spotify
“All My Dues Are Paid” – written by Kathy Murray, Rick Estrin, Frank Bey, Kid Andersen (performed by Frank Bey)
“All Out of Tears” – written by Walter Trout, Marie Trout, and Teeny Tucker (performed by Walter Trout)
“Blues Comin’ On” – written by Dion DiMucci and Mike Aquilina (performed by Dion Feat. Joe Bonamassa)
“Is It Over” – written by Don Bryant and Scott Bomar (performed by Don Bryant)
“Uncivil War” – written by John Hahn and Will Kimbrough (performed by Shemekia Copeland)
*Listen to the Best Emerging Artist Album Nominees on Spotify
Sponsored by Ted Reed Productions
Hard Workin‘ Man, Andrew Alli
Harlem, King Solomon Hicks
Here I Come, Jose Ramirez
High Risk Low Reward, Ryan Perry
Peace In Pieces, Betty Fox Band
*Listen to the Acoustic Blues Album Nominees on Spotify
Sponsored by Endless Blues Records
Dustin Arbuckle & Matt Woods, Dustin Arbuckle & Matt Woods
Prove It On Me, Rory Block
Rawer Than Raw, Bobby Rush
Three Pints of Gin, Richard Ray Farrell
Traveling Man – Live, Watermelon Slim
*Listen to the Blues Rock Album Nominees on Spotify
Ain’t Done Yet, Savoy Brown
Ice Cream In Hell, Tinsley Ellis
Mike Zito and Friends – Rock ‘n’ Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry, Mike Zito
Mississippi Suitcase, Peter Parcek
Ordinary Madness, Walter Trout
*Listen to the Contemporary Blues Album Nominees on Spotify
Cry Out, Kat Riggins
My Blues Pathway, Kirk Fletcher
Self-Made Man, Larkin Poe
Stronger Than Strong, John Németh
Uncivil War, Shemekia Copeland
*Listen to the Soul Blues Album Nominees on Spotify
All My Dues Are Paid, Frank Bey
Found! One Soul Singer, Sonny Green
That’s What I Heard, Robert Cray Band
Where Have All The Soul Men Gone, Johnny Rawls
You Make Me Feel, Don Bryant
*Listen to the Traditional Blues Album Nominees on Spotify
100 Years of Blues, Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite
Blueswoman, Nora Jean Wallace
Every Day of Your Life, Jimmy Johnson
Rise Up, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters
Too Far From the Bar, Sugar Ray & The Bluetones featuring Little Charlie
Dom Flemons
Catfish Keith
Harrison Kennedy
Doug MacLeod
Keb‘ Mo’
Tinsley Ellis
Reverend Peyton
Ana Popovic
Mike Zito
Shemekia Copeland
Samantha Fish
Sue Foley
Ruthie Foster
Shaun Murphy
Selwyn Birchwood
Chris Cain
Rick Estrin
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
J.P. Soars
Annika Chambers
Thornetta Davis
Bettye LaVette
Dorothy Moore
Terrie Odabi
William Bell
Don Bryant
John Németh
Johnny Rawls
Curtis Salgado
Sponsored by Alligator Records
Rory Block
Rhiannon Giddens
Diunna Greenleaf
Trudy Lynn
Teeny Tucker
Billy Branch
Sugar Ray Norcia
John Primer
Jontavious Willis
Kim Wilson
Willie J. Campbell
Larry Fulcher
Danielle Nicole
Patrick Rynn
Michael “Mudcat” Ward
Tony Braunagel
June Core
Derrick “D’Mar” Martin
Bernard Purdie
Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
Christoffer “Kid” Andersen
Chris Cain
Laura Chavez
Kirk Fletcher
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Sponsored by Hohner Harmonicas
Billy Branch
Rick Estrin
Dennis Gruenling
Jason Ricci
Kim Wilson
Mindi Abair
Jimmy Carpenter
Doug James
Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff
Nancy Wright
Mike Finnigan
Anthony Geraci
Johnny Iguana
Bruce Katz
Jim Pugh
Thornetta Davis
Ruthie Foster
John Németh
Sugar Ray Norcia
Sugaray Rayford
2021 Blues Music Awards Categories and Definitions:
That performer who has best represented and promoted the blues through recordings and performances during the eligibility period.
The best blues album in any style released to the public during the eligibility period.
(May be an album nominated in another category)
That group, recording and/or performing as a unit, which best exemplifies blues ensemble playing during the eligibility period.
This award is presented to the songwriter for a first-ever recording of a song initially released to the public during the eligibility period which best portrays the blues by means of theme, structure, and overall feeling.
That blues recording that was released during the eligibility period for an act that has not received a prior Blues Music Award or GRAMMY® award nomination. The age of the artist is not of significance, but this award is intended for an artist who is up and coming within the blues/music scene and is at the “jumping off” point of his or her career. An artist’s album may not be considered in this category if that artist has already had a professional release of more than three prior albums or EPs. (Albums submitted for this category may also be submitted in other appropriate categories.)
That album released during the eligibility period that best represents acoustic blues, in which non-electric/amplified instruments are prominently featured on at least 75% of the tracks.
That album released to the public during the eligibility period with a majority of songs that best portrays the Blues Rock genre, that hybrid that combines elements of blues with elements of rock, generally employing heavy amplification and driving rhythms, and which may employ non-traditional blues song structures.
That album released to the public during the eligibility period that best portrays blues in which elements other than those traditionally found in blues are part of the mix, e.g., different rhythms, different harmonies, more elaborate production values, etc., and which may offer a different approach to sounds, lyrics, instrumentation, arrangements, etc.
That album released to the public during the eligibility period that best portrays Southern Soul Blues, a type of soul music that emerged from the Southern United States. The music originates from a combination of styles, including blues (both 12 bar and jump) with a strong gospel influence.
That album released to the public during the eligibility period with a majority of songs that best portrays Traditional Electric Blues employing traditional blues song structures, harmonic structures and rhythms, and which may also employ instruments such as electric guitar, piano, organ, amplified harmonica, electric bass and drums. This category includes subgenres such as jump/swing blues and Chicago blues.
That performer, whether male or female, whose recordings and/or performance during the eligibility period best represent Acoustic Blues.
That performer, whether male or female, whose recordings and/or performance during the eligibility period best portray Blues Rock.
That female performer whose recordings and/or performances during the eligibility period best portray Contemporary Blues.
That male performer whose recordings and/or performances during the eligibility period best portray Contemporary Blues.
That female performer whose recordings and/or performance during the eligibility period best portray Southern Soul Blues.
That male performer whose recordings and/or performance during the eligibility period best portray Southern Soul Blues.
That female performer whose recordings and/or performance during the eligibility period best portray Traditional Electric Blues.
That male performer whose recordings and/or performance during the eligibility period best portray Traditional Electric Blues.
That musician whose skills on the bass in performance and/or on recordings during the eligibility period best portray the blues.
That musician whose skills on the drums in performance and/or on recordings during the eligibility period best portray the blues.
That musician whose skills on the guitar in performance and/or on recordings during the eligibility period best portray the blues.
That musician whose skills on the harmonica in performance and/or on recordings during the eligibility period best portray the blues.
That individual whose skills on any horn (including brass and woodwind instruments) in performance and/or on recordings during the eligibility period best portray the blues.
That musician whose skills on the keyboards in performance and/or on recordings during the eligibility period best portray the blues.
That musician whose vocal skills in performance and/or on recordings during the eligibility period best portray the blues. This category is open to all vocalists on recordings and stage as well as to vocalists who also play an instrument.
That blues album or collection released during the eligibility period, with all recordings at least five years or older, which serves to preserve historical blues recording and/or performance. In addition to recording and performance content, liner notes and general packaging of the content will be taken into consideration. Submissions for this category are reviewed by a special committee of blues historians, journalists, and ethnomusicologists. This category is not included as part of the nominations announcement or the BMA ballot.
