Seventeen Alligator Artists Receive 25 Blues Music Award Nominations

Shemekia Copeland Receives Five Nominations
The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling Receives Three In Addition To One Solo Nomination Each

Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials Receive Two, as does guitar hero Tinsley Ellis, newcomer Lindsay Beaver and acoustic trio Joe Louis Walker, Bruce Katz and Giles Robson
 
Selwyn Birchwood, Marcia Ball, Toronzo Cannon, Rick Estrin, Kid Andersen, Curtis Salgado & Alan Hager and Bruce Katz Each Receive One
 

On Wednesday, January 9, 2019, The Blues Foundation announced the nominees for the 40th Annual Blues Music Awards, the blues world's highest honors. Seventeen Alligator recording artists received a total of 25 nominations. Shemekia Copeland leads all Alligator artists with five nominations, followed by The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling with three and one each additionally for Moss and Gruenling.
 
The coveted Album Of The Year category features four Alligator releases of the five nominees: Shemekia Copeland's America's Child, The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling's The High Cost Of Low Living, Joe Louis Walker, Bruce Katz and Giles Robson's Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues and Curtis Salgado and Alan Hager's Rough Cut. Three Alligator artists -- Rick Estrin, Selwyn Birchwood and Toronzo Cannon -- received nods for Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year. Both Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials and The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling were nominated for the top Band Of The Year award.

The 40th Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented in Memphis on May 9, 2019 at the Cook Convention Center.
 
Alligator artists and nominations are as follows:

SHEMEKIA COPELAND:
Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year: America's Child
Album Of The Year: America's Child
Song Of The Year: Ain't Got Time For Hate (by John Hahn & Will Kimbrough)
Best Instrumentalist - Vocals


THE NICK MOSS BAND FEATURING DENNIS GRUENLING:
Band Of The Year
Album Of The Year: The High Cost Of Low Living
Traditional Blues Album Of The Year: The High Cost Of Low Living
Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year: Nick Moss
Best Instrumentalist - Harmonica: Dennis Gruenling

 
LIL' ED & THE BLUES IMPERIALS:
Band Of The Year
Entertainer Of The Year: Lil' Ed Williams
 

TINSLEY ELLIS:
Blues Rock Artist Of The Year
Blues Rock Album Of The Year: Winning Hand


RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS:
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year: Rick Estrin
Best Instrumentalist - Guitar: Kid Andersen

 
LINDSAY BEAVER:
Traditional Blues Female Artist Of The Year (Koko Taylor Award)
Best Emerging Artist Album: Tough As Love


JOE LOUIS WALKER,
BRUCE KATZ, GILES ROBSON:
Album Of The Year: Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues
Acoustic Blues Album Of The Year: Journeys To The Heart Of The Blues
Best Instrumentalist - Piano: Bruce Katz

 
SELWYN BIRCHWOOD:
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year
 

MARCIA BALL:
Best Instrumentalist - Piano


TORONZO CANNON:
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year

 
CURTIS SALGADO & ALAN HAGER:
Album Of The Year: Rough Cut

Click here to see a full list of all Blues Music Award nominees:
https://blues.org/40th-blues-music-award-nominations-announced/