Blues Blast Music Award Winners Announced At Buddy Guy’s Legends

The winners of the 2008 Blues Blast Music Awards were announced Sunday November 2nd, 2008 at a Gala Blues celebration at Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago, IL.

The award winners are:
Best Contemporary Blues Recording - Holmes Brothers - State Of Grace
Best Traditional Blues Recording - Lurrie Bell - Lets Talk About Love
Best New Artist Debut Recording - John Németh - Magic Touch
Best Blues Song - Nick Moss - Mistakes from the Past
Best Male Artist - Buddy Guy
Best Female Artist - Koko Taylor
Best Blues Band - Magic Slim & The Teardrops
Sean Costello Rising Star Award - John Németh

Blues Blast Magazine also awarded their first ever Lifetime Achievement Award to Delta Blues Legend David ”Honeyboy” Edwards. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes significant contributions and a lifetime body of work in the field of Blues music.

The ceremonies included performances by Magic Slim & the Teardrops, Lurrie Bell, Matthew Skollar, Nick Moss, Gerry Hundt , John Németh, The Kilborn Alley Blues Band, Dave Riley, Bob Corritore, Eden Brent, Sugar Ray Norcia, Teeny Tucker, Gina Sicilia, Dave Gross, Tim "Too Slim" Langford and others.

The winners were chosen by the 11,000 Blues Blast magazine readers from all 50 states and more than 40 countries voting at the IllinoisBlues.com website. There was no cost or fees to be eligible to vote. These awards truly represent the Peoples Choice for the best in Blues music.

Celebrity award presenters included Eric Steiner, president of the Washington Blues Society, Linda Cain Publisher of ChicagoBluesGuide.com, Chicago Blues woman Deb Seitz, August “Lordy” Lord, owner of ChicagoBluesBeat.com , Blues Writer James “Skyy Dobro” Walker, Blues Songwriter, Musician, DJ and Journalist, Ben Cox, Matt Eimer, Promoter of the Simply The Blues Fest in Fort Madison, Iowa and Kate Moss Publicity director for Blue Bella Records.

The sponsors of the Blues Blast Music Awards were WGL Blues 24/7 a FREE online Blues Music stream and Podcast from WGLT radio, a public radio station in Normal, Illinois (www.WGLT.org) and The Chicago Blues Guide (www.ChicagoBluesGuide.com)

Blues Blast magazine is a FREE weekly Blues “web-zine” available from IllinoisBlues.com. The Blues Blast Music Awards recognize the best of today’s Blues music.

A group of Blues industry professionals including artists, music writers, radio D.J.’s, artist managers and festival promoters selected five nominees in each of the eight categories. Voting for the awards took place during July and August online at the IllinoisBlues.com website. More than 2000 votes were cast and the awards ceremonies were a celebration of the artists and the music that represent the best in Blues music today.