12th Annual Maple Blues Awards

Nominees and Winners

Congratulations to everyone who won at this year’s Maple Blues Awards! Winner names are highlighted in *BOLD in the nominee list below.

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Big Dave McLean
Dawn Tyler Watson
Downchild
Garrett Mason
*Jeff Healey

ELECTRIC ACT OF THE YEAR

David Rotundo
Downchild
Garrett Mason
Jack de Keyzer
*Jeff Healey
JW-Jones

ACOUSTIC ACT OF THE YEAR

Big Dave McLean
*Harry Manx
Julian Fauth
Michael Jerome Browne
Thom Swift

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Bob Walsh
Danny Brooks
Harrison Kennedy
*John Mays (Fathead)
Paul Reddick

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Dawn Tyler Watson
Roxanne Potvin
Shakura S’Aida
*Suzie Vinnick
Treasa Levasseur

NEW ARTIST/GROUP OF THE YEAR

*Daddy Long Legs
Keith Hallett
Marshall Lawrence
Monkey Junk
Sojourners

B.B. KING INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Eric Bibb
James Hunter
Mavis Staples
*Taj Mahal
Watermelon Slim and the Workers

RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Get Way Back (Stony Plain), Amos Garrett, Producers: Amos Garrett & Dave Allcock
*Mess of Blues (Stony Plain), Jeff Healey, Producers: Jeff Healey & Alec Fraser
Ramblin’ Son (Electro-Fi), Julian Fauth, Producers: Andrew Galloway, Alec Fraser & Julian Fauth
Goin’ By Feel (Red House), Ray Bonneville, Producers: Rob Heaney, Gurf Morlix & Ray Bonneville
Low Fidelity (Slim Chicken), Treasa Levasseur, Producers: David Gavan Baxter & Treasa Levasseur

BLUES WITH A FEELING AWARD (Lifetime Achievement)

Danny Brooks
Michael Fonfara
Alec Fraser
*Amos Garrett
Tom Lavin
Ellen McIlwaine
Joe Murphy
Chris Whiteley
Ken Whiteley
Terry Wilkins

BLUES BOOSTER OF THE YEAR

*Rob Bowman

GUITARIST OF THE YEAR

Amos Garrett
Garrett Mason
*Jeff Healey
JW-Jones
Steve Strongman

HARMONICA PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Carlos Del Junco
Guy Belanger
Jerome Godboo
Paul Reddick
*Steve Marriner (Monkey Junk)

KEYBOARD/PIANO PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Curley Bridges
*Dave Murphy (Jeff Healey Band)
Julian Fauth
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne
Michael Fonfara (Downchild)

HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Chris Murphy
Chris Whiteley
Dave Babcock (Amos Garrett)
Johnny Ferreira
*Pat Carey (Downchild)

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR

*Al Webster (Jeff Healey Blues Band)
Bucky Berger (Fathead)
Chris Nordquist (Colin James & many others)
Geoff Arsenault (Morgan Davis)
Maureen Brown

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Alan Duffy (Jack de Keyzer)
*Alec Fraser (Jeff Healey Blues Band & Broken Joe)
Keith Picot (The Twisters)
Stephen Barry
Tom Easley (Hot Toddy)

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Julian Fauth
*Paul Reddick
Ray Bonneville
Thom Swift
Treasa Levasseur