Koerner Hall Hosts 25th Annual Edition with Sue Foley, Crystal Shawanda, Kat Danser, Colin Linden, and Bobby Dean Blackburn Toronto Blues Society is announcing a stellar line-up of blues artists from across Canada as the 25th Maple Blues Awards return to Koerner Hall in Toronto Hosted by Ottawa’s Angelique Francis, Canada’s biggest night in blues music will feature performances from five Maple Blues Award nominees including Bobby Dean Blackburn, who is nominated for the Blues With A Feeling (Lifetime Achievement) award, multiple nominee Sue Foley, who is up for Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, Recording/Producer of the Year, and Guitarist of the Year. Also set to grace the stage are Female Vocalist of the Year nominee Crystal Shawanda, Songwriter of the Year nominee Kat Danser, and Colin Linden, who is nominated for Recording/Producer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. These incredible blues artists will be supported by the award gala’s house band, The Maple Blues Band, who have been a cornerstone of the annual Maple Blues Awards Ceremony since 1999. The Maple Blues Band features a who’s who of musicians including the ceremony’s musical director and bandleader Gary Kendall on bass, Teddy Leonard on lead guitar, Al Lerman on harmonica & acoustic guitar, Howard Moore on trumpet, Jim Casson on drums, Lance Anderson on piano & organ, Alison Young on tenor saxophone, Mei Kelly on trombone. At the 25th annual Maple Blues Awards, The Maple Blues Band will debut a mentorship program by adding a third-year Humber College music student to the group. Roshane Wright, from Kingston, Jamaica will join the rhythm section as a percussionist. Following the gala, the popular after-party and nominee jam will be hosted by Miss Emily and will reunite blues fans and friends after the long months apart. |
COVID protocols are strictly in place, with proof of vaccination and valid ID required, with mandatory masks everywhere in the building, including during concerts.
Detailed information will be provided to ticket purchasers prior to the concert dates. Please visit rcmusic.com/performance/covid-19-update for the most up to date information.
Nominating Panel & Steering Committee. The nominees are selected by a distinguished panel of some 53 blues experts who form the MBA Nominating Panel. Co-chaired by the steering committee consisting of Cindy McLeod, Terry Parsons, Yanick Theriault, and Brant Zwicker, the panel includes radio hosts, journalists, and festival organizers regionally distributed across Canada. Members of the Nominating Panel are not eligible for any of the awards.
The Maple Blues Award winners will be announced on January 31, 2022 at the LIVE Maple Blues Award Show to be held at Koerner Hall in Toronto. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.rcmusic.com/events-and-performances .
*Instrumental Categories. Winners in the guitar, harmonica, piano/keyboards, horn, drum, and bass categories are not open for public vote. Instrumental or “craft” categories are determined by a panel of experts drawn from the nominating panel.
The Maple Blues Awards program is proudly organized by the Toronto Blues Society.
Toronto Blues Society has received valuable input from the members of the Canadian blues community regarding the Maple Blues Awards procedures and voting process – and have developed policies and protocol to ensure the Maple Blues Award system is responsive and evolving. Please note the following rules:
There is no application process for the Maple Blues Awards. Nominations are drawn from the expertise of the MBA Nominating Panel. Members of the nominating panel are required to be familiar with Canadian blues artist activity and CD releases. Artists are encouraged to service new releases to all blues radio DJs, journalists and industry professionals across Canada to increase their national profile. The list of the Panel members can be found on our website (bottom of this page) with a link to their organizations.
Recording/Producer Of The Year. Nominated recordings in this category must be released during the eligibility period: September 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021.
New Artist Or Group Of The Year. Group or individual, new to the national blues scene, who has made considerable advances artistically and/or commercially over the previous year. The nominee should be performing under its/his/her name on a regular basis and must not have been nominated in any Maple Blues Awards category previously. The award recognizes the group or individual.
The Nominating Panel consists of industry professionals from across Canada who volunteer their time to participate.
Click here to download the communication sheet for the Panel.
NAME | ORGANIZATION | PROGRAM & STATION | CITY | PROV |
Vince Almond | CFBX | Kamloops | BC |
Brant Zwicker* | At the Crossroads (syndicated) | Kamloops | BC |
Al Forrie | Hornby Island Blues Society | Hornby Island | BC |
Grant Payne | Nanaimo Blues Society | Nanaimo | BC |
Rod Dranfield | White Rock Blues Society | Surrey | BC |
Brent Morrison | The Rockin’ Blues Show (CJSF | CJMP) | Vancouver | BC |
Paul Norton | CFRO | CiTR | Vancouver | BC |
Ron Simmonds | CFRO | Vancouver | BC |
Cindy McLeod | Calgary Blues Music Association | The Blues Witness (CJSW) | Calgary | AB |
Cam Hayden | The Friday Night Blues Party (CKUA) | Edmonton | AB |
Holger Petersen | Stony Plain Records | Edmonton | AB |
Chris Martin | Saturday Night Blues (CBC) | Edmonton | AB |
Gord MacAulay | Canadian Blues Alliance | Saskatoon | SK |
Al Wood | Saskatoon Blues Society | Saskatoon | SK |
Paul Panchezak | Breakfast of Champions (CFMU) | Hamilton | ON |
Ken Wallis | Blues Blast (The HAWK) | Hamilton | ON |
Claude Cloutier | Kitchener Blues Festival | Kitchener | ON |
Bruce Hall | Grand River Blues Society | Kitchener | ON |
Liz Sykes | Ottawa Blues Society | Ottawa | ON |
Deborah Cartmer | CFBU | St. Catharines | ON |
Julie Hill | Blue Remedy (Radio Regent | Blues and Roots Radio) | Toronto | ON |
Eric Thom | Freelance Music Journalist | Toronto | ON |
Stevie Connor | Blues and Roots Radio | Mississauga | ON |
Andrew Galloway | Electro-Fi Records | Toronto | ON |
Lori Murray | Music By The Bay | Uxbridge | ON |
Nick Harding | Photographer | Wasaga Beach | ON |
Lee Evans | Bluewater Blues Show, 91.3 FM | Hanover | ON |
John Emms | Freelance Music Writer | Timmins | ON |
Rick Clarke | Bruce County Blues Society | Kincardine | ON |
Jan MacDonald | Downtown Kingston Limestone City Blues Festival | Kingston | ON |
Yannick Lambert | Donnacona Blues Festival | Donnacona | QC |
Debra Thornington | Ottawa Blues Society | Dawg’On Blues (DAWG) | Gatineau | QC |
Alexandre Petit | Viree Blues Boreale | Hull | QC |
John Detcheverry | Cha Cha In Blue (CKUT) | Montreal | QC |
Daisy Hanna | Montreal Blues Society | Montreal | QC |
Greg Torrington | The Blues (Stingray Music) | Montreal | QC |
David Bush | Royal Blues with Dr. Dave, K103.7 | Kahnawake | QC |
Dave Brennan | Ottawa Blues Society | Gatineau | QC |
David McCabe | Montreal Blues Society | St.-Urbain Premier | QC |
Louis Brunet | CKMN | Rimouski | QC |
Yanick Theriault | Cigare & Whiskey (CFBO) | Grand Moncton | NB |
Sandy MacDonald | Freelance Music Journalist | Halifax | NS |
Cathy Prothro | East Coast Blues Society | Dartmouth | NS |
Gene Bellows | Blues in the Night (VOBB) | Bonne Bay | NL |
Terry Parsons* | Blind Lemon Radio (CHMR) | St. John’s | NL |
*The panel is led by a steering committee consisting of Cindy McLeod, Brant Zwicker, Yanick Theriault and Terry Parsons.