Award Season: Besides the upcoming Maple Blues Awards, more awards are being spread around in the blues community. The East Coast Music Awards still have a category for Blues Recording of the Year (wish we could say the same about the west coast music awards) and the nominees are Charlie A’Court International Roots & Blues Kitchen Party (w/Suzie Vinnick and Lloyd Spiegel), Joe H Henry – Keep the Fire Burning EP, Jon Hines – A Pale Blue Dot, Lookout Tower – Fields and Wayne Nicholson – Gin House. More info at www.ecma.com

BMA Canadian Nominees:  Hot on the heels of the International Blues Challenge, the Blues Foundation just announced the nominees for the Blues Music Awards and Canadian bluesicians are well represented.  The Blackburn Brother’s Album SoulFunkn’BLUES is nominated for Album of the Year and Soul Blues Album. Brother Brooke is nominated for Song of The Year with “Bobby’s Blues.”  Sue Foley was nominated for the Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female Artist and Instrumentalist – Guitar).  Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne is nominated for the Pinetop Perkins Piano Award (Instrumentalist – Piano). Honorary Canadian Annika Chambers is nominated as Soul Blues Female Artist and also hosted the nominee announcement event alongside hubby Paul DesLauriers.  The Blues Awards will be presented in Memphis on May 9.  See the complete list of nominees at http://blues.org

The Grammy Blues Nominations for Best Contemporary Blues Album are: Death Wish Blues – Samantha Fish And Jesse Dayton, Healing Time – Ruthie Foster, Live In London – Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Blood Harmony – Larkin Poe and LaVette! – Bettye LaVette. Best Traditional Blues Album nominees are: Ridin’ – Eric Bibb, The Soul Side Of Sipp – Mr. Sipp, Life Don’t Miss Nobody – Tracy Nelson, Teardrops For Magic Slim Live At Rosa’s Lounge – John Primer and All My Love For You – Bobby Rush.

Musicians Take Note: Submissions are now open for the 2024 Jim Beam® National Talent Search presented by Canadian Music Week. Canadian artists and bands of any genre from coast to coast are invited to apply online until April 7, 2024 at https://indies.ca/jim-beam-talent-search/. Five National finalists will be selected from their virtual submissions by a panel of handpicked Canadian industry professionals. These pre-selected National Finalists will receive a paid trip to Canadian Music Week with access to Conference and Festival events plus the opportunity to perform in the CMW Jim Beam® Showcase on June 2nd in Toronto. One winner will be determined live at this showcase to play the 2024 Jim Beam® INDIES on June 6th at The Danforth Music Hall