8 Alligator Artists Receive 18 Blues Award Nominations

The Music Industry News Network http://www.mi2n.com/ reports that the Blues Foundation has announced the nominees for the 2011 Blues Music Awards. Eight Alligator recording artists received a total of 18 nominations, far more than any other label. Harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite received five nods (tied with Buddy Guy for the most nominations), including Album Of The Year (for The Well) and Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year. Following closely behind, blues and soul singer Janiva Magness received four nominations, with nods for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year (an honor she won in 2009), Album Of The Year (for The Devil Is An Angel Too) and Contemporary Female Artist Of The Year. Blues master James Cotton was honored with three nominations, soul/blues/gospel trio The Holmes Brothers with two, and harmonicist/vocalist Rick Estrin, dual-lead guitar band Smokin' Joe Kubek & Bnois King, guitar superstar Guitar Shorty and Kei th Crossan (of The Tommy Castro Band) with one apiece.

The 32nd Annual Blues Music Awards will be presented in Memphis on May 5, 2011 at the Cook Convention Center.

Artists and nominations are as follows:

CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE:
Album Of The Year - The Well
Instrumentalist Of The Year - Harmonica
Song Of The Year - Sad And Beautiful World (written by Charlie Musselwhite, from The Well)
Traditional Blues Album Of The Year - The Well
Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year

JANIVA MAGNESS:
Album Of The Year - The Devil Is An Angel Too
B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year - The Devil Is An Angel Too
Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year

JAMES COTTON:
Instrumentalist Of The Year - Harmonica
Traditional Blues Album Of The Year - Giant
Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year

THE HOLMES BROTHERS:
Soul Blues Album Of The Year - Feed My Soul
Band Of The Year

RICK ESTRIN & THE NIGHTCATS:
Band Of The Year

SMOKIN' JOE KUBEK & BNOIS KING:
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year - Have Blues, Will Travel

GUITAR SHORTY:
Song Of The Year - Please Mr. President (written by David Kearney, Bruce Iglauer, and Wyzard, from Bare Knuckle)

KEITH CROSSAN (of THE TOMMY CASTRO BAND):
Best Instrumentalist - Horn