B. B. and Shemekia Two-Fisted Winners At Handy Awards

Posted in News on May 30, 2001

B. B. King and Shemekia Copeland were double winners at the 22nd Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards, handed out on Thursday, May 24, 2001 at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, Tennessee. BMI greats inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame were Etta James, Junior Parker and Rufus Thomas.

B.B. King

BMI proudly claims 96% of the award winners this year; to date, 94% of the Blues Hall of Fame individuals are BMI affiliates.

Shemekia Copeland

The Handy Awards, presented by the Blues Foundations, were co-sponsored by BMI. For over two decades, the Handy Awards -- named in honor of W.C. Handy, "Father of the Blues" -- have celebrated excellence in performance and recording of the Blues and is the highest honor bestowed upon artists in the Blues industry. A panel of international Blues industry experts votes on the initial nominees and 30,000 Blues fans then chose the winners.

BMI Handy Award Winners

Blues Song of the Year
"It's 2AM," Rick Vito

Blues Entertainer of the Year
B. B. King

Blues Band of the Year
Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band

Contemporary Blues-Male Artist of the Year
Eddy Clearwater

Contemporary Blues- Female Artist of the Year
Shemekia Copeland

Soul/Blues-Male Artist of the Year
Little Milton

Soul/Blues-Female Artist of the Year
Etta James

Traditional Blues-Female Artist of the Year
Koko Taylor

Acoustic Blues- Artist of the Year
Keb' Mo'

Blues Instrumentalist-Guitar
Duke Robillard

Blues Instrumentalist-Harmonica
Charlie Musselwhite

Blues Instrumentalists-Keyboards
Pinetop Perkins

Blues Instrumentalists-Bass
Willie Kent

Blues Instrumentalists-Drums
Chris Layton - Double Trouble

Blues Instrumentalists - Horns
Roomful of Blues

Blues Instrumentalists-Other
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown - Fiddle

Comeback Blues Album
Mel Brown - Neck Bones & Caviar

Acoustic Blues Album of the Year
Robert Lockwood, Jr. - Delta Crossroads

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
B.B. King/Eric Clapton - Riding with the King

Soul/Blues Album of the Year
Irma Thomas - My Heart's In Memphis

Traditional Blues Album Of the Year
Son Seals - Letting Go

Blues Album Of The Year
Shemekia Copeland - Wicked
 
Historical Album Of The Year
Otis Spann - Last Call

SOURCENews TAGS Blues International Industry Awards Blues Music Awards Artists Eric Clapton Shemekia Copeland Etta James B.B. King Little Milton Koko Taylor Irma Thomas