The 23rd Annual W.C. Handy Awards . . .

. . . ceremony took place Thursday, May 23, 2002, at the historic Orpheum Theater in Memphis, Tennessee. Presented to the world's greatest bluesmakers, the W.C. Handy Awards have become the industry's equivalent to the Grammy's, with the nominees and recipients determined by the collective membership of The Blues Foundation.

The nominees follow. The recipients are in bold italic. Congratulations, and thank you to the bluesmakers everywhere!

---

Blues Entertainer of the Year
B.B. King, Ike Turner, Rod Piazza, Bobby Rush, Marcia Ball, Shemekia Copeland

Blues Band of the Year
Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets with Sam Myers, The Holmes Brothers, Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials, Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, Magic Slim & The Teardrops

Contemporary Blues -- Male Artist of the Year
Buddy Guy, Kid Ramos, Larry Garner, Chris Thomas King, Kim Wilson, Rod Piazza

Contemporary Blues -- Female Artist of the Year
Debbie Davies, Marcia Ball, Deborah Coleman, Maria Muldaur, Shemekia Copeland

Soul/Blues -- Male Artist of the Year
Bobby Rush, Little Milton, Ike Turner, Mighty Sam McClain, Otis Clay

Soul/Blues -- Female Artist of the Year
E.C. Scott, Francine Reed, Etta James, Irma Thomas, Toni Lynn Washington

Traditional Blues -- Male Artist of the Year
Henry Gray, Magic Slim, James Cotton, R.L. Burnside, Robert Lockwood Jr.

Traditional Blues -- Female Artist of the Year
Alberta Adams, Big Time Sarah, Ann Rabson, Koko Taylor, Odetta

Acoustic Blues -- Artist of the Year
Corey Harris, Honeyboy Edwards, Keb' Mo', Eric Bibb, John Hammond, Louisiana Red

Best New Blues Artist Debut
Franktown Blues -- The Crudup Brothers
Louisiana Country Boy -- Harry "Big Daddy" Hypolite
White African -- Otis Taylor
Rattlebag -- Paul Reddeck & The Sidemen
Tired Of Being Alone -- Rico McFarland

Blues Instrumentalist -- Guitar
Buddy Guy, Jimmie Vaughan, Duke Robillard, Kid Ramos, Ronnie Earl

Blues Instrumentalist -- Harmonica
Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, James Cotton, Rod Piazza, Snooky Pryor

Blues Instrumentalist -- Keyboards
Dr. John, Henry Gray, Marcia Ball, Henry Butler, Honey Piazza, Pinetop Perkins

Blues Instrumentalist -- Bass
Bill Stuve, Johnny B. Gayden, Calvin "Fuzz" Jones, Larry Taylor, Willie Kent

Blues Instrumentalist -- Drums
George Rains, Sam Carr, Jimi Bott, Sam Lay, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith

Blues Instrumentalist -- Horns
Eddie Shaw, Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff, The Memphis Horns, Roomful Of Blues Horns, "Sax" Gordon Beadle

Blues Instrumentalist -- Other
Boozoo Chavis (accordian), Buckwheat Zydeco (accordian), C.J. Chenier (accordian), Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (fiddle), Sonny Rhodes (lap steel)

Comeback Album of the Year
Blues And Beyond -- Dick Heckstall Smith
Plays Chicago Blues -- Henry Gray
Here And Now -- Ike Turner
Bring It On Home -- James Montgomery Blues Band

Acoustic Blues Album of the Year
Legend Of Tommy Johnson -- Chris Thomas King
Mississippi Delta Blues Man -- Honeyboy Edwards
Wickid Grin -- John Hammond
Richland Woman Blues -- Maria Muldaur
White African -- Otis Taylor

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Sweet Tea -- Buddy Guy
Speaking In Tongues -- The Holmes Brothers
Do You Get The Blues -- Jimmie Vaughan
Smokin' Joint -- Kim Wilson
Presumed Innocent -- Marcia Ball

Soul/Blues Album of the Year
Soul Activated -- Curtis Salgado
Here And Now -- Ike Turner
Feel It -- Little Milton
Sweet Dreams -- Mighty Sam McClain
Mississippi Magic -- Terry Evans

Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Boogie N Shuffle -- Billy Boy Arnold
Plays Chicago Blues -- Henry Gray
Greasy Kid Stuff -- Kid Ramos
Looking For A Home -- Odetta
Burnside On Burnside -- R.L. Burnside

Blues Album of the Year
Wickid Grin -- John Hammond
Greasy Kid Stuff -- Kid Ramos
Smokin' Joint -- Kim Wilson
Presumed Innocent -- Marcia Ball
White African -- Otis Taylor

Historical Blues Album of the Year
Screamin' And Hollerin' The Blues -- Charley Patton
Lightnin' And The Blues: The Herald Sessions -- Lightnin' Hopkins
The Essential Magic Sam: Cobra & Chief Recordings -- Magic Sam
I Do Not Play No Rock 'N' Roll -- Mississippi Fred McDowell
Fathers And Sons -- Muddy Waters

Blues Song of the Year
Charlie's Old Highway 51 Blues -- Kid Ramos (Greasy Kid Stuff)
Gratitude Is Riches -- Kid Ramos (Greasy Kid Stuff)
Kokomo -- Eric Bibb (Painting Signs)
My Soul's In Louisiana -- Otis Taylor (White African)
S.U.V. -- Mem Shannon (Memphis In The Morning)