The 19th Annual W.C. Handy Awards . . .

. . . ceremony took place Thursday, April 30, 1998, 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.

For more information about The Blues Foundation, phone (901) 527-2583, fax (901) 529-4030, or write The Blues Foundation, 49 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN 38103.

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

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Blues Entertainer of the Year
Luther Allison, Ruth Brown, B.B. King, Rod Piazza, Bobby Rush

Blues Band of the Year
The B.B. King Orchestra, Joe Louis Walker & The Bosstalkers, Luther Allison and the James Solberg Band, Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, Roomful of Blues, The Holmes Brothers

Contemporary Blues -- Male Artist of the Year
Luther Allison, Charlie Musselwhite, Rod Piazza, Joe Louis Walker, Smokey Wilson

Contemporary Blues -- Female Artist of the Year
Marcia Ball, Deborah Coleman, Debbie Davies, Sista Monica, Koko Taylor, Toni Lynn Washington

Soul/Blues -- Male Artist of the Year
Johnny Adams, Mighty Sam McClain, Little Milton, Bobby Rush, Jonnie Taylor

Soul/Blues -- Female Artist of the Year
Ruth Brown, Denise LaSalle, Ann Peebles, Irma Thomas, Lavelle White

Traditional Blues -- Male Artist of the Year
Carey Bell, R.L. Burnside, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Corey Harris, Snooky Pryor

Traditional Blues -- Female Artist of the Year
Rory Block, Tracy Nelson, Ann Rabson, Annie Raines, Shelia Wilcoxson

Country/Acoustic Blues -- Artist of the Year
Corey Harris, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Keb' Mo', Kelly Joe Phelps, Philadelphia Jerry Ricks

Best New Blues Artist of the Year
Chico Banks, Chris Beard, Super Chikan, Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones, Johnny "Yard Dog" Jones

Blues Instrumentalist -- Guitar
Luther Allison, Ronnie Earl, Anson Funderburgh, Big Jack Johnson, Duke Robillard, Joe Louis Walker

Blues Instrumentalist -- Harmonica
Carey Bell, James Cotton, Sam Myers, Charlie Musselwhite, Rod Piazza

Blues Instrumentalist -- Keyboards
Marcia Ball, Charles Brown, Floyd Dixon, Johnnie Johnson, David Maxwell, Pinetop Perkins, Honey Piazza

Blues Instrumentalist -- Bass
Sister Sarah Brown, Aron Burton, Johnny B. Gayden, Calvin "Fuzz" Jones, Willie Kent

Blues Instrumentalist -- Drums
Ray "Killer" Allison, Jimi Bott, Sam Carr, Sam Lay, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith

Blues Instrumentalist -- Other
Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown (violin), Kaz Kazanof (saxophone), Sonny Rhodes (lap steel), Roomful of Blues (horns), Eddie Shaw (saxophone)

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Reckless -- Luther Allison
Swinging From The Rafters -- Long John Hunter
Tough & Tender -- Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers
Great Guitars -- Joe Louis Walker
The Man From Mars -- Smokey Wilson

Soul/Blues Album of the Year
One Foot in the Blues -- Johnny Adams
R + B = Ruth Brown -- Ruth Brown
The Definition of Soul -- Solomon Burke
King of Hearts -- King Ernest
Lovin' A Big Fat Woman -- Bobby Rush
Mighty Man -- Mighty Joe Young
Promised Land -- The Holmes Brothers

Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Good Luck Man -- Carey Bell
Fish Ain't Bitin' -- Corey Harris
Off Yonder Wall -- Jelly Roll Kings
Mind Your Own Business -- Snooky Pryor
Music Makin' Mama -- Ann Rabson

Comeback Album of the Year
Leavin' Here Walkin' -- Jimmy Burns
King of Hearts -- King Ernest
Another Cow Is Dead -- Eddie King
Off Yonder Wall -- Jelly Roll Kings
Deep In The Well -- Philadelphia Jerry Ricks
Back In Chicago -- Freddie Roulette

Acoustic Blues Album of the Year
Music Makin' Mama -- Ann Rabson
Fish Ain't Bitin' -- Corey Harris
Dealin' With The Devil -- John Mooney
Roll Away The Stone -- Kelly Joe Phelps
Deep In The Well -- Philadelphia Jerry Ricks

Reissue Blues Album of the Year
Acoustic Stories -- R.L. Burnside
Extra Napkins -- James Harman
Feelin' Good -- Jessie Mae Hemphill
The First Recordings -- Mississippi Fred McDowell
The Complete Chess Recordings -- Jimmy Rogers

Blues Song of the Year
Don't Take My Blues -- Eddie Clearwater (Mean Case Of The Blues)
Leavin' Here Walkin' -- Jimmy Burns (Leavin' Here Walkin')
Low Down Dirty Blues -- Joe Louis Walker (Great Guitars)
Living In The House Of The Blues -- Luther Allison (Reckless)
The Man From Mars -- Smokey Wilson (The Man From Mars)