The 16th Annual W.C. Handy Awards . . .

. . . ceremony took place Thursday, May 4, 1995, 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, Charles Brown, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, Charlie Musselwhite

Blues Band of the Year
Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets w/Sam Myers, Charlie Musselwhite Band, Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, Roomful of Blues, Smokin' Joe Kubek Band featuring Bnois King

Contemporary Blues -- Male Artist of the Year
Luther Allison, Charlie Musselwhite, Kenny Neal, Otis Rush, Joe Louis Walker

Contemporary Blues -- Female Artist of the Year
Marcia Ball, Debbie Davies, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Michelle Wilson

Soul/Blues -- Male Artist of the Year
Johnny Adams, Bobby Bland, Solomon Burke, Mighty Sam McClain, Little Milton

Soul/Blues -- Female Artist of the Year
Shirley Brown, Carol Fran, Denise LaSalle, Irma Thomas, Lavelle White

Traditional Blues -- Male Artist of the Year
Charles Brown, R.L. Burnside, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Taj Mahal, Pinetop Perkins

Traditional Blues -- Female Artist of the Year
Rory Block, Ruth Brown, Jeannie Cheatham, Saffire, Katie Webster

Country/Acoustic Blues -- Artist of the Year
CeDell Davis, Cephas & Wiggins, Honeyboy Edwards, John Hammond

Male Vocalist of the Year
Johnny Adams, Bobby Bland, Charles Brown, Solomon Burke, Mighty Sam McClain, Little Milton

Female Vocalist of the Year
Marcia Ball, Carol Fran, Etta James, Denise LaSalle, Koko Taylor, Irma Thomas, Lavelle White

Blues Instrumentalist -- Guitar
Luther Allison, Jimmy Dawkins, Ronnie Earl, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush

Blues Instrumentalist -- Harmonica
Carey Bell, Sugar Blue, Charlie Musselwhite, Rod Piazza, Kim Wilson

Blues Instrumentalist -- Piano
Marcia Ball, Charles Brown, Dr. John, Johnnie Johnson, Pinetop Perkins, Sunnyland Slim

Blues Instrumentalist -- Other
Gatemouth Brown (fiddle), Sam Lay (drums), Lonnie Pitchford (one string), Sonny Rhodes (lap steel), Roomful of Blues (horns)

Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Ain't Enough Comin' In -- Otis Rush, Mercury
Blues And Pain -- Jimmy Dawkins, Ichiban
In My Time -- Charlie Musselwhite, Alligator
Slippin' In -- Buddy Guy, Silvertone
Soul Fixin' Man -- Luther Allison, Alligator

Soul/Blues Album of the Year
Father, Father -- Pop Staples, Pointblank
I'm A Gambler -- Little Milton, Malaco
Live At The House Of Blues -- Solomon Burke, Black Top
Miss Lavelle -- Lavelle White, Antone's
Z. Zelebration: A Tribute To Z.Z. Hill -- Various Artists, Malaco

Traditional Album of the Year
Bluebird -- Jimmy Rogers, Acoustic Sounds
Down To Earth -- Willie Cobbs, Rooster Blues
Ice Cream Man -- John Brim, Tone Cool
In The Mess Up To My Chest -- Snooky Pryor, Antone's
Too Bad Jim -- R.L. Burnside, Fat Possum

Country/Acoustic Album of the Year
All Around Man -- Lonnie Pitchford, Rooster Blues
Goin Back In The Times -- Homesick James, Earwig
Keb Mo -- Keb Mo, Okeh/Epic
Sad Days Lonely Nights -- Junior Kimbrough, Fat Possum
Two Heads Are Better -- Harmonica Fats/Bernie Pearl, Bee Bump

Reissue Album of the Year
Ain't Gonna Be Your Dog -- Howlin' Wolf, MCA/Chess
Big, Bad & Blue -- Joe Turner, Rhino
Black Magic -- Magic Sam, Delmark
One More Mile -- Muddy Waters, MCA/Chess
Otis Spann's Chicago Blues -- Otis Spann, Hightone/Testament

Blues Song of the Year
Ain't Enough Comin' In -- Otis Rush (Otis Rush, Ain't Enough Comin' In)
Fool in Heah -- Jimmy Dawkins (Jimmy Dawkins, Blues And Pain)
St. Gabriel -- Marcia Ball - (Marcia Ball, Blues House)
Six Strings Down -- Aaron Neville, Charles Neville, Jimmie Vaughan (Jimmie Vaughan, Strange Pleasure)
That's When I Know -- Eddie Campbell (Eddie Campbell, That's When I Know)

Crossover Artist of the Year
Eric Clapton, J. Geils and Magic Dick, Maria Muldaur, Bonnie Raitt, Dann Penn