The Blues Foundation today announced the nominees for the 26th Annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards. Thirteen Alligator recording artists received a total of 25 nominations. Soul/blues/gospel greats The Holmes Brothers lead all nominees with six nods (three band nominations and three individual nominations), followed by gospel/soul legend Mavis Staples with four. Other nominees include Guitar Shorty, W.C. Clark and Marcia Ball with two each, and Billy Branch & Kenny Neal, Carey & Lurrie Bell, Little Charlie and the Nightcats, Shemekia Copeland, Hound Dog Taylor, Andra Faye, W.C. Clarke, Roomful of Blues and Koko Taylor with one apiece. In the coveted Blues Album of the Year category, Alligator artists received a stunning four of the five nominations.

The W.C. Handy Blues Awards ceremony and concert will be held May 5, 2005 in Memphis, TN, at the Cook Convention Center.

Alligator artists and nominations are as follows:

THE HOLMES BROTHERS
Blues Album of the Year - “Simple Truths”
Blues Band of the Year – The Holmes Brothers Blues Song of the Year – “Run Myself Out Of Town” (writer Wendell Holmes, performed by The Holmes Brothers) Contemporary Blues Album of the Year – “Simple Truths”
Best Instrumentalist, Bass – Sherman Holmes Best Instrumentalist, Drums – Popsy Dixon

W.C. CLARK
Soul/Blues Album of the Year – “Deep In The Heart”
(this gives W.C. Clark a total of three nominations)


ANDRA FAYE (of Saffire-The Uppity Blues Women) Best Instrumentalist-Other – Andra Faye – Mandolin


MAVIS STAPLES
Blues Album of the Year – “Have A Little Faith”
Blues Song of the Year – “Have A Little Faith” (writer Jim Tullio and Jim Weider, performed by Mavis Staples) Soul/Blues Album of the Year – “Have A Little Faith Soul/Blues – Female Artist of the Year – Mavis Staples

GUITAR SHORTY
Blues Album of the Year – “Watch Your Back”
Contemporary Blues Album of the Year – “Watch Your Back”

W.C. CLARK
Blues Album of the Year – “Deep In The Heart”
Soul/Blues-Male Artist of the Year – W.C. Clark

MARCIA BALL
Contemporary Blues-Female Artist of the Year – Marcia Ball Best Instrumentalist-Keyboards – Marcia Ball

BILLY BRANCH & KENNY NEAL
Acoustic Blues Album of the Year – “Double Take”

CAREY BELL & LURRIE BELL
Acoustic Blues Album of the Year – “Second Nature”

LITTLE CHARLIE AND THE NIGHTCATS
Blues Band of the Year – Little Charlie and the Nightcats

SHEMEKIA COPELAND
Contemporary Blues-Female Artist of the Year – Shemekia Copeland

HOUND DOG TAYLOR
Historical Blues Album of the Year – “Release The Hound”

ROOMFUL OF BLUES
Best Instrumentalist-Horns – Roomful of Blues Horns

KOKO TAYLOR
Traditional Blues-Female Artist of the Year – Koko Taylor