TORONTO BLUES SOCIETY ANNOUNCES MAPLE BLUES AWARD NOMINEES

October 28, 2010 (Toronto) – Internationally recognized Canadian Blues artists will be getting plenty of attention at the 14th Annual Maple Blues Awards on January 17, 2011. This year’s crops of nominees are not only recognized at home, but have been leading Canada's growing international reputation as a leader in the blues community. Voting opens Friday, October 29 at midnight Newfoundland time & closes Saturday, December 11 at midnight PST. Blues fans cast their votes online at www.mapleblues.ca.

Leading the nomination is Toronto’s Downchild with six, Ottawa’s Monkey Junk, who were awarded the 2009 Best New Artist Debut at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, TN, follow with five. Toronto based singer Shakura S’Aida and Fathead each have four nominations. The first Canadian to win The International Blues Challenge award, New Brunswick’s blues giant Matt Andersen, garnered two nominations.

The 2011 Maple Blues Awards are taking place at Koerner Hall on January 17th, wrapping up the bi-annual Blues Summit Five, a music conference which is a not-to-be-missed forum for all blues music industry members, artists, presenters, and agents.

Now in its 25th year, The Toronto Blues Society is a non profit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Blues. The Maple Blues Awards is Canada’s national blues awards program. Its goal is to promote blues music across Canada, and to recognize outstanding achievement in the field.

The 14th Annual Maple Blues Awards Nominees:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Downchild
Johnny Max Band
Matt Andersen
Monkey Junk
Shakura S'Aida

ELECTRIC ACT OF THE YEAR

David Gogo
Downchild
Jack de Keyzer
Jimmy Bowskill Band
Monkey Junk

ACOUSTIC ACT OF THE YEAR

Braithwaite & Whiteley
Harrison Kennedy
Harry Manx
Little Miss Higgins
Matt Andersen

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Bob Walsh
Duane Blackburn
Harrison Kennedy
Jim Byrnes
John Mays (Fathead)

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Dawn Tyler Watson
Erin McCallum
Robin Bank$
Shakura S’Aida
Treasa Levasseur

NEW ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

Arsen Shomakhov
Chris Antonik
Erin McCallum
Hupman Brothers
Mike "Shrimp Daddy" Reid

RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Downchild/I Need A Hat/Linus
Producer – Don Walsh
JW-Jones/Midnight Memphis Sun/NorthernBlues
Producer – JW-Jones
Mel Brown/Love, Lost and Found/Electro-Fi
Producers – Mel Brown, Alec Fraser & Andrew Galloway
Shakura S'Aida/Brown Sugar/Ruf
Producer – Jim Gaines
Various Artists/Things About Comin’ My Way-
A Tribute To The Music Of The Mississippi Sheiks/Black Hen
Producer – Steve Dawson

BB KING INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band
Duke Robillard
Janiva Magness
JJ Grey & Mofro
Mavis Staples

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Garrett Mason
Jack de Keyzer
Steve Dawson
Teddy Leonard
Tony D

HARMONICA PLAYER OF THE YEAR

David Rotundo
Guy Bélanger
Paul Reddick
Roly Platt
Steve Marriner

PIANO/KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Graham Guest
Julian Fauth
Kenny "Blue Boss" Wayne
Lance Anderson
Michael Fonfara

HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Al Lerman
Chris Murphy
Chris Whiteley
Johnny Johnson Pat Carey

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR

Bucky Berger
Chris Nordquist
Geoff Arsenault
Matt Sobb
Vince Maccarone

BASSIST OF THE YEAR

Alan Duffy
Alec Fraser
Brandi Disterheft
Gary Kendall
Keith Picot

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Harry Manx
Jolene "Little Miss" Higgins
Paul Reddick & Colin Linden
Sue Foley & Peter Karp
Treasa Levasseur


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For more information contact:

Sarah French
Sarah French Publicity
sarah@sarahfrenchpublicity.com 416-566-4188

Jordan Safer
The Toronto Blues
Societyinfo@torontobluessociety.com(416)538-3885


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