The Maple Blues Awards are Canada’s blues awards, "honouring the finest in
Canadian blues
Canadian blues is the blues and blues-related music (e.g., blues rock) performed by blues bands and performers in Canada. Canadian blues artists include singers, players of the main blues instruments: guitar (acoustic guitar, acoustic and electr ...
". They are the only comprehensive national best in blues awards program. The program's goal is to promote
blues music
Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
across Canada, and to recognize outstanding achievement. The Maple Blues Awards have been presented by the Toronto Blues Society since their inception in 1997.
The nominees are selected by a panel of blues experts. The panel includes
radio hosts,
journalist
A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism.
Roles
Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
s, and festival organizers regionally distributed across Canada. Members of the Nominating Panel are not eligible for any of the awards.
Nominees are voted for by the public. In 2011, the voting process was altered, and the Instrument categories (guitar, harmonica, piano/keyboards, horn, drums & bass) were voted on by the Nominating Panel. The remainder of the categories were voted on by the public.
The winners of the Maple Blues Awards are announced at the Annual Maple Blues Awards Gala in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario. The evening also includes musical performances by the Maple Blues Band, composed entirely of Maple Blues Awards winners and nominees.
Current award categories
* Entertainer of the Year
* Electric Act of the Year
* Acoustic Act of the Year
* Male Vocalist of the Year
* Female Vocalist of the Year
* New Artist/Group of the Year
* International Artist of the Year
* Recording of the Year
* Guitar Player of the Year
* Harmonica Player of the Year
* Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year
* Horn Player of the Year
* Drummer of the Year
* Bassist of the Year
* Songwriter of the Year
* Blues Booster of the Year
* Blues With A Feeling Award (Lifetime Achievement Award)
Winners by year
The 1st Annual Maple Blues Awards (1997)
The 2nd Annual Maple Blues Awards (1998)
The 3rd Annual Maple Blues Awards (1999)
The 4th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2000)
The 5th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2001)
The 6th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2002)
The 7th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2003)
The 8th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2004)
The 9th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2005)
The 10th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2006)
The 11th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2007)
The 12th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2008)
In 2008, the late
Jeff Healey
Norman Jeffrey Healey (March 25, 1966 – March 2, 2008) was a Canadian blues, rock and jazz guitarist, singer and songwriter who attained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. He reached No. 5 on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart with " Ang ...
and his band members won seven of the 17 awards presented.
The 13th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2009)
The Toronto Blues Society held its 13th annual Maple Blues Awards ceremony on January 18, 2010, at the brand new Koerner Hall at
The Royal Conservatory of Music
The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM; ), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher as The Toronto C ...
in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario.
The 14th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2010)
The 15th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2011)
The 16th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2012)
The 17th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2013)
The 18th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2014)
The 19th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2015)
The 20th Annual Maple Blues Awards (2016)
The 21st Annual Maple Blues Awards (2017)
The 22nd Annual Maple Blues Awards (2018)
The 23nd Annual Maple Blues Awards (2019)
The 24nd Annual Maple Blues Awards (2020)
The 25nd Annual Maple Blues Awards (2021)
The 26nd Annual Maple Blues Awards (2022)
References
External links
Maple Blues Awards official websiteOfficial list of Maple Blues Award nominees and winners
{{Music awards
Canadian music awards
Canadian blues
Blues music awards
Awards established in 1997
Black Canadian culture