Авторитетный журнал Living Blues уже 15 лет проводит собственное награждение "лучших" по итогам года. В последнем номере (#197) объявлены очередные лауреаты Living Blues Awards:

Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Koko Taylor

Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Lurrie Bell

Best Live Performer
Bobby Rush

Artist Deserving More Attention
Catherine Russell

Most Outstanding Blues Singer - Comeback Artist of the Year
Nappy Brown

Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
Lurrie Bell

Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboards)
Pinetop Perkins

Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)
James Cotton

Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)
Bob Stroger

Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)
Tie: Willie "Big Eyes" Smith & Kenny Smith

Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)
Big James Montgomery

Most Outstanding Musician (Other)
Aubrey Ghent - lap steel

Album of the Year
Nappy Brown - Long Time Coming (Blind Pig Records)

Best New Recording - Southern Soul
Denise LaSalle - Pay Before You Pump (Ecko Records)

Best New Recording - Best Debut
Albert White - Soul of the Blues (Music Maker)

Best New Recording - Contemporary Blues
Phillip Walker - Going Back Home (Delta Groove)

Best New Recording - Traditional & Acoustic
Bobby Rush - Raw (Deep Rush Records)

Best Historical Reissue - Prewar
Various Artists - Desperate Man Blues soundtrack (Dust To Digital)

Best Historical Reissue - Post-War
Robert Lockwood, Jr. - Steady Rolling Man (Delmark Records)

DVD of the Year
Various Artists - The American Folk-Blues Festival: The British Tours 1963-'66 (Hip-O)

Producer of the Year - New Recording
Randy Chortkoff - Delta Groove Productions

Producer of the Year - Historical/Reissue
Lance Ledbetter - Dust To Digital

Напомним, что Бобби Раш выступал в Москве в 1999 году, в программе Efes Blues Festival. А Лури Белл и Боб Строгер выступали в 2006 году в клубе "Дом у Дороги".