Blues Roadhouse

Here are the winners in the 2025 Living Blues Magazine polls.

Ronnie Baker Brooks
CRITICS’ POLL
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)

Shemekia Copeland
CRITICS’ POLL
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
READERS’ POLL
Blues Artist of the Year (Female)

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
CRITICS’ POLL
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)
READERS’ POLL
Blues Artist of the Year (Male)
Most Outstanding Musician (Guitar)

Sharde Thomas-Mallory
CRITICS’ POLL
Most Outstanding Musician (Other: Fife)

Jovin Webb
CRITICS’ POLL
Artist Deserving More Attention

Bob Stroger
CRITICS’ POLL
Most Outstanding Musician (Bass)

Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne
CRITICS’ POLL
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)

Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
CRITICS’ POLL
Most Outstanding Musician (Drums)

Vanessa Collier
CRITICS’ POLL
Most Outstanding Musician (Horns)

Billy Branch
CRITICS’ POLL
Most Outstanding Musician (Harmonica)

Daddy Mack Orr
CRITICS’ POLL
Comeback Artist of the Year

Rick Estrin & the Nightcats
CRITICS’ POLL
Blues Band of the Year

Bobby Rush
CRITICS’ & READERS’ POLLS
Best Live Performer

Southern Avenue
READERS’ POLL
Blues Band of the Year

Charlie Musselwhite
READERS’ POLL
Most Outstanding Musician
(Harmonica)

Mavis Staples
READERS’ POLL
Most Outstanding Blues Singer

Marcia Ball
READERS’ POLL
Most Outstanding Musician (Keyboard)

BEST BLUES ALBUMS OF 2024
CRITICS’ POLL
Album of the Year
Shemekia Copeland
Blame It on Eve / Alligator

Best New Recording / Contemporary Blues
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Blues in My DNA / Alligator

Best New Recording / Traditional or Acoustic Blues
Jontavious Willis
West Georgia Blues / Strolling Bones

Best New Recording / Soul Blues
Sugaray Rayford
Human Decency / Forty Below

Best New Recording / Best Debut Release
Sonny Gullage
Go Be Free / Blind Pig

Best Historical Release / Pre-war
Sleepy John Estes
Working Man Blues, 1929–1952 / Jasmine

Best Historical Reissue / Postwar
Jimmy Reed
I’m Jimmy Reed (LP)
Bluesville / Craft Recordings

Producer of the Year / New Recording
Will Kimbrough
Blame It on Eve / Alligator

READERS’ POLL
Best Blues Album of 2024 (New Release)
Sue Foley
One Guitar Woman: A Tribute to the Female Pioneers of Guitar
Stony Plain Records

Best Blues Album of 2024 (Historical Recording)
B.B. King
Live in Japan (LP) / Elemental Records

BEST BLUES BOOK OF 2024
CRITICS’ POLL
Jelly Roll Blues: Censored Songs and Hidden Histories
By Elijah Wald / Hatchette Books
READERS’ POLL
Out of the Blue: Life on the Road with Muddy Waters
By Brian Bisesi / University Press of Mississippi