Sue Foley, Crystal Shawanda, Jenie Thai, Harry Manx & Steve Marriner, Earle & Coffin to perform at Maple Blues Awards

Sue Foley, Crystal Shawanda, Jenie Thai, Harry Manx & Steve Marriner, Earle & Coffin to perform at Maple Blues Awards Raoul Bhaneja hosts Koerner Hall National Blues Gala February 4 Montreal’s Guy Bélanger to host lobby afterparty "Winner’s Circle Jam” (Toronto) – The Toronto Blues Society has announced the performers who will grace the stage at Koerner Hall in Toronto for the 22nd annual Maple Blues Awards gala and concert, to be held on Monday, February 4th, 2019. Heating up the cold February night will be performances from some the of the hottest Canadian blues artists including, Steve Marriner of MonkeyJunk with Harry Manx, guitarist/singer-songwriter Sue Foley, who is nominated in six categories, Jenie Thai, who is nominated for Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year, blues-belter and Female Vocalist of the Year nominee Crystal Shawanda and Newfoundland’s New Artist of the Year nominees Earle & Coffin. The evening will also feature a performance from Raoul Bhaneja, actor and bandleader of Raoul & The Big Time, who will be hosting the gala for the fourth time. Providing the MBA’s musical background and theme, The Maple Blues Band also accompanies all the special guests who perform as part of that special night. The Maple Blues Band has been a cornerstone of the annual Maple Blues Awards Ceremony in Toronto since 1999. This world-class, eight-member group includes some of Canada’s highly respected blues musicians, all of whom are multiple Maple Blues Award winners and nominees including Gary Kendall, Teddy Leonard, Lance Anderson, Chris Murphy, Al Lerman, Pat Carey, Jim Casson, and Howard Moore. Following the not-to-be-missed gala event is the popular afterparty and jam, hosted by Montreal’s Guy Bélanger. Canadian blues fans can vote for nominees online in the eligible categories until December 1st, at 11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time. Register at www.mapleblues.ca. The Maple Blues Awards will be held on February 4th, 2019. The gala event is considered to be the premier blues event of the year.  Tickets for the Maple Blues Awards are available online at rcmusic.com or at the Koerner Hall box office (The Weston Family Box Office, located in The Royal Conservatory building at 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto) or by phone at (416) 408-0208. TBS Charter Members can benefit from the ongoing exclusive pre-sale and purchase best available seats for a discounted price, $35. Koerner Hall is The Royal Conservatory’s 1,135-seat performance venue. It is beloved for its architectural beauty and architectural acoustic excellence. Since opening, it has hosted hundreds of concerts and events reaching more than one million individuals around the world. Koerner Hall is celebrating its 10th anniversary season in 2018-19. To learn more or purchase tickets, please visit rcmusic.com/performance.

QUEBEC BLUES ARTISTS SWEEP MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

QUEBEC BLUES ARTISTS SWEEP MAPLE BLUES AWARDS The Paul DesLauriers Band and Angel Forrest win multiple awards The fast-paced performance rich gala featured a moving memorial tribute to the late John Mays (Fathead), Brian Cober and past Blues With A Feeling Award Winner Bob Walsh (January 23, 2017) Toronto, ON – Canadian blues artists from coast-to-coast were honoured by their peers at the 20th Annual Maple Blues Awards gala in Toronto last night as a crowd of blues lovers gathered to celebrate Canadian blues at Koerner Hall.   Quebec blues artists swept the awards with honours going to trio The Paul DesLauriers Band who won Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year, Drummer of the Year for Sam Harrisson, and Bassist of the Year for Greg Morency. Blues belter Angel Forrest took home three awards including Female Vocalist of the Year, Recording/Producer of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. The Blues With A Feeling Award for lifetime achievement was awarded to Stephen Barry, who has been a fixture on the Quebec blues scene for over 40 years. Montreal-based Frankie Thiffault of Ben Racine Band took home the hardware for Horn Player of the Year.   British Columbia blues artists were well recognized with awards going to David Gogo for Guitarist of the Year, Harpdog Brown for Harmonica Player of the Year and Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne for Piano or Keyboard Player of the Year. Other winners at the sold-out gala event were Manitoba’s Big Dave McLean for Acoustic Act of the Year, Ontario’s 17-year old newcomer Spencer MacKenzie for New Artist or Group of the Year, New Brunswick’s Matt Andersen for Male Vocalist of the Year, and Joe Bonamassa for International Artist of the Year. Edmonton’s Cam Hayden, a long-time broadcaster on CKUA and co-founder of the Edmonton Blues Festival was presented with the Blues Booster of the Year award, a very special Maple Blues Award honouring outstanding contribution to the Canadian blues music industry.   In addition to the Maple Blues Awards, the third annual Cobalt Prize Contemporary Blues Composition Award was handed out last night to Ann Vriend for her song “All That I Can”, with runners up Michael Kaeshammer for his song “Sweet Grace" and The Harpoonist And The Axe Murderer for their song "Father's Son”. A cash prize of $1000 was presented to Vriend with second and third place winners each receiving $250, courtesy of the benefactor The Unicorn Project.   Hosted by Steve Marriner of MonkeyJunk, the 20th annual Maple Blues Awards included outstanding performances from nominees past and present, including Calgary’s Tim Williams, Toronto’s Sugar Brown and Shakura S’Aida, British Columbia’s Michael Kaeshammer and the evening’s big winners, The Paul DesLauriers Band along with the awards gala house band, The Maple Blues Band.   Winners of the 20th Annual Maple Blues Awards     ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR The Paul DesLauriers Band   ELECTRIC ACT OF THE YEAR The Paul DesLauriers Band   ACOUSTIC ACT OF THE YEAR Big Dave McLean   MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Matt Andersen FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR Angel Forrest   NEW ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR Spencer MacKenzie RECORDING/PRODUCER OF THE YEAR Angel's 11 (Morningstar) Artist: Angel Forrest. Producers: Angel Forrest and Denis Coulombe BLUES WITH A FEELING (Lifetime Achievement) Stephen Barry   B.B. KING INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR Joe Bonamassa   GUITARIST OF THE YEAR   David Gogo   HARMONICA PLAYER OF THE YEAR Harpdog Brown   PIANO/KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne   HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR Frankie Thiffault   DRUMMER OF THE YEAR Sam Harrisson    BASSIST OF THE YEARGreg Morency   SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR Angel Forrest & Denis Coulombe   BLUES BOOSTER OF THE YEAR Cam Hayden

QUEBEC BLUES ARTISTS SWEEP MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

QUEBEC BLUES ARTISTS SWEEP MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

Montreal's Steve Hill Tops Tally With Four Wins

January 19, 2015 (Toronto) - Blue Monday, thought to be the most depressing day of the year, was anything but last night Toronto’s Koerner Hall, as internationally renowned Canadian Blues Artists from coast-to-coast were honoured by their peers at the 18^th Annual Maple Blues Awards gala.

Montreal’s one-man band, Steve Hill took home all of the awards he was nominated for including Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year, Recording of the Year for Solo Recordings Vol. 2, and Guitar Player of the Year. Angel Forrest won two awards including Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Also representing the thriving Quebec blues scene were Nanette Workman who won the Blues with a Feeling Lifetime Achievement Award and Greg Morency of the Paul DesLauriers Band who won Bassist of the Year. From Montreal, Guy Belanger won Harmonica Player of the Year, sharing it with Vancouver’s Harpdog Brown in the first ever Maple Blues Awards tie.

Vancouver’s Brandon Isaak won the Acoustic Act of the Year award with David Vest taking home the award for Piano/Keyboard Player of the Year. The New Artist or Group of the Year award was presented to Ottawa’s Wicked Grin. Edmonton Folk Festival producer Terry Wickham joined Stony Plain Records president Holger Petersen to present the Blues Booster of the Year Award to Edmonton’s Peter North, who was recognized for his dedication to promoting the blues as a broadcaster, talent buyer and festival Artistic Director.

An additional award was handed out last night as the winners of the first ever Cobalt Prize for Contemporary Blues Composition were announced.  The creator and benefactor of the award, musician Paul Reddick, presented Digging Roots the grand prize for their song “Hwy 17”, with Rob Lutes and Samantha Martin announced as runners up.

Hosted by renowned musician and broadcaster, Toronto’s own Danny Marks, the Maple Blues Awards included outstanding performances from Maple Blues Award nominees past and present, including the evening’s big winners Steve Hill and Angel Forrest, Joel Johnson,  Downchild, Harpdog Brown and Brandon Isaak, all backed by The Maple Blues Band.

Winners of the 18th Annual Maple Blues Awards

 

 

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Steve Hill

 

ELECTRIC ACT OF THE YEAR

Steve Hill

ACOUSTIC ACT OF THE YEAR

Brandon Isaak

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Matt Andersen

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Angel Forrest

NEW ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR
Wicked Grin

RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Steve Hill Solo Recordings Vol. 2 No Label Records; Producer: Steve Hill

BLUES WITH A FEELING AWARD (Lifetime Achievement)
Nanette Workman

BB KING INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Johnny Winter

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Steve Hill

 

HARMONICA PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Tied: Guy Belanger and Harpdog Brown

PIANO/KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR

David Vest

HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Jon Wong

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR

Tom Bona

BASSIST OF THE YEAR
Greg Morency

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Angel Forrest

BLUES BOOSTER OF THE YEAR
Peter North

DANNY MARKS TO HOST 18th ANNUAL MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

DANNY MARKS TO HOST 18th ANNUAL MAPLE BLUES AWARDS   Performers include nominees Downchild, Joel Johnson, Steve Hill, Angel Forrest, Brandon Isaak, and Harpdog Brown   Toronto, ON – Celebrated guitarist, Toronto’s own Danny Marks, is set to take the stage for a second turn as host of the 18th annual Maple Blues Awards on January 19th, 2015. A renowned musician and broadcaster with a lengthy career on the Toronto music scene, Marks is the long-time producer/host of radio program Bluz FM and the face of the 8-part series Cities in Blue on HIFI TV. The not-to-be-missed gala is Canada’s national blues celebration, recognizing outstanding musical achievement and gathering blues musicians and music fans from across the country each year. A cast of some of Canada’s notable and emerging new blues talent will be performing at the gala concert and are all current or past nominees. This year the performers include Ontario’s Downchild, Joel Johnson, Montreal’s Steve Hill and Angel Forrest. Also performing are British Columbia’s Brandon Isaak and Harpdog Brown. The performers will all be backed by The Maple Blues Band, comprised of Gary Kendall, Michael Fonfara, Teddy Leonard, Al Lerman, Tom Bona, Chris Whiteley, Pat Carey and Chris Murphy. Following the awards and concert will be the popular after-party nominee jam with Irene Torres & The Sugar Devils. The January 19th gala event is considered to be the premier blues event of the year. Tickets for the Maple Blues Awards, held at The Royal Conservatory's Koerner Hall in Toronto, are on sale now for $35 - $65 and can be purchased at the Weston Family Box Office, located in the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning at 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto, by phone at (416) 408-0208 or online at https://tickets.rcmusic.ca/public. Charter members of Toronto Blues Society can purchase tickets at a discount of $28.00. Voting for the Maple Blues Awards started on November 5th and over 2000 Canadian blues fans have registered their votes. Voting is open to Canadian blues fans 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time on December 5, 2014. The Maple Blues Awards gala is presented on the final night of Blues Summit 7. Blues Summit is a biennial music conference for all members of the blues music community including artists, presenters, agents, festival bookers, event organizers, and industry representatives of all kinds. Blues Summit 7 will take place January 16-19, 2015. Heading in to its 30th anniversary 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. Located along the Bloor Street cultural corridor, The Royal Conservatory of Music is one of the largest and most respected music performance and arts education institutions in the world. Its breathtaking Koerner Hall, "the jewel in the crown of Toronto's Cultural Renaissance," along with two other concert spaces, presents 70+ concerts annually from acclaimed classical, jazz, pop, and world music and hosts an additional 100+ concerts and events from a wide range of not for profit arts groups, charities, and corporate clients.

Canada's National Blues Awards Land in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa and Hamilton

Canada's National Blues Awards Land in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa and HamiltonMaple Blues Award Nominations Led by MonkeyJunk, Downchild and Steve Hill (October 30, 2014) Toronto, ON - The Toronto Blues Society will be celebrating the 18th annual Maple Blues Awards by honouring nationally and internationally recognized Canadian blues artists from across the country on January 19th, 2015.  Toronto artists lead with twenty seven nominations, followed by Montreal (15), Vancouver (9), Ottawa (8) and Hamilton (7). Ottawa’s MonkeyJunk and Toronto’s Downchild each received five nominations followed by Montreal’s Steve Hill with four. There are plenty of other acts each with multiple nominations including Fathead, Raoul & the Big Time, The 24th Street Wailers, Brandon Isaak, Steve Strongman and Harrison Kennedy. Quebec blues artists are well represented with nominations for Jordan Officer, Angel Forrest, Dawn Tyler Watson, and Guy Bélanger to name a few. British Columbia’s thriving blues scene is represented with nominations for Dave “Hurricane” Hoerl,  David Vest,  Keith Picot and Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne. The nominees, selected by a panel consisting of industry professionals from across Canada, are recognized both for their talent as well as their contribution to the growing Canadian blues music scene.   Voting is open from 11:59pm Newfoundland Daylight Time on November 5, 2014, through 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time on December 5, 2014. Blues fans can cast their votes online at www.mapleblues.ca. Canadian blues fans can cast their votes in all categories except instrumental. Tickets for the Maple Blues Awards, held at the Royal Conservatory's Koerner Hall in Toronto, are on sale now for $28 - $65 and can be purchased at The Weston Family Box Office, located in The Royal Conservatory building at 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto, by phone at RCM box office (416) 408-0208 or online at https://tickets.rcmusic.ca/public. Contact The Toronto Blues Society for member discounts. Heading in to its 30th anniversary 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. Located along the Bloor Street cultural corridor, The Royal Conservatory of Music is one of the largest and most respected music performance and arts education institutions in the world. Its breathtaking Koerner Hall, "the jewel in the crown of Toronto's Cultural Renaissance," along with two other concert spaces, presents 70+ concerts annually from acclaimed classical, jazz, pop, and world music and hosts an additional 100+ concerts and events from a wide range of not for profit arts groups, charities, and corporate clients. The 18th Annual Maple Blues Awards Nominees: Entertainer of the Year The 24th Street Wailers MonkeyJunk Raoul & the Big Time Steve Hill Steve Strongman Electric Act of the Year Downchild Jack de Keyzer MonkeyJunk Steve Hill Steve Strongman Acoustic Act of the Year Adam Karch Big Dave McLean Brandon Isaak Harrison Kennedy Michael Jerome Browne Male Vocalist of the Year Chuck Jackson Harrison Kennedy Jon Knight Matt Andersen Steve Marriner Female Vocalist of the Year Angel Forrest Dawn Tyler Watson Diana Braithwaite Shakura S’Aida Suzie Vinnick  New Artist or Group of the Year Irene Torres & the Sugar Devils Joel Johnson Band Jordan Officer Sean Pinchin Wicked Grin B.B. King International Artist of the Year Beth Hart Elvin Bishop Janiva Magness Johnny Winter Mavis Staples Guitarist of the Year JW-Jones Paul DesLauriers Steve Dawson Steve Hill Steve Strongman Piano or Keyboard Player of the Year David McMorrow (Jack de Keyzer) David Vest Julian Fauth Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne Lance Anderson Harmonica Player of the Year Dave “Hurricane” Hoerl Guy Bélanger Harpdog Brown Jerome Godboo Steve Marriner Horn Player of the Year Al Lerman Chris Whiteley Jon Wong Pat Carey Richard Thornton Drummer of the Year Bucky Berger (Fathead) Lindsay Beaver (The 24th Street Wailers) Matt Sobb (MonkeyJunk) Sam Harrisson (Paul DesLauriers Band) Tom Bona (Raoul and the Big Time, Soulstack) Bassist of the Year Alan Duffy (Jack de Keyzer) Alec Fraser (Fraser/Daley) Greg Morency (Paul DesLauriers Band) Keith Picot (Brandon Isaak) Omar Tunnoch (Fathead) Songwriter of the Year Angel Forrest Brandon Isaak Harrison Kennedy Raoul Bhaneja Ray Bonneville Recording/Producer of the Year Brandon Isaak - Here On Earth (Self) Producer: Chris Isaak Downchild - Can You Hear the Music (Linus Entertainment) Producer: Don Walsh JW-Jones - Belmont Boulevard (Blind Pig Records) Producer: Tom Hambridge Raoul and the Big Time - Hollywood Blvd (Big Time Records) Producer: Raoul Bhaneja Steve Hill Solo Recordings Vol. 2 (No Label Records) Producer: Steve Hill Blues With A Feeling (Lifetime Achievement Award) Diana Braithwaite Alec Fraser Danny Brooks Ellen McIlwaine Joe Murphy Ken Whiteley Michael Fonfara Stephen Barry Tom Lavin Michael Jerome Browne Brent Parkin Nannette Workman Theresa Malenfant

BLUES BOOSTER AWARD GOES TO THE TIM HORTONS SOUTHSIDE SHUFFLE

BLUES BOOSTER AWARD GOES TO THE TIM HORTONS SOUTHSIDE SHUFFLE The Toronto Blues Society selects Port Credit Jazz and Blues Festival for Maple Blues Award   (December 16, 2013) Toronto, ON -- The Toronto Blues Society is proud to announce the recipient of the Blues Booster of the Year Award, a very special Maple Blues Award honouring outstanding contribution to the Canadian blues music industry. This year the Blues Booster of the Year Award goes Mississauga based Tim Hortons Southside Shuffle, a nationally renowned blues festival now heading in to its 16th year. The Tim Hortons Southside Shuffle is held annually in the picturesque Port Credit area of Mississauga, just west of Toronto. Founded by Downchild vocalist and long-time Mississauga resident Chuck Jackson, The Tim Hortons Southside Shuffle has grown exponentially since its inception and boasts an impressive line-up of local, national and internationally celebrated blues artists performing on four stages and the ever popular Street Shuffle along Lakeshore Road.   Each year The Tim Hortons Southside Shuffle hosts 75,000 visitors over three days and, along with a small staff, Directors and Advisory Board, the festival employs the help of over 400 volunteers from the community. Recently Jackson was inducted in to Mississauga’s Legends Row in part for his contribution as founder of the festival. “We are very proud to receive the Blues Booster Award for our contribution to the blues in Canada. Since it's inception in 1999 The Tim Hortons Southside Shuffle has brought over 7,500 international and Canadian musicians to the Mississauga Delta and will continue to showcase the best of the blues from around the world”, he says. The “Shuffle" will receive the Blues Booster of the Year Award at the 17th Annual Maple Blues Awards.   The January 20th gala event is considered to be the premier blues event of the year. Tickets for the not-to-be-missed Maple Blues Awards, held at The Royal Conservatory's Koerner Hall in Toronto, are on sale now for $35 - $65 and can be purchased at the Weston Family Box Office, located in the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning at 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto, by phone at (416) 408-0208 or online at https://tickets.rcmusic.ca/public. Charter members of Toronto Blues Society can purchase tickets at a discount of $28.00.   Toronto Blues Society is a registered charity organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Blues. The Royal Conservatory's magnificent Koerner Hall is a 1,135-seat venue designed in the tradition of the classic “shoebox” venues of Europe. Recognized as being among the world’s greatest concert halls, the Toronto Star has called it "the best concert venue in Toronto."

DAWN TYLER WATSON & JW-JONES TO HOST 17TH ANNUAL MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

DAWN TYLER WATSON & JW-JONES TO HOST 17TH ANNUAL MAPLE BLUES AWARDS Performers include nominees MonkeyJunk, The 24th Street Wailers, Charlie A'Court, David Vest, and Little Miss Higgins   (November 18, 2013) Toronto, ON – Montreal’s Queen of the Blues Dawn Tyler Watson and Ottawa’s JW-Jones, both accomplished and internationally recognized blues artists, are set to take command of the "blues goes uptown" not-to-be-missed night out.   Watson and Jones will both perform at the upcoming 17th annual Maple Blues Awards gala on January 20, 2014 at Koerner Hall in Toronto. The Maple Blues Awards is Canada’s national blues celebration, recognizing outstanding musical achievement and gathering blues musicians and music fans from across the country each year. In addition to performances from the hosts, a cast of some of Canada’s notable and emerging new blues talent will be performing at the gala concert and are all current or past nominees. This year the performers include Juno Award winners MonkeyJunk from Ottawa, The 24th Street Wailers from Toronto, Nova Scotia bluesman Charlie A'Court, British Columbia’s David Vest, and Saskatchewan’s Little Miss Higgins, all backed by The Maple Blues Band featuring current and past Maple Blues Award nominees and winners Gary Kendall, Michael Fonfara, Teddy Leonard, Al Lerman, Tom Bona, Chris Whiteley, Pat Carey and Chris Murphy.  Following the awards and concert will be the popular after-party featuring live music and performances from some of the evening’s winners.   The January 20th gala event is considered to be the premier blues event of the year. Tickets for the not-to-be-missed Maple Blues Awards, held at The Royal Conservatory's Koerner Hall in Toronto, are on sale now for $35 - $65 and can be purchased at the Weston Family Box Office, located in the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning at 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto, by phone at (416) 408-0208 or online at https://tickets.rcmusic.ca/public. Charter members of Toronto Blues Society can purchase tickets at a discount of $28.00.   Voting for the Maple Blues Awards started on November 1, and over 1300 blues fans from across Canada have registered their votes. Voting is open to Canadian blues fans until 12AM Pacific Standard Time on December 7th, 2013. Visit www.mapleblues.ca.   Toronto Blues Society is a registered charity organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Blues. The Royal Conservatory's magnificent Koerner Hall is a 1,135-seat venue designed in the tradition of the classic “shoebox” venues of Europe. Recognized as being among the world’s greatest concert halls, the Toronto Star has called it "the best concert venue in Toronto."

COAST TO COAST BLUES ARTISTS HONOURED WITH MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

COAST TO COAST BLUES ARTISTS HONOURED WITH MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

Ottawa’s MonkeyJunk, Toronto’s Suzie Vinnick and New Brunswick’s Matt Andersen Win Multiple Awards

(January 17, 2012) – Canadian Blues Artist from Coast-to-Coast were honoured by their peers at the 15^th Annual Maple Blues Awards gala in Toronto last night as a crowd of blues lovers gathered to celebrate Canadian blues at Koerner Hall.

Ottawa’s MonkeyJunk took three awards, including, Electric Act of the Year, Recording of the Year and Drummer of the Year (Matt Sobb). New Brunswick’s Matt Andersen left with awards for Entertainer of the Year, Acoustic Act of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year. Now based in Toronto, Saskatoon native Suzie Vinnick won awards for Songwriter of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. MonkeyJunk, Andersen and Vinnick have each had a very successful year with national and international touring and extensive radio airplay, giving exposure to their own talents and further promoting Canadian blues artists as leaders in the industry.

Long-time Toronto talent buyer Randy Charlton and blues scholar Rob Bowman presented the Blues With a Feeling (Lifetime Achievement Award) to veteran entertainer and guitarist Paul James. James has been performing for over four decades and is considered to be a Canadian music icon. Toronto Blues Society President Derek Andrews and Montreal Blues Society President Brian Slack presented the Blues Booster of the Year award, a very special Maple Blues Award honouring outstanding contribution to the Canadian blues music industry, to Liz Sykes, President of the Ottawa Blues Society.

Other highlights include British Columbia’s Sabrina Weeks & Swing Cat Bounce taking the New Artist of the Year Award, presented by performers and Maple Blues Award nominees Bill Johnson and Rita Chiarelli. Other notable presenters of Maple Blues Awards were Stony Plain Records Holger Petersen, Andrew Galloway of Electro-Fi Records, Borealis Records Grit Laskin, SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste, and CRTC Vice-Chairman Tom Pentefountas.

Hosted by internationally recognized blues artists Shakura S’aida and Treasa Levasseur (both of whom gave stunning performances at the gala) the Maple Blues Awards included outstanding performances from Maple Blues Award nominees past and present, including Nova Scotia’s Joe Murphy, last year’s Blues With A Feeling Award winner Rita Chiarelli, Toronto’s Fathead, long time blues fixture Bill Johnson from Victoria, B.C., Ottawa’s MonkeyJunk, as well as the awards gala house band, The Maple Blues Band.

WINNERS OF THE 15TH ANNUAL MAPLE BLUES AWARDS

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

Matt Andersen

ELECTRIC ACT OF THE YEAR

Monkey Junk

ACOUSTIC ACT OF THE YEAR

Matt Andersen

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Matt Andersen

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Suzie Vinnick

NEW ARTIST OR GROUP OF THE YEAR

Sabrina Weeks & Swing Cat Bounce

RECORDING OF THE YEAR
To Behold, MonkeyJunk

BLUES WITH A FEELING (Lifetime Achievement)
Paul James

BB KING INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Gregg Allman

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Steve Strongman

HARMONICA PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Carlos del Junco

PIANO/KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne

HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Chris Whiteley

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR

Matt Sobb

BASSIST OF THE YEAR
Alec Fraser

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR

Suzie Vinnick

BLUES BOOSTER OF THE YEAR
Liz Sykes