The Blues Foundation, based in Memphis, held the organization's 33rd annual Blues Music Awards on Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis. There are few real surprises among this year's group of Blues Music Award nominees. The Blues Foundation caught up with blues fans' musical tastes and artists like Joe Bonamassa, George Thorogood, and Warren Haynes all received their first nominations. There seem to be more multiple nominations this year as well, artists like Sugar Ray & the Bluetones, Tab Benoit, and Johnny Sansone all receiving four nominations while Eugene Hideaway Bridges, Lazy Lester, David Maxwell, Ana Popovic, and Johnny Rawls all received three nominations each.

Here are the Blues Music Award winners  for 2012:

Acoustic Album of the Year
David Maxwell & Otis Spann - Conversations In Blue
Doug MacLeod - Brand New Eyes

Eric Bibb - Troubadour Live
Mary Flower - Misery Loves Company

Rory Block - Shake 'Em On Down

Acoustic Artist of the Year
Eric Bibb
David Maxwell
Doug MacLeod

Guy Davis
Mary Flower

Rory Block

Album of the Year
Tedeschi Trucks Band - Revelator
Various Artists - Chicago Blues: A Living History - The (R)evolution Continues
Eugene Hideaway Bridges - Rock And A Hard Place

Johnny Sansone - The Lord Is Waiting And The Devil Is Too
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - Evening
Tab Benoit – Medicine

B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
Tab Benoit
Candye Kane
Lil' Ed
Ruthie Foster
Tommy Castro

Band of the Year
Tedeschi Trucks Band
Bo-Keys
Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones
Tommy Castro Band
Trampled Under Foot

Best New Artist Debut
Samantha Fish - Runaway
Big Pete - Choice Cuts
Demetria Taylor - Bad Girl
Sena Ehrhardt - Leave The Light On
The Mighty Mojo Prophets - The Mighty Mojo Prophets

Contemporary Blues Album
Tab Benoit - Medicine
Ana Popovic - Unconditional

Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa - Don't Explain
Ian Siegal & the Youngest Sons - The Skinny
Johnny Sansone - The Lord Is Waiting And The Devil Is Too
Tommy Castro - Presents The Legendary Rhythm & Blues Revue - Live!

Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
Susan Tedeschi
Ana Popovic

Bettye LaVette
Candye Kane
Janiva Magness

Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
Tab Benoit
Joe Louis Walker
Johnny Sansone
JP Soars
Tommy Castro

DVD of the Year
Ruthie Foster - Live At Antone's (Blue Corn)
Ana Popovic - An Evening At Trasimeno Lake (ArtisteXclusive)

Gary Moore - Live At Montreux 2010 (Eagle Rock)
Trampled Under Foot - The Emporium To The Orpheum (Redwood)
Various Artists - All Jams On Deck (Mug-Shot Productions)
Wynton Marsalis & Eric Clapton - Play The Blues (Rhino)

Gibson Guitar Award
Derek Trucks
Duke Robillard
Kirk Fletcher
Lurrie Bell
Michael Burks

Historical Album of the Year
Howlin' Wolf - Smokestack Lightning (Chess Records)
Freddie King - Texas Flyer 1974-76 (Bear Family)
Junior Wells - Hoodoo Man Blues (Delmark Records)
George "Harmonica" Smith - Teardrops Are Falling - Live In 1983 (Electro-Fi)
Etta James - The Essential Modern Records Collection (Virgin Records)

Best Instrumentalist - Bass
Biscuit Miller
Danielle Schnebelen
Larry Taylor
Michael "Mudcat" Ward
Patrick Rynn

Best Instrumentalist - Drums
Chris Layton
Jimi Bott
Kenny Smith
Robb Stupka
Stanton Moore
Tony Braunagel

Best Instrumentalist - Harmonica
Charlie Musselwhite

Kim Wilson
Lazy Lester
Rick Estrin
Sugar Ray Norcia

Best Instrumentalist - Horn
Terry Hanck
Al Basile
Doug James
Keith Crossan
Sax Gordon

Best Instrumentalist - Other
Sonny Rhodes (lap steel guitar)
Ben Prestage (diddley bow)
Lionel Young (violin)
Otis Taylor (banjo)
Rich Del Grosso (mandolin)

Pinetop Perkins Piano Player of the Year
Marcia Ball
David Maxwell
Eden Brent
Jon Cleary
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne

Victor Wainwright

Rock Blues Album
Joe Bonamassa - Dust Bowl
George Thorogood & the Destroyers - 2120 South Michigan Avenue
Mike Zito - Greyhound
Too Slim and the Taildraggers - Shiver
Warren Haynes - Man In Motion

Song of the Year
"The Lord Is Waiting The Devil Is Too" - Johnny Sansone (The Lord Is Waiting And The Devil Is Too - Johnny Sansone)
"Appreciate What You Got" - Terry Hanck (Look Out! - Terry Hanck)
"Back to the Blues" - Hadden Sayers (Hard Dollar - Hadden Sayers)
"Memphis Still Got Soul" - Bob Trenchard & Johnny Rawls (Memphis Still Got Soul - Johnny Rawls)
"Thank You for Giving Me the Blues" - Grady Champion, Zac Harmon & Chris Troy (Dreamin' - Grady Champion)
"The Older I Get the Better I Was" - Joe Shelton (The Older I Get the Better I Was - Big Joe Shelton)

Soul Blues Album of the Year
Bobby Rush - Show You A Good Time
Bo-Keys - Got To Get Back!
Eugene Hideaway Bridges - Rock And A Hard Place

Grady Champion - Dreamin'
Johnny Rawls - Memphis Still Got Soul

Soul Blues Female Artist
Denise LaSalle
Alexis P. Suter
Jackie Johnson
Sharrie Williams
Sista Monica Parker

Soul Blues Male Artist of the Year
Curtis Salgado

Bobby Rush
Eugene Hideaway Bridges

Johnny Rawls
Otis Clay

Traditional Blues Album of the Year
Various Artists - Chicago Blues: A Living History - The (R)evolution Continues
Diunna Greenleaf - Trying To Hold On
Lazy Lester - You Better Listen
Sugar Ray & the Bluetones - Evening
Tracy Nelson - Victim Of The Blues

Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year
Charlie Musselwhite

John Primer
Lazy Lester
Mac Arnold

Magic Slim

Koko Taylor Award (Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year)
Ruthie Foster
Diunna Greenleaf
Maria Muldaur
Nora Jean
Tracy Nelson