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The 4th Annual Maple Blues Awards Nominations (2000)

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Nominees for 4th annual Maple Blues Awards come from coast to coast.

The wide variety of nominees for the fourth annual Maple Blues Awards - to be held in Toronto in early February - indicate that Canada's blues scene is actively flourishing.

Bands and individual musicians from coast to coast were nominated for the Awards - from Sue Foley and the Tony D Band in Ottawa, to Colin James and Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne in Vancouver, to Tim Williams from Calgary, Big Dave McLean in Winnipeg, and Montreal's Dawn Tyler Watson and the Susie Arioli Swing Band, as well as Moncton's Glamour Puss Blues Band.

The Toronto band Fathead led the list with the most nominations (nine), while harmonica player Michael Pickett and members of his band were the runners up with eight. Singer Sue Foley earned five nominations, while four musicians in the veteran Downchild Blues Band were nominated, and Montreal guitarist Steve Hill racked up three nominations.

Nominees were chosen by an independent nominating panel of blues radio personalities and music journalists across Canada, except for the nominees for the Blues With a Feeling Award which were chosen by the directors of the 500-plus member Toronto Blues Society. Mel Brown, Jeff Healey, Jack de Keyzer, Colin Linden, Big Dave McLean, Jackie and Ken Whiteley are nominated for the honour.

The annual Blues Booster Award, also chosen by the TBS directors, is Ralph Stordeur, founder and publisher of Scene Roots and Blues Magazine, which is published in Winnipeg. The Awards are organized by the TBS, whose members vote for winners in 17 different categories, along with blues fans across Canada who are able to participate in the voting by calling 1-866-871-9457 (up until December 11) to receive a ballot. There's a two-ballot per household limit.

Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at the Phoenix Concert Club in Toronto on February 6, 2001.

The Maple Blues Awards are presented by the Toronto Blues Society in association with CBC Radio's Saturday Night Blues, The Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, the Montreal Blues Society, the Ottawa Blues Society, Scene Roots and Blues Magazine, and the Thunder Bay Blues Society.

The Nominees Are:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
 Tony D Band
Fathead
Sue Foley
Michael Pickett Band
The Rockin' Highliners

ELECTRIC ACT OF THE YEAR
Tony D Band
Fathead
Glamour Puss
Steve Hill
Michael Pickett Band
The Rockin' Highliners

ACOUSTIC ACT OF THE YEAR
Ray Bonneville
Michael Jerome Browne
Morgan Davis
Big Dave McLean
Tim Williams

 MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Steve Hill
Colin James
John Mays (Fathead)
Michael Pickett
Robert Tycholis (The Rockin' Highliners)

 FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Maureen Brown
Rita Chiarelli
Sue Foley
Molly Johnson
Dawn Tyler Watson

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Susie Arioli Swing Band
Scotty Doubt Band
Carson Downey Band
Kristi Johnston Band
JW-Jones Band

 INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Shemekia Copeland
Larry Garner
B.B. King
Rod Piazza
Duke Robillard

 GUITARIST OF THE YEAR
Mel Brown
Michael Jerome Browne
Sue Foley
Steve Hill
Shawn Kellerman (Michael Pickett Band)
Nigel Mack

HARMONICA PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Carlos del Junco
Al Lerman (Fathead)
Michael Pickett
Tortoise Blue (Big Daddy G)
Don Walsh (Downchild)

PIANO/KEYBOARD PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Richard Bell
Michael Fonfara (Downchild)
Michael Kaeshammer
Kenny "Blues Boss" Wayne
Tyler Yarema

 HORN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Pat Carey (Downchild)
Johnny Ferreira (Swing Machine)
Gene Hardy (Sparkjiver)
Chris Murphy
Chris Whiteley

DRUMMER OF THE YEAR
Maureen Brown
Murray Downey (Carson Downey Band)
Ken McMahon (The Rockin' Highliners)
Sandy Smith (Twisters)
Ed White (Fathead)

 BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Stephen Barry
Russell Jackson
Gary Kendall (Downchild)
Omar Tunnoch (Fathead)
Terry Wilkins (Swing Gang)

SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Ray Bonneville
Sue Foley
Dave Glover (Big Daddy G)
Al Lerman
Michael Pickett

RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Michael Pickett Conversation with the Blues (Wooden Teeth)
Boppin' Blues Band Happy GLucky (PMG)
Sue Foley Love Cominí Down (Shanachie)
Mel Brown Neck Bones & Caviar (Electro-Fi)
Fathead Where's Your Head At? (Electro-Fi)

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
Andrew Galloway & Sandra Tooze for Mel Brown Neck Bones & Caviar
Dave Glover & Tortoise Blue for Big Daddy G Topless
Tom Jardin and Fathead for Fathead Where's Your Head At?
Colin Linden for Sue Foley Love Comin' Down
Michael Pickett & Doug Romanow for Michael Pickett Conversation
with the Blues

 BLUES WITH A FEELING AWARD
(Toronto Blues Society Lifetime Achievement Award)

Mel Brown
Jeff Healey
Jack de Keyzer
Colin Linden
Big Dave McLean
Jackie
Ken Whiteley

For further information, please contact
Richard Flohil (416) 351-1323 FAX (416) 351-1095 
E-Mail rflohil@inforamp.net

Barbara Isherwood, Toronto Blues Society (416) 538-3885 FAX (416) 538-6559

E-mail info@torontobluessociety.com

 

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Past Awards at a Glance:

[99 Nominees]  [99 Winners]
[98 Nominees]  [98 Winners]
[97 Nominees]  [97 Winners]

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