Blues Awards Get Canceled — but Only In Person, as Org Takes Ceremonies Online
In what could also be a bellwether for genre-based awards exhibits going into the close to future, the Blues Basis has introduced it’s canceling each the Blues Corridor of Fame induction ceremony and Blues Music Awards, which had been set to happen on successive nights in Could — however will nonetheless have a good time the winners by way of webcasts.
The precise nature of how and when the 2 units of awards might be offered continues to be being labored out, says Barbara Newman, president-CEO of the Blues Basis, however the present will go on, a technique or one other, digitally. “Individuals are already reaching out to supply their varied forms of experience to assist make this occur,” Newman tells Selection.
“Suspending to a different date will not be possible for our group,” Newman says. “We wished to verify our 2020 nominees and winners may very well be celebrated by our neighborhood in one other trend. With know-how the place it’s right now, what an effective way to convey the neighborhood collectively and provides these hard-working blues musicians the general public recognition they so rightly deserve. And in return, let’s reward our blues followers for all of the assist they’ve offered through the years by together with them in a free, open, digital occasion.”
Newman admits that planning for the net model of what would have been two important awards exhibits on the celebrated Orpheum in Memphis continues to be in preliminary phases.
“We’re simply originally of conceiving what it will seem like,” she says. “We may have used a bit extra time to organize what’s to come back, however felt it was extra essential to share the occasion cancellation with the general public now so attendees to regulate their plans with as a lot superior discover as potential. We really feel sure our neighborhood might be affected person in awaiting extra information, and we hope to be in contact quickly with updates to maintain the joy going.” Newman provides that she’s going to “guarantee all the blues world that this might be accessible for everybody to view at no cost and hopefully will assist convey all the blues neighborhood collectively nearly.”
COPYRIGHT_BP: Published on https://bingepost.com/blues-awards-get-canceled-but-only-in-person-as-org-takes-ceremonies-online/68387/ by Cecilia Jones on 2020-03-20T17:53:38.000Z
These being inducted into the Blues Corridor of Fame this 12 months embrace the nonetheless energetic performers Bettye Lavette, Syl Johnson and Billy Department. Those that’ve handed on who might be inducted embrace Eddie Boyd, Victoria Spivey and George “Harmonica” Smith. Quite a few particular person basic recordings might be included within the inductions as nicely.
For the Blues Awards rewarding modern recordings and musicians, Rick Estrin and his band Rick Estrin & the Nightcats topped the listing with eight nominations. Different a number of nominees embrace Sugaray Rayford, the Money Field Kings and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram,
On a coronavirus-related observe, Newman says she’d prefer to “encourage anybody with the power to make a donation at no matter quantity they will spare to the Blues Basis’s COVID-19 Blues Musician Aid Fund. We’re keen to construct the fund to supply help to as many blues musicians as potential throughout these attempting instances when their fundamental supply of revenue — stay efficiency — has dried up.” (Extra info might be discovered on the basis’s web site, right here.)
