The Sixteenth Annual Maple Blues Awards

About the MBAs

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.

The nominees are selected by a distinguished panel of some 50 blues experts. Co-Chaired by the steering committee consisting of Deborah Cartmer, Yves Trottier, Paul Norton, and Gord MacAulay, the panel includes radio hosts, journalists, and festival organizers regionally distributed across Canada. Members of the Nominating Panel are not eligible for any of the awards.

Winners in all categories, except the instrumental categories, will be selected by blues fans across the country. Winners in the guitar, harmonica, piano/keyboards, horn, drum, and bass categories will be determined by the Nominating Panel.

Entertainer Of The Year: Group or artist who showed the most overall success in the previous year. This could include a combination of live performances, touring, airplay, media coverage, and public acceptance.

New Artist Or Group Of The Year: Group or individual, new to the national blues scene, who has made considerable advances artistically and/or commercially during the eligibility period. The nominee should be performing under its/his/her name on a regular basis and must not have been nominated in any Maple Blues Awards category previously. The award recognizes the group or individual.

The winners of the Sixteenth Annual Maple Blues Awards will be announced at the Annual Maple Blues Awards Gala in Toronto, on Monday, January 21, 2013 at Koerner Hall at the Royal Conservatory of Music. This very special evening is Canada's national annual celebration of homegrown blues talent and this year it will be hosted by Raoul Bhaneja. It's also a night of great music by the Maple Blues Band, comprised entirely of Maple Blues Awards winners and nominees.

Voting is open from Midnight Newfoundland Daylight Time October 27th, 2012, through Midnight Pacific Standard Time December 8th, 2012.