JANIVA MAGNESS NOMINATED AS 2010  BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES FEMALE ARTIST OF THE YEAR

December 15, 2009. Soul and blues singer Janiva Magness has been nominated Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year by The Blues Foundation, Memphis, TN for its upcoming 31st Annual Blues Music Awards 2010. This is the sixth time Janiva has received this honor; she won the award in 2006, 2007, and 2009. She was also awarded B.B. King Entertainer of the Year at last May’s Blues Music Awards celebration by BB King and Bonnie Raitt!!!.

The Blues Music Awards are recognized as the highest honor given to blues artists. The Blues Music Awards ceremony and concert will be held May 6, 2010 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee. 

Blues fans vote for each award category online at: http://www.blues.org/#ref=bluesmusicawards_vote

Online voting goes through Monday, March 1, 2010, but Janiva says not to wait. “This is a huge honor to be nominated. The Blues Music Awards is the premiere International celebration of the blues. plus it’s a blast. Come out to Memphis if you can.  Help spread the word, and be sure to vote for all your favorite artists. Do it now!”

PIEDMONT TALENT:

Thursday, May 7, 2009. Blues Music Awards. Memphis, TN. A proud moment for Piedmont Talent, Janiva Magness and Eden Brent. Both these talented ladies walked as double winners! Janiva Magness: B.B. King Entertainer of the Year / Contemporary Female of the Year. Eden Brent: Acoustic Album of the Year / Acoustic Artist of the Year. www.blues.org.

Thank you to each and every one of you for your continued support of these talented ladies and all of Piedmont's roster.

Congratulations to the ladies as well as each and every Nominee & Winner @ this year's Blues Music Awards.

ALLIGATOR RECORDS:

Soul and Blues Singer Janiva Magness Wins Top Award

Soul and blues vocalist Janiva Magness received the coveted Entertainer Of The Year award at the Blues Foundation�s 2009 Blues Music Awards held on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, TN. Magness also took the statue for Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year.

The Blues Music Awards are recognized as the highest honor given to blues artists. This year, Sirius XM Satellite Radio's B.B. King's Bluesville channel broadcast the event live. In addition, The Blues Music Awards were shot in HD for a DVD to be released in 2010.

BLUES FOUNDATION:

Blues Music Awards return to Memphis, celebrate 3-decade run

By Bob Mehr (Contact),Memphis Commercial Appeal Friday, May 8, 2009

Soulful diva Janiva Magness, guitar great Buddy Guy and the legendary B.B. King were among the big winners at the 30th annual Blues Music Awards held Thursday night at Memphis Cook Convention Center.

Newly inducted Blues Hall of Fame member Taj Mahal performs with Maria Muldaur during the Blues Music Awards on Thursday evening at Memphis Cook Convention Center. Muldaur was nominated in the Traditional Blues Female Artist of the Year category.

Formerly known as the W.C. Handy Awards, the honors are staged by the Memphis-based Blues Foundation, and voted on by the organization's 3,000-plus members.

An illustrious group of presenters and performers -- including blues icon King and classic-rock star Steve Miller -- gathered for a music-filled ceremony lasting into the early-morning hours.

As the night began on the upper level of the convention center, attendees browsed a blues-themed art and memorabilia auction. Inside the main hall, R&B singer Bettye LaVette stalked the stage, serenading those being served dinner, while Blues Foundation head Jay Sieleman kept a watchful eye over what had clearly shaped up as the crowning event in the organization's long history.

Royalty was properly recognized with King accepting the Traditional Blues Album award for his back-to-roots effort One Kind Favor, as well as getting the nod as the Traditional Blues Male Artist of the Year award.

King also presented the Entertainer of the Year award, which is named after him, to Magness. The veteran blues songstress also received the honor as the Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year.

AP NEWS/iTV:

Janiva Magness wins top honor at Blues Awards
Published: May 7, 2009
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - The soulful singer Janiva Magness won entertainer of the year at the 2009 Blues Music Awards in Memphis.

The Michigan native also won best contemporary female artist at Thursday's show.

Buddy Guy won three awards: contemporary blues album, contemporary male artist and album of the year for "Skin Deep."

Blues legend B.B. King took home two honors: traditional male artist and best traditional blues album for "One Kind Favor."

Eden Brent won acoustic artist of the year and best acoustic album for "Mississippi Number One."

Kenny Neal won song of the year for "Let Life Flow."

Taj Mahal, Irma Thomas, Bettye LaVette and many others were scheduled to perform during the Blues Foundation's awards show.

Janiva Magness Wins B.B. King Entertainer of the Year and Best Contemporary Female Artist Awards

On May 7, 2009, National Foster Care Month Spokesperson Janiva Magness received two prestigious Blues Music Awards at the 30th annual Blues Music Awards celebration at the Cook Convention Center in Memphis, Tennessee. Janiva received the Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year Award, and accepted that award with her daughter, Jacqueline Krain. Emancipated from foster care at 16, Janiva gave her up for adoption. They reconnected several years later and Janiva is a not only an in-demand, world-class blues artist, but also a very proud grandmother. Blues Foundation members then recognized Janiva with the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award. B.B. King and Bonnie Raitt presented Janiva with the Blues Foundation�s signature guitarman bronze statue. B. B. King was nominated as Entertainer of the Year for 11 consecutive years from 1995 to 2005, winning seven years in a row starting in 1999. In 2006, The Blues Foundation honored The King by renaming the award the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award. Janiva was nominated for a total of four Blues Music Awards at this year�s awards event. Her Alligator Records debut, What Love Will Do, was up for Album of the Year and Contemporary Blues Album of the Year Honors.

For more information: Janiva Magness Web Site
National Foster Care Month/Janiva Magness Page
The Associated Press picked up the story and it is online at CBS News: CBS News
Complete List of 2009 Blues Music Award Winners: www.blues.org