Grammys: Who Wins Best Contemporary Blues Album?
The subgenre of contemporary blues is best defined as one that merges the traditions of blues music (which date back at least to the 1860s) with more modern musical aspects. The Grammy Awards established Best Contemporary Blues Album as a category in 1988 to distinguish this subgenre from traditional blues, the Award for which had been inaugurated five years earlier. Perhaps predictably, the contestants in this category belong to much younger generations than nearly all the artists whose Traditional albums have been nominated.
Joe Bonamassa – Breakthrough
Joe Bonamassa, who began his career opening for influential blues guitarist B.B. King at the age of 12, has released a total of 17 solo albums (beginning in 2000 and counting Breakthrough, which was released in July of last year) and received three previous Grammy nominations, all three of which were in the Blues Album sub-field: Best Blues Album in 2013 (Traditional and Contemporary were merged between 2012 and 2016), Best Traditional Blues Album, and Best Contemporary Blues Album. If he wins his nod this year, he will take home the first Grammy of his nearly four-decade career.
Samantha Fish – Paper Doll
Samantha Fish, a musician of 16 years’ standing whose work is known to incorporate influences from rock, country, and bluegrass as well as blues, has received her second Grammy nomination this year; the first, for her 2023 album Death Wish Blues, was in the same category. Paper Doll, released in April of 2025, is her thirteenth album to date.
Eric Gales – A Tribute to LJK
Eric Gales is the second former child musician on this list. Indeed, the fact that he first learned how to play guitar at the age of four qualifies him as a child prodigy. In his professional blues-rock career of 35 years to date, Gales has released 21 solo albums (counting ones with featured artists) and garnered one Grammy nomination prior to this one, and in the same category. (This was at the 65th Grammy Awards, for the album Crown). A Tribute to LKJ (the last word of which stands for the late, famous blues guitarist Little Jimmy King) was released in August of last year.
Robert Randolph – Preacher Kids
Robert Randolph is a pedal steel guitarist who is the leader of a band known as Robert Randolph and the Family Band. This band, known for producing gospel music, was founded in 2001 and has garnered four Grammy nominations, including two for Best Contemporary Blues Album. However, this year’s nomination belongs to Randolph himself, who has received three nods separate from his band. Preacher Kids, which was released in June of last year, is Randolph’s first solo album; the other two nominations were in the Performance field.
Southern Avenue – Family
Closing out this list is the fourth album by the Memphis-based blues band Southern Avenue, which was founded in 2015. Family, released in April of last year, has earned Southern Avenue their second Grammy nomination, both in this category and overall, with the first being for 2019’s Keep On.
When and Where to Tune in for the 68th Grammys
The 68th Grammys will air live on CBS between 5:00 and 8:30 PM (PST) on Feb. 1. They will stream on Paramount+ and be hosted by comedian Trevor Noah.
