Since The Blues Foundation was founded in 1980, it has held the mission of preserving and promoting blues around the world, and this year’s Keeping the Blues Alive Award honorees demonstrate just how successful the organization has been over the past four decades. The nine individuals and organizations receiving KBAs in 2020 don’t just hail from the blues’ traditional territory of the American South but from such far-reaching blues outposts as Denmark, Poland, and Colombia.
The KBA Awards, chosen annually by a select panel of blues professionals, salutes those who have played crucial roles in advancing the art and commerce of blues. This year’s esteemed honorees will be recognized for their achievements at the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards brunch, taking place on Friday, January 31, 2020, 10:30 a.m., in the Holiday Inn Memphis-Downtown Ballroom.
The KBA ceremony represents just one part of The Blues Foundation’s 36th Annual International Blues Challenge. The IBC Week kicks off Tuesday, January 28, 2020 with International Showcase performances on historic Beale Street, and concludes with the finals at Memphis’ Orpheum Theatre on Saturday, February 1 at 12 noon. More than 800 musicians will arrive in Memphis from all across the globe to battle for glory — along with prizes and bookings — in the International Blues Challenge, the world’s largest and most renowned blues music competition. Showcases, jams, panels, workshops, and master classes will occur daily up and down Beale Street, with the music jamming on into the wee hours after the IBC challenger performances conclude each evening.
To purchase an International Blues Challenge Pass and final seating upgrades, along with tickets to the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards Brunch and Ceremony, please visit this link:
