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A visual history · Grammys

The winners who defined Blues Album.

5 ceremonies, 2012–2016. 5 different winners.

Who won most recently?
Buddy Guy in 2016 for Born to Play Guitar.
  1. Born to Play GuitarBuddy Guy
  2. Step BackJohnny Winter
  3. Get Up!Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite
  4. Locked DownDr. John
  5. RevelatorTedeschi Trucks Band
Years explored
2012–2016
Different winners
5
Category leader
No leader
About this record

Best Blues Album was first awarded in 2012, so it does not run the full 1959–2025 window.

It was awarded for the last time in 2016.

The Academy went back to separate traditional and contemporary blues album awards from 2017, so this one ran for five ceremonies only.

It took over from Best Traditional Blues Album and Best Contemporary Blues Album.

2012–2016

5 ceremonies

20122016

01 / The reigns

5 winners shaped this category.

The timeline turns the 2012–2016 record into a sequence of reigns. Longer bands reveal sustained runs; color shows the credited label.

One band per year, because no winner has gone back-to-back in the years on record. Colored by label; scroll sideways for the full run.
Tedeschi Trucks Band'12
Dr. John'13
Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite'14
Johnny Winter'15
Buddy Guy'16

02 / The power map

Who stood behind the winners?

Sony leads the recorded label credits with 2 wins, 2012–2016. The full distribution shows whether power was concentrated or shared.

Sony2 wins
Megaforce1 win
Stax1 win
Warner1 win
Wins by label
  1. Sony240%
  2. Megaforce120%
  3. Stax120%
  4. Warner120%

03 / The near misses

The names that kept coming back without the ending they wanted.

Counting nominations in this category only, 2012–2016.

Most nominated, never won this award

  1. 01
    Ruthie Foster
    2 noms
  2. 02
    Shemekia Copeland
    2 noms

Most losses in this category

  1. 01
    Ruthie Foster
    2L · 0W
  2. 02
    Shemekia Copeland
    2L · 0W

04 / The archive

Every year.
Every winner.

The complete reference behind the story, showing 2012–2016. Open any year to see the rest of the field when nominee records are available.

YearWinnerLabel
2016Buddy Guy (Born to Play Guitar)
beat 4 others
  • Cedric Burnside Project (Descendants of Hill Country)
  • John Primer and Various Artists (Muddy Waters 100)
  • Shemekia Copeland (Outskirts of Love)
  • Bettye LaVette (Worthy)
RCA
2015Johnny Winter (Step Back)
beat 4 others
  • Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin (Common Ground: Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin Play and Sing the Songs of Big Bill Broonzy)
  • Bobby Rush with Blinddog Smokin' (Decisions)
  • Charlie Musselwhite (Juke Joint Chapel)
  • Ruthie Foster (Promise of a Brand New Day)
Megaforce
2014Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite (Get Up!)
beat 4 others
  • James Cotton (Cotton Mouth Man)
  • Bobby Rush (Down in Louisiana)
  • Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia and James Harman (Remembering Little Walter)
  • Beth Hart and Joe Bonamassa (Seesaw)
Stax
2013Dr. John (Locked Down)
beat 4 others
  • Shemekia Copeland (33⅓)
  • Heritage Blues Orchestra (And Still I Rise)
  • Joan Osborne (Bring It on Home)
  • Ruthie Foster (Let It Burn)
Nonesuch
2012Tedeschi Trucks Band (Revelator)
beat 4 others
  • Gregg Allman (Low Country Blues)
  • Warren Haynes (Man in Motion)
  • Keb' Mo' (The Reflection)
  • Marcia Ball (Roadside Attractions)
Sony Masterworks/Sony Music Entertainment