Memphis, TN –The 34th Annual International Blues Challenge (IBC) will begin on Tuesday, January 16th, and run through the finals at the Orpheum Theatre on Saturday, January 20th.
As always, the IBC is more than just a competition. The event will host a variety of classes, showcases, networking opportunities, seminars, and films.
In conjunction with the 2018 International Blues Challenge, The Blues Foundation will honor 12 individuals and organizations with its 2018 Keeping the Blues Alive Awards during a recognition luncheon Friday, January 19, 2018 beginning at 11 a.m. at the Doubletree Hotel.
As determined by a select panel of blues professionals, the KBA Awards are presented annually, honoring those who make significant contributions to the genre.
Your 2018 Keeping the Blues Alive Awards recipients are:
Gary and Gillian Atkinson
Jonas Bernholm
Blues Society of Omaha
Byron Bay Blues Festival
Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival
Lucky Clark
European Blues Union
Tim Fik
Brian Kelm
Poor House Bistro
Albertina Wassenhove
Rueben Williams
Blues Foundation President and CEO Barbara Newman reports that “each year, our KBA Selection Committee does a wonderful job of pinpointing those individuals and organizations that are working behind the scenes to celebrate, promote, and bring greater awareness to the blues. Our 2018 Keeping the Blues Alive award recipients are all wonderful examples of blues flame keepers, each working in their own sphere of influence to move the genre forward while honoring its past.”
All IBC attendees are welcome to purchase a KBA upgrade for an additional $50 per person to join us and celebrate these blues flame-keepers. Passes to the International Blues Challenge and the Keeping the Blues Alive luncheon are available here, or by calling (901) 527-2583.
More information on all KBA recipients is available here.
