The 24th annual Maple Blues Awards kicked off Monday night with the first show in a four-date program hosted in cities across Canada.
The Toronto Blues Society is holding the virtual award ceremonies every Monday night throughout February from Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Vancouver. At each show, the hosts announce a handful of winners and introduce two musical performers.
The Maple Blues Awards pre-show toast and after-party gatherings take place on Zoom before and after each segment to celebrate the winners and catch up with the community.
The shows will be streamed live on the Toronto Blues Society’s Facebook and YouTube channels each week at 8 p.m. ET.
Here’s the weekly lineup for the Maple Blues Awards:
- Monday, Feb. 1 — Toronto
Hosts: Alana Bridgewater and Johnny Max
Featuring: Dione Taylor and Jack de Keyzer - Monday, Feb. 8 — Ottawa
Hosts: Angelique Francis and Matt Sobb
Featuring: JW-Jones and Crystal Shawanda - Monday, Feb. 15 — Montreal
Hosts: Dawn Tyler Watson and Ben Racine
Featuring: Durham County Poets and Matt Andersen - Monday, Feb. 22 — Vancouver
Hosts: Dalannah Gail Bowen and Jim Byrnes
Featuring: Liam Docherty and Lindsay Beaver
You can download the Maple Blues Awards program here.
“The Toronto Blues Society has needed to become ‘COVID creative’ to resolve the challenge of working around restrictions and continuing to connect community,” said TBS president Derek Andrews.
Among this year’s nominees are Dawn Tyler Watson, JW-Jones, Harrison Kennedy, Jack de Keyzer, Dione Taylor, Matt Andersen, Crystal Shawanda and Sue Foley.
You can see the full list of the nominees here.