Virtual Maple Blues Award Winners: Ottawa Edition

Quebec Women Haul in Maple Blues Awards!

Halifax and Toronto Legends Earn Blues With A Feeling Award

The 24th Maple Blues Awards was in Ottawa this week, hosted by Angelique Francis and Matt Sobb. Sponsored by the Clyde River Productions, the half-hour Ottawa stream announced four MBA winners.

Angel Forrest was announced as the winner of the Female Vocalist of the Year (sponsored by Limestone City Blues Festival) and Dawn Tyler Watson won the Entertainer of the Year (sponsored by TD Kitchener Blues Festival). Both are past multiple award winners hailing from Montreal.

Toronto’s Ken Whiteley shared the Blues With A Feeling Award with Halifax based Joe Murphy in what is considered a “lifetime achievement” category. Both are highly respected veterans in their communities and nationally. The tie is an unprecedented voting result. Bass Player of the Year Award went to Toronto’s John Dymond known for his work with Colin Linden and many others.

The evening featured a scorching performance of “Blue Jean Jacket” from Ottawa’s JW-Jones at the Overflow Brewing Company. Originally from Wiikwemkoong First Nation on Manitoulin Island, Indigenous artist Crystal Shawanda delivered a touching performance of “I’d Rather Be Alone” from her intimate and cozy home in Nashville.

The MBA’s Ottawa segment also acknowledged and paid tribute to those who have lost their lives this past year during the first portion of this memorial segment, including Michael Fonfara, Stew Laing, Guenther Kapelle and several others from the blues community.

On Monday, February 15th Dawn Tyler Watson and Ben Racine will be hosting the third stream from Montreal with featured performances by Matt Andersen, and Durham County Poets.

The 24th Annual Maple Blues Awards sessions are being streamed at 8:00 PM Eastern via Facebook here and on Toronto Blues Society's YouTube channel here.

Download the Maple Blues Awards’ digital program PDF here.