Canadian Blues Music Awards

 

 

The inaugural Canadian Blues Music Awards (CBMA) gala takes place Monday, March 30, 2026 at The Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto, bringing together the finest performers in Canadian blues for a landmark national celebration. The evening will feature live performances from nominees and honourees spanning the full breadth of the country’s blues landscape — from roots-drenched acoustic traditions to electrifying contemporary interpretations — with Lifetime Achievement and Industry Person tributes woven throughout the programme. Gala tickets are on sale now at canadianbluesmusicawards.com. Watch the official launch video here.

The Canadian Blues Music Awards is a fully independent, incorporated national not-for-profit organization with an exclusive mandate to govern, develop, and operate Canada’s premier blues recognition programme. The CBMAs are a wholly new creation — not a rebranding or restructuring of any previous programme. The CBMAs operate as a separate entity: the Toronto Blues Society has no role whatsoever in governance, nominations, judging, voting, or any other element of the awards process. The TBS will proudly host the gala ceremony, and that is the full extent of the relationship.

The new programme was built from the ground up. Initially formed in spring 2024 by Brant Zwicker and Cindy McLeod, the CBMA Governing Committee spent more than a year in extensive research, national consultation, and programme development before incorporating as an independent organization. In December 2024, Julie Hill joined the committee, and the completed plan was finalized in May 2025. The result is a programme grounded in transparency, expertise, and coast-to-coast representation: all artist category awards are decided exclusively by a jury panel of industry professionals drawn from a national pool spanning radio, print, labels, engineering, production, promotion, academia, associations, festivals, and venues. Nominees are determined by submission - not nomination - based on qualifying recordings released between September 1, 2023 and September 30, 2025. The sole exception is the Fan Favourite Award, which is open to the public as a write-in vote.

Quisha Wint, Chair of the Toronto Blues Society, has offered her full endorsement of the new programme. “The Canadian Blues Music Awards represents a complete overhaul,” Wint writes. “A whole new programme created to serve the Canadian blues community with greater transparency, fairness, and unity from coast to coast to coast.” With 16 competitive categories recognizing artists, instrumentalists, producers, and industry figures, alongside Lifetime Achievement honours for five foundational contributors to Canadian blues, the CBMAs are positioned to become the gold standard of blues recognition in this country - one that reflects the true depth, diversity, and resilience of the music and the people who make it.

There are many people asking what will the Canadian Blues Music Awards Gala look like this year? Here’s the breakdown: The Gala will be held at The Phoenix Concert Theatre on Monday March 30.2026 7pm start. All 17 Awards will be presented along with six performances sprinkled through the night with an intermission. 

This year’s host will be Danny Marks who will also perform a song. Steve Marriner, Crystal Shawanda, Kenny ‘Blues Boss’ Wayne, Brandon Isaak and Dana Wylie (Secondhand Dreamcar) will be the feature performers who will all perform a song each.

The gala backing band ‘Pass the Envelope’ will be run by Manny DeGrandis (MD & Bass) with Quincy Bullen (keyboards), Dave Patel (drums) and new additions Cecile Doo-Kingue (guitar) and Dan Jancar (Sax) Blazing Kitchen will also be in the house serving up tacos during the show There will be an After party but not our typical open jam. We will have Emerging artist nominees Glenn Marais & The Mojo Train, Ollie Owens, JP LeBlanc, plus Secondhand Dreamcar and more to be announced perform a few songs in the main room on the big stage starting immediately after the awards.< /p>

“We will be wrapping up at 11pm so everyone can venture off to other Toronto bars and catch more live music or get to bed for work the next day.” Says event producer and TBS Operations Manager, Manny DeGrandis.

Join the celebration on March 30 at The Phoenix and help honour the extraordinary talent that defines Canadian blues. Tickets at https://torontobluessociety.com/canadian-blues-music-awards-2/

Pil & Bue-Shadowcasters

 

 

Pil & Bue is a two-piece, consisting of Petter Carlsen (the arrow) and Goeran Johansen (the bow).

...a two-piece vastly more than the sum of their parts, their deeply invested fusion of metal and pop-bordering melodic dynamics is given emotional rocketfuel by Petter Carlsen's unrestrained vocals. Sia fronting Gojira is an approximation, but the result is exhilarating and uncontrived, and resonates on every level"- Jonathan Selzer, Metal Hammer UK .

With subtle, but pronounced references to artists like Metallica, Radiohead, A Perfect Circle, Anathema and Mars Volta, Pil & Bue delivers “Hard, gloomy & joyful music...” Metal Hammer NO

 

 

NOW YOU CAN LISTEN TO THEM HERE

LIVE STREAM >> HERE

Blonde Rose-Spirits Of The Sun

 

So we head back to Norway this week, seems the guys in Blonde Rose are creating a bit of buzz with their regular retro rock releases. I think it was only about 4 weeks ago, we had the single "Rock N Roll Endeavour", which was very well received. It`s now the turn of "Spirit Of The Sun" that the band have released this week, another quality tune, with their 70`s rock n roll stamp. I also had a former A&R guy for Earache Records, making enquiries about the band about a week ago. So maybe bigger things are in the works for Blonde Rose, I guess it`s a watch this space moment. It`s always nice to hear that some bands are reaching a wider audience with each release, which is what we all do it for!!

 

 

NOW YOU CAN LISTEN TO THEM HERE

LIVE STREAM >> HERE

Taming Sari

 

Taming Sari has released a brand new single and video, “Tea & Honey”, a teasing love song about the kind of girl who keeps you guessing - playful, sharp, and a little mischievous, yet impossible to resist. Tea & Honey is produced and recorded by Ross Hayes Citrullo (The Commoners), two-time JUNO Award nominee. True to the song’s theme, the instrumentation keeps the listener guessing with unexpected twists and turns. The accompanying music video is produced by up and coming Ottawa producer/videographer Sebastian Ribeiro. The video tells a humorous story of frontman Warren Meredith waking up and realizing his bandmates, who have moved on to different professions, do not remember they were part of the band. Watch along for a surprise twist once they’re all reunited!

Taming Sari has been rocking the Canadian music scene since 2017 by delivering catchy tunes and captivating live shows. Their 2021 single “Crazy” featured at #35 on the Canadian Active Rock Charts and was streamed over 200,000 times on Spotify. After receiving OAC funding for two full-length albums, as well as opening for esteemed acts such as JJ Wilde and The Lazys, the band is hungry to continue building on its success.

 

https://taming-sari.web.app/

 

NOW YOU CAN LISTEN TO THEM HERE

LIVE STREAM >> HERE

 

Seven Year Witch on JAM 66 Radio

 

Seven Year Witch is planet earth’s last rock n’ roll band.

Since 2013, 7YW has been relentlessly touring nationally and internationally in order to spread their dangerous rock’n’roll ideology.

In 2018 alone, the band has shared the stage with the likes of BuckCherry, Pop Evil, The Gin Blossoms, and WWE’s Jeff Hardy, all while making as many extracurricular appearances as possible – including a performance on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim. The band has proudly appeared at some of South Carolina’s most notable festivals, including Fall For Greenville & Spittoono. Conquering 100+ shows a year, Seven Year Witch refuses to slow down.

While the band will claim their music is simply “rock n’ roll as it was meant to be played”, nailing down any sort of sub-genre with the group is nothing short of difficult. Their debut album “Songs Our Mothers Love” (available on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Google Play, and more) blurs the lines between blues, punk, garage rock, and 70’s rock n’ roll.

Brothers Seth and Spencer Burden, drive the rhythm section of the band. Vocalist Aaron Langford truly sets the band apart with his unapologetic stage presence and classically trained voice. Guitarist Daniel Parker (recruited from Sylacauga, Alabama) provides the band with the punishing wall of sound that demands to be heard.

Boasting a loyal and ever growing Carolina following, their tameless stage presence along side a blues-punk persuasion leave them as a unmistakable force of their own. Seven Year Witch is a young, hungry, up and coming group of scoundrels hell bent on taking over the world, one crowd at a time. 

https://www.sevenyearwitch.com/

 

NOW YOU CAN LISTEN TO THEM HERE

LIVE STREAM >> HERE

New Radio Show

Today, new radio show available.

Content and artists: ZITA, MILTOS MARATHON, HER FURY, GREAT TIDE, ANTON BECKMAN, JANE AND THE KILLER QUEENS, MASHEENA, FOR WHAT YOU BURN, WILL LUDFORD, WWOOLLFF.

Listen to it on the right column of this blog.

 

Dr. Jesse Hall

 

 

"Be Encouraged" is a mixture of 'old school' gospel and contemporary sounds with heavy black gospel rhythms. Lyrics and background vocals are intentionally clear with heavy emphasis on biblical teachings. Dr. Hall includes some personal experiences in "So Far So Good". Other popular songs include: "My Kind of Music", "Brighter Day", "Truly Grateful" and "Too Big to Fail".

This album has more than 56,000 plays including 3 songs on an EP released in 2025 with one more single to be released in August, 2025. 

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W1ewDFSo-E