Memphis-based.
World-renowned.
Photo by James Wessels
Memphis-based.
World-renowned.
Photo by James Wessels
The Blues Foundation preserves blues heritage, celebrates blues recording and performance, expands worldwide awareness of the blues, and ensures the future of the uniquely American art form.
- of Blues HistoryPRESERVATIONVISIT USAs the Blues Hall of Fame preserves blues history through the stories of honored performers, individuals, music, and literature, the HART Fund protects our greatest asset, the blues creators who bring us the music we all love.
- CELEBRATIONWe celebrate all that is blues every day. Through the Blues Music Awards, The International Blues Challenge, and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards, we are able to honor the most groundbreaking artists of each year along with those behind the scenes blues masters who continually make significant contributions to the genre.SEARCH AWARDSof Blues ExcellencePhoto by Brian Anderson
- EDUCATIONThe Blues Foundation seeks to open the hearts, minds, and talent of new generations to the possibilities found in Blues through programs like Blues in the Schools and Generation Blues.LEARN MORESupport ofPhoto by Bella Woods
- of Blues HistoryPRESERVATIONAs The Blues Hall of Fame preserves Blues history through the stories of honored performers, individuals, music, and literature, The HART Fund protects our greatest asset, the blues creators who bring us the music we all love.Plan Your Visit
- CELEBRATION
We celebrate all that is blues every day. Through the Blues Music Awards, The International Blues Challenge, and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards, we are able to honor the most groundbreaking artists of each year along with those behind the scenes blues masters who continually make significant contributions to the genre. of Blues ExcellenceSearch Awards - EDUCATION
The Blues Foundation seeks to open the hearts, minds, and talent of new generations to the possibilities found in Blues through programs like Blues in the Schools and Generation Blues. Support ofClick Here
40 Years of The Blues Foundation

TheBluesFoundation wasfounded inMemphis,Tennessee,“The HomeoftheBlues,”in 1980 byits first executive director, Joe Savarin. Overthe past40years, TheBluesFoundationhasgrown from asmallbase of Memphis supporters thatpresented thefirstNationalBlues Awards at the OrpheumTheatreonNovember 16,1980, toan internationalmembership ofover 4,000individualsandorganizations. Ballotingfortheawards (renamed theW.C.HandyBlues Awardsin 1995and thenthe BluesMusicAwardsin2006)wasinitially conducted byLiving Bluesmagazine,whichpolled a worldwide groupofbluesauthorities,deejays, musicians, folklorists,record dealers,and producers. The BluesMusicAwards are now managed by The Blues Foundation staff, with close to 100 blues experts from acrossthebluesindustry acting as nominatorstochoose the final fivenomineesin each of 25 categories. Winners are determinedbyavote ofTheBluesFoundationmembership.
Initsfirstyear,TheBlues Foundation alsoinducted itsfirstclassof 20 blues musicians intotheirBlues Hallof Fame. WhileLiving Bluesagain was responsible for selectingthisfirstclass ofinductees,The BluesFoundationnowhas acommitteeof approximately 30 blues academics and experts whodetermineBluesHallof Fame inductions eachyear.Overthepast 40 years, the BluesHallofFame hasexpanded to include the categories of IndividualsinBusiness, Production,Media,orAcademics;Classics of Recordinginboth single-recordingand album categories; and Classics of Blues Literature.Atpresentthere are 443totalinductees, of which 166 are performers. In the early 2000sTheBlues Foundationembarkedupon a successful Raise the Roof Campaign to secure$3,000,000 indonationstoerectaphysical Blues HallofFame in downtown Memphis. Construction was completed on schedule and the BHOF opened itsdoors inMay 2015 inconjunctionwiththatyear’s Blues Music Awards. In addition to 10 gallerieswith artifactsandinteractivetouchscreens,theBHOF has space for rotating exhibitsanda gift shop.TheBlues Foundation officesarehoused inthe samefacility.
In1984, The Blues Foundationbeganproducing the National Blues Amateur Talent Contest, whichhas growninto whatisnow thelargestblues competition intheworld, renamed theInternational BluesChallenge in1995.Hundreds of blues societies from around the worldhaveaffiliated with theFoundation,andmanyannuallysponsorbands, solo/duo artists, and youth showcaseparticipants as IBC competitors after hosting their ownlocallivechallenges. What beganas a fewlocalbands vying for recognition nowattracts over225 blues groups eachyearwhoarehonored toperform onBeale Street and who look towincash prizes, bookings,gear,recording deals,andthat all-importantrecognitionas arising blues band or artist.
DuringIBC Week,TheBlues Foundation also recognizes those members oftheblues community who havespentalifetime celebrating and promoting bluesmusic with what are nowknown as the Keeping theBluesAlive Awards. The Blues Foundation began honoring these behind-the-scenes bluesflamekeepers in 1981,just one yearaftertheorganizationwasfounded.
Over the years, The Blues Foundation has expandeditsactivities toincludeeducationaloutreach byprovidingscholarshipstoyouthperformersto attend summer blues camps and workshops through Generation Blues scholarshipsand byofferinginformationand support to blues societies, festivals,andschoolsystems via a Bluesin the Schoolsnetwork.TheHARTFundwascreatedinthe early 2000s to offer financial support to musicians inneedof medical,dent al,andvisioncare,and to the families of blues musicians to ensuretheirloved ones would be guaranteed dignified funerals at the endoflife.Thisfundhas nowexpandedto allowafull complement of health screeningsatmajorBlues Foundationeventsand other music conferences andfestivals.This year, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, The Blues Foundation created the COVID-19 Blues Musician Emergency Relief Fund, and within just one month had raised needed resources and assisted close to 100 musicians with payments toward rent/mortgage, utilities, phone bills, internet access, and more.
Beyondannual eventprogramming,TheBluesFoundation continuesitswork to networkthe industry andbringmorefans tothe music.

Meet Our Team
Kimberly Horton
President & CEO
901-527-2583
Kimberly@blues.org
LaTasha Nathaniel
Membership Coordinator
901-527-2583, ext. 10
bluesmembership@blues.org
Logenvia Morris
Director of Finance
901-527-2583, ext. 14
accounting@blues.org
Joe Whitmer
Event/Production Consultant
901-527-2583, ext. 11
joe@blues.org
Christopher Caldwell
Communications Coordinator
901-527-2583, ext. 15
christopher@blues.org
Ashley Linsey
Museum Director
901-527-2583, ext. 20
ashley@blues.org
The Blues Foundation’s Statement Against Racism
The Blues Foundation unequivocally condemns all forms and expressions of racism, including all symbols associated with white supremacy and the degradation of people of color. We will hold ourselves as well as all blues musicians, fans, organizations, and members of the music industry accountable for racist actions and encourage concrete commitments to acknowledge and redress the resulting pain. The Blues Foundation acknowledges that racism contributed to the historic oppression and exploitation of African American blues musicians and recognizes that hateful acts of racism continue to afflict the blues community today. We consistently strive to identify, discuss and challenge issues of race within the blues community. We commit to the ongoing development and implementation of strategies to dismantle structural and systemic racism within our programs, special events, and organization. We hereby adopt an action plan to purposefully address racism and contribute to a more equitable blues community.
Board of Directors
The Blues Foundation is governed by a 14 person International Board of Directors. Board members are responsible for strategic management, fiscal oversight, organization advocacy, and the procurement and administration of funding that comes from a variety of sources:
- Membership Dues
- Private Donations
- Corporate Sponsorships
- Grants from private foundations
- Government agencies
- Arts Organizations
Terika Dean
Board Chair
Murfreesboro, TN
Dr. Janice Johnston
Vice Chair
Phoenix, AZ

Bruce Morel
Treasurer
Dartmouth, NS, Canada
Paul Benjamin
Executive Committee
Rockland, ME
Terrie Odabi
Oakland, CA
Billy Branch
Chicago, IL
Ric Whitney
Los Angeles, CA
Julia Cruz-Magness
Secretary
Memphis, TN
Atiba Berkeley
Greensboro, NC
Adam Conde
Nashville, TN
Peter Astrup, Pandrup
Jylland, Denmark
Rowland Cheeks
Memphis, TN

Jesse Finkelstein
Hillsboro Beach, FL

Larry Batiste
Oakland, CA
Become a Member
Becoming a member of The Blues Foundation gives you an opportunity to be personally connected to a blues community where you will experience a vast amount of resources, information, news, views, insight, and activities not available anywhere else. You will be part of an organization which is special, fun, and unique.
“The Blues Foundation plays an absolutely essential role in ensuring the present and future of the blues as well as celebrating this great American music tradition. With the Blues Music Awards and The Blues Hall of Fame, the Foundation honors the finest blues artists and recordings of the past and present. With the International Blues Challenge, Generation Blues Scholarships and the Foundation’s support of blues education, The Blues Foundation nurtures the great blues artists of the future.”