MBAS Blues Performer Of The Year Contest

Each year MBAS hosts their Blues Performer Of The Year Contest, giving Australian blues artists the opportunity to win an air ticket and accommodation to the USA to represent Australia in the IBC (International Blues Challenge) that is held annually in Memphis.

MBAS Will Be Sending The Best Act To Memphis 2009.
We will be sending Collard Green & Gravy to participate in the IBC (International Blues Challenge).

Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society Inc.
MBAS would like to give hardy thanks to all the people who made this contest possible, without them it wouldn’t go on.

Sponsors: PBSfm (major Sponsor). BAR Promotions.

The Judges: Helen Jennings (PBSfm), Billy Pinnell (music guru), Werner Martin (3CR), Derek Guille (ABC radio), Lee Koumarianos (judge to the judges)

Scorekeeper: Rob Rowe (Bendigo Bank manager & Way Out West Blues & Roots Club)

Timekeeper: Grant Collie (MBAS Treasurer)

Sound engineer: Robert Dillon (best sound guy in the world)

Gary Jones: Stage Manager (MBAS committee)

Raffle person: Athena Sachon (MBAS secretary and best darn raffle ticket seller since Frank)

Door etc: Graeme Newman (MBAS Vice Prez). Paul Coach (MBAS committee)

And a huge thank you to all the artists who entered this contest, our hats are off to you all

Our Sponsors for Blues Performer of the Year

Results of the MBAS 2008 Contest

There were no heats this year.

The final were held on Sunday 26th October at the Grand Central

The winner get a fabulous prize of a trip to Memphis to represent Australia in the International Blues Challenge.

The Contestants
Soloists: Beni Smith, Danny Burton, Des Kennedy and Adrian Kosky.

Duo and bands: The Aces, The Sure Shot Hunters and Collard Greens & Gravy.

The Winner

Collard Green & Gravy
Formed in 1995, the Melbourne-based trio have established themselves as one of Australia’s leading blues bands with their energetic, foot-stomping, country blues sound.

Collard Greens and Gravy’s fourth album, Devil In the Woodpile (BMM 327.2), was released in November 2007 to glowing reviews both in Australia and internationally.

The trio first received international recognition when they won first place at the MBAS “Blues Performer of the Year Contest” 2000 and were sent by MBAS to participate in the IBC where they were awarded second place at 2001’s International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis, followed by a successful tour of the United States. The IBC is an annual competition held by The Blues Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee to unearth outstanding independent blues musicians. The same year the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) awarded their second album, More Gravy, “Best Blues and Roots Album”.

Their follow up album, Silver Bird, won the “Best Self-Produced CD” award at the International Blues Challenge (IBC) in February 2005 and again the MBAS were responsible for making it all possible. The band was a finalist for the “Duo or Group of the Year” award and Ian Collard was nominated for “Male Vocalist of the Year” at the 2005 Australian Blues Music Awards.

Collard Greens and Gravy is Ian Collard on harmonica, vocals, diddley bow and guitar, James Bridges on guitar and fiddle and Anthony “Shortie” Shortte on drums and percussion.
These fabulous musicians will be sent to Memphis to play at the IBC by MBAS, we all wish them chooka’s!
There will be a huge fundraiser for the band before they head out, stay tuned!

See Previous Years' Winners below.

Competition Entry Rules

Qualifications for entry are:
  1) Entrants must be a Member of MBAS
  2) Entrants must be Victorian
  3) Blues music only

If you have any further queries, please feel free to email us.
More details will be posted for the next contest soon.

Previous Contest Winners

2008: Collard Green and Gravy
2007: Suzannah Espie & Big Boy Lemonade (Duo) & Jaimi Faulkner Band
2006: Nick Charles
2005: Andrea Marr
2004: Jimi Hocking (winner of acoustic division)
2003: Ash Grunwald
2002: Fiona Boyes (winner of acoustic division)
2001: Andy Cowan (second place, acoustic division)
1999: Collard Greens & Gravy
1997: Bill Kavanagh
1996: Anne-Marie Sharry
1995: Geoff Achison (winner of the Albert King Award)
1994: Ian Collard