Annual MBAS Blues Challenge

"Blues Performer of The Year" Solo/Duo & Band Categories

TWO CATEGORY WINNERS TO GO TO MEMPHIS!

Each year, the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society holds an "MBAS Blues Challenge" in Melbourne, to find the best possible Victorian Blues BAND and Blues SOLO/DUO artists to represent the MBAS and Melbourne at the annual International Blues Challenge (IBC) in Memphis TN, USA.

The prize for the Melbourne Blues Challenge winners includes MBAS-funded ACCOMMODATION and RETURN INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS for two top-scoring acts to travel and represent each competition category at the IBC in Memphis. The IBC draws representative entries from Blues Societies all over the world and throughout the USA.

MBAS Blues Challenge is open to any SOLO/DUO or BAND Blues act meeting the eligibility criteria below:

• All members of the Blues act must be 18 years old or over.
• All members of the Blues act must be a permanent resident of Victoria.
• All members of the Blues act must be or become financial members of the MBAS with the completion of the Entry Form.
• If the Blues act wins the MBAS Blues Challenge, all the members of the act must all remain financial members up to and after the IBC date (January 2020).
• A previous winning Blues act of the MBAS Blues Challenge is able to re-enter.
• Any Blues act who has previously won first place at the IBC (USA) in either SOLO/DUO or BAND category is ineligible to re-enter the MBAS Blues Challenge.

To determine who goes to Memphis to compete at the IBC, Victorian Blues entrants for both SOLO/DUO and BAND categories at the MBAS Blues Challenge compete live in Melbourne in separate Heats to determine a Final lineup. The Heats and Final are scored by independent judges, using the international scoring system devised by the IBC. The highest scoring Blues artist in each SOLO/DUO and BAND category Final are referred to as the "MBAS SOLO/DUO Blues Performer of the Year" and the "MBAS BAND Blues Performer of the Year". Both those top-scoring winning acts from the Final are sent to Memphis by the MBAS to represent and compete at the IBC.

Both winning acts are guaranteed to receive return international airfares, accommodation and and extra $1,000 spending money (for the BAND winner, courtesy of PBS FM) to travel to Memphis USA and compete at the IBC, held in January 2020.

The MBAS also assists both the SOLO/DUO and BAND winning acts by hosting separate major fundraisers to help cover extra travel costs.

Entry for the 2019 MBAS Blues Challenge is now open for both SOLO/DUO and BAND categories.

Entries for both SOLO/DUO and BAND applicants must be received by 9pm Tuesday 2nd July 2019.

The '2019 MBAS Blues Challenge' eligibility, Rules/Conditions and Entry Forms can be viewed and printed from the PDF downloads below:

2019 MBAS BLUES CHALLENGE ENTRY RULES & CONDITIONS

2019 SOLO/DUO ENTRY FORM

2019 BAND ENTRY FORM

The MBAS is proud to be recognised as the most successful international Blues Society represented at the prestigious IBC event in Memphis, having produced several winners and runners-up at this international Blues competition over the years:
1995 - IBC WINNER: Geoff Achison - Albert King Guitarist Award
2001 - IBC Runner-Up: Collard Greens & Gravy
2002 - IBC Runner-Up: Andy Cowan - Solo/Duo Division
2003 - IBC WINNER: Fiona Boyes - Solo Duo Division
2005 - IBC WINNER: Jimi Hocking - Solo/Duo Division
2005 - IBC WINNER: Collard Greens & Gravy - Best Album 

Contest Winners: