The Blues Music Awards, formerly known as the W. C. Handy Awards (or "The Handys"), are awards presented by the Blues Foundation, a non-profit organization set up to foster blues heritage. The awards were originally named in honor of W. C. Handy, "Father of the Blues".^[1] The first award was presented in 1980 and is "universally recognized as the highest accolade afforded musicians and songwriters in blues music".^[2] In 2006, the awards were renamed Blues Music Awards in an effort to increase public appreciation of the significance of the awards.^[3]

They are presented annually in Memphis, Tennessee, where the Blues Foundation is located, although the 2008 award ceremony was held in Tunica, Mississippi.^[4] The 39th Blues Music Awards were held on May 10, 2018, at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. Two new award categories had been announced (Instrumentalist-Vocals and Blues Rock Artist of the Year) bringing the number of awards to be presented up to 26 in total.^[5] The 40th Blues Music Awards took place on May 9, 2019, with the Historical Album of the Year category being dropped, reducing the overall number of categories to 25.^[6]

The 41st ceremony was scheduled for May 7, 2020, but the live event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[7][8] The 2020 winners were announced at a virtual event.^[9] The 42nd ceremony was again presented at a virtual event on June 6, 2021.^[10] The 43rd ceremony took place on May 5, 2022, as the first in-person event since 2019.^[11] The 44th event was held on May 11, 2023, in Memphis.^[12] The 45th event will be held on May 8, 2024, in Memphis.^[13]

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