AWARDS
2023
71st Annual DownBeat Critics Poll
Critics Choice as Blues Artist or Group of the Year
Critics Choice as Blues Album of the Year, Done Come Too Far (Alligator)
Blues Blast Music Awards Nominations
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year – Done Come Too Far (Alligator)
Female Blues Artist Of The Year
Vocalist Of The Year
30th Annual Living Blues Awards*
Critics Poll: Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Readers’ Poll: Blues Artist of the Year (Female)
Most Outstanding Blues Singer
Best Live Performer
New Recording/Contemporary Blues: Done Come Too Far (Alligator)
*WIll Kimbrough also won Producer Of The Year/New Recording for Done Come Too Far (Alligator)
Libera Awards (American Association of Independent Music)
Best Blues Record – Done Come Too Far (photo)
Blues Music Award
Best Instrumentalist of the Year (Vocals)
2022
Blues Music Nominations
- Album Of The Year (for the Grammy Award-nominated Done Come Too Far)
- Song Of The Year (for Too Far To Be Gone, written by John Hahn and Will Kimbrough)
- Best Instrumentalist of the Year (Vocals)
- Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
Living Blues Magazine
- Critics Award, Female Artist of the Year
DownBeat Critics Poll
- Blues Artist of the Year
2021
Blues Music Nominations and Awards
- Entertainer of the Year
- Contemporary Female Artist of the Year
- Album of the Year
- Song of the Year ( Nomination)
Living Blues Magazine
- Critics Award, Album of the Year
- Critics Award, Female Artist of the Year
- Readers Award, Album of the Year
- Readers Award, Contemporary Female Artist of the Year
UK Blues Federation
- International Blues Artist of the Year
DownBeat Critics Poll
- Blues Album of the Year
- Blues Artist of the Year
2020
2020 Blues Blast Music Award / nomination
- Contemporary Blues Female Artist Of The Year
- Instrumentalist – Vocals
2019
2019 Blues Blast Music Award / nomination
- Contemporary Blues Album (America’s Child)
2019 Blues Music Awards / winner
- Contemporary Blues Album (America’s Child)
- Album of the Year (America’s Child)
2019 Blues Music Awards / nominations
- Instrumentalist Vocals
- Contemporary Female Artist
- Song Of The Year (“Ain’t Got Time For Hate, written by John Hahn and Will Kimbrough, sung by Shemekia Copeland)
2019 Living Blues Critic’s Poll / winner
- Album of the Year – America’s Child
Most Outstanding Blues Singer – Shemekia CopelandBlues Artist of the Year (Female) – Shemekia CopelandProducer of the Year – Will Kimbrough (for America’s Child)
2019 Living Blues Readers’ Awards / nominations
• Blues Artist Of The Year (Female)
• Most Outstanding Blues Singer
• Best Live Performer
• Best Blues Album Of 2018 (New Recordings) – America’s Child
2018
2018 Bistro Awards
• Producer’s Award
Nominations
• Blues Music Awards: Contemporary Blues Female Artist
• Living Blues Awards: Blues Artist Of The Year (Female), Most Outstanding Blues Singer
• Maple Blues Award (Canada): B.B. King International Artist of the Year
2017
2017 Living Blues Awards
• Blues Artist Of The Year (Female) – Readers’ Poll
Nominations
• Blues Music Awards: Contemporary Blues Female Artist
• Living Blues Awards: Most Outstanding Blues Singer
2016
2016 Blues Music Awards
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist
2016 Living Blues Awards • Female Blues Artist of the Year – Critics’ Poll
• Female Blues Artist of the Year – Readers’ Poll
• Album of the Year for Outskirts of Love – Critic’s Poll
2016 Blues Blast Music Awards
• Female Blues Artist
2015
2016 Grammy Nomination
• Best Blues Album – Outskirts of Love
2016 Blues Music Awards Nominations
• B.B. King Entertainer
• Contemporary Blues Album – Outskirts of Love
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist
Living Blues Reader Award
• Female Blues Artist of the Year
2014
Blues Music Award Nomination
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist
2013
Grammy Nomination
• Best Blues Album – 33 1/3
Inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame
2012
Living Blues Magazine 2012 Critics Award
• Most Outstanding Blues Singer
2011
City of Chicago and State of Illinois
• Shemekia Copeland Day Proclamation
The City of Chicago, state of Illinois, and Joyce “Cookie” Threatt, daughter of Koko Taylor, surprised Shemekia onstage with her mother’s tiara, and crowned her “The new Queen of the Blues” at the Chicago Blues Festival. In addition to the 100,000 cheering fans in attendance, special guests to view the presentation included Shemekia’s manager John Hahn, Marie Dixon, widow of Willie; Jimmy Ree’s daughter Rose, and Alligator Records CEO Bruce Iglauer.
See the photo album.
2010
Blues Blast Music Awards
• Best Female Blues Artist
Living Blues Reader Award
• Female Blues Artist of the Year
2009
57th Annual “DownBeat” Critics Poll
• “Rising Star – Blues Artist”
2007
Blues Music Award Nomination (formerly the W.C. Handy Blues Awards)
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist
2006
Living Blues Reader Award • Female Blues Artist of the Year
Blues Music Award Nominations (formerly the W.C. Handy Blues Awards)
• Contemporary Blues Album of the Year – The Soul Truth
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist
• Song of the Year — “Who Stole My Radio?”, written by John Hahn & Joe Hudson, performed by Shemekia Copeland
2005
53rd Annual “DownBeat” Critics Poll
• “Rising Star – Blues Artist”
26th Annual W.C. Handy Award Nomination
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
2004
25th W.C. Handy Award Nominations
• Blues Entertainer of the Year
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
2003
Living Blues Reader Award
• Best Female Blues Singer
24th Annual W. C. Handy Nominations and Awards
• Blues Album of the Year – Talking To Strangers (award)
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist (award)
• Contemporary Blues Album – Talking To Strangers (award)
• Blues Band of the Year (nomination)
• Blues Entertainer of the Year (nomination)
2002
Living Blues Reader’s Poll
• Best Blues Artist (Female)
23rd Annual W.C. Handy Blues Nominations and Award
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year (award)
• Entertainer of the Year (nomination)
2001
Grammy Nomination
• Wicked
22nd Annual W.C. Handy Blues Nominations and Awards
• Blues Album of the Year — Wicked (award)
• Blues Entertainer of the Year (nomination)
• Blues Song of the Year – R. Vito, It’s 2 AM – Wicked (award)
• Contemporary Blues Album of the Year – Wicked (nomination)
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year (award)
Downbeat Critic’s Poll
• Blues Artist: Talent Deserving Wider Recognition
Living Blues Reader’s Poll
• Female Artist Of The Year
Living Blues Critics’ Awards
• Best Blues Artist (Female)
2000
21st Annual W.C. Handy Blues Nominations
• Blues Entertainer of the Year
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year
1999
20th Annual W.C. Handy Blues Nominations
• Best New Blues Artist
• Blues Song of the Year — “Turn the Heat Up” by John Hahn and Jimmy Vivino (Shemekia Copeland/Turn the Heat Up)
• Contemporary Blues Album of the Year — Turn the Heat Up
• Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year