AWARDS


2023

Blues Music Award

Best Instrumentalist of the Year (Vocals)

Living Blues Magazine

  • Blues Artist of the Year, Female
  • Best Blues Album of 2022 – Done Come Too Far
  • Most Outstanding Blues Singer
  • Best Live Performer

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