The Blues Foundation Salutes 2026 Keeping The Blues Alive Recipients

By DDPS | Published: December 07, 2025

(DDPS) The Blues Foundation enters its 45th year by saluting the 2026 Keeping The Blues Alive (KBA) honorees during International Blues Challenge week, Tuesday, January 13 through Saturday, January 17, 2026.

This year's KBA recipients are Cognac Blues Passions; John Anderson; Jeff Davis; Michael Gray; Jazz Alley; Nola Blue; Jim Hartzell; Robert Terrell; and Mark Jacobson.

The KBA Awards are chosen annually by a select panel of blues professionals, saluting those who have played crucial roles in advancing the art and commerce of blues. This year's esteemed honorees will be recognized for their achievements at the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards brunch, taking place on Friday, January 16, 2026 at 10:30 AM at the Hyatt Centric in Memphis. Tickets here

The KBA ceremony is part of the Blues Foundation's 40th Annual International Blues Challenge. This year's IBC Week kicks off Tuesday, January 13, with International Showcase performances on historic Beale Street, and concludes with the Finals at Memphis' Orpheum Theatre on Saturday, January 17 at 12 Noon. Over a thousand musicians will arrive in Memphis from all across the globe to compete with their blues peers onstage for the honor of winning - along with prizes and bookings - the International Blues Challenge, the world's largest and most renowned blues music competition. Showcases, jams, panels, workshops, and master classes will take place all along Beale Street, with the music continuing into the early-morning hours after the IBC challenger performances conclude each evening.