| Year[I] | Performing artist(s) | Work | Nominees | Ref. |
| 1988 | The Robert Cray Band | Strong Persuader | - B.B. King – "Standing on the Edge of Love"
- Bobby Bland – After All
- Buckwheat Zydeco – On a Night Like This
- Earl King – Glazed
| |
| 1989 | The Robert Cray Band | Don't Be Afraid of the Dark | - Bobby Bland – Blues You Can Use
- Etta James – Seven Year Itch
- Robben Ford – Talk to Your Daughter
- Ry Cooder – "Low Commotion"
| |
| 1990 | Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble | In Step | - B.B. King – "King of the Blues: 1989"
- Delbert McClinton – Live from Austin
- Bobby "Blue" Bland – Midnight Run
- Koko Taylor – "Wang Dang Doodle"
| |
| 1991 | Jimmie Vaughan & Stevie Ray Vaughan | Family Style | - The Robert Cray Band featuring The Memphis Horns – Midnight Stroll
- Koko Taylor – Jump for Joy
- B.B. King and Lee Atwater – "Red Hot & Blue"
- Etta James – Stickin' to My Guns
| |
| 1992 | Buddy Guy | Damn Right, I've Got the Blues | - Albert Collins – Iceman
- Charlie Musselwhite – Signature
- Irma Thomas – Live! Simply the Best
- Johnny Winter – Let Me In
| |
| 1993 | Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble | The Sky Is Crying | - Robert Cray – I Was Warned
- Robben Ford & The Blue Line – Robben Ford & the Blue Line
- Etta James – The Right Time
- Pops Staples – Peace to the Neighborhood
| |
| 1994 | Buddy Guy | Feels Like Rain | - Robben Ford and the Blue Line – Mystic Mile
- John Mayall – Wake Up Call
- Paul Rodgers – Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters
- Johnny Winter – Hey, Where's Your Brother?
| |
| 1995 | Pops Staples | Father Father | - The Robert Cray Band – Shame + A Sin
- Koko Taylor – Force of Nature
- Jimmie Vaughan – Strange Pleasure
- Johnny "Guitar" Watson – Bow Wow
| |
| 1996 | Buddy Guy | Slippin' In | - Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown – The Man
- Albert Collins & the Icebreakers – Live '92-'93
- Robert Cray – Some Rainy Morning
- Percy Sledge – Blue Night
| |
| 1997 | Keb' Mo' | Just Like You | - Bobby "Blue" Bland – Sad Street
- Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown – Long Way Home
- Bo Diddley – A Man Amongst Men
- Buddy Guy – Live! The Real Deal
- Taj Mahal – Phantom Blues
| |
| 1998 | Taj Mahal | Señor Blues | - Luther Allison – Reckless
- Robert Cray Band – Sweet Potato Pie
- Dr. John – Trippin' Live
- Boz Scaggs – Come On Home
| |
| 1999 | Keb' Mo' | Slow Down | - Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas & Tracy Nelson – Sing It!
- Buddy Guy – Heavy Love
- Etta James – Life, Love & the Blues
- B.B. King – Deuces Wild
| |
| 2000 | The Robert Cray Band | Take Your Shoes Off | - Luther Allison – Live in Chicago
- Jonny Lang – Wander This World
- Little Milton – Welcome to Little Milton
- Charlie Musselwhite – Continental Drifter
| |
| 2001 | Taj Mahal & the Phantom Blues Band | Shoutin' in Key | - Shemekia Copeland – Wicked
- North Mississippi Allstars – Shake Hands with Shorty
- Bobby Rush – Hoochie Man
- Koko Taylor – Royal Blue
| |
| 2002 | Delbert McClinton | Nothing Personal | - Dr. John – Creole Moon
- Buddy Guy – Sweet Tea
- Etta James – Matriarch of the Blues
- Keb' Mo' – The Door
| |
| 2003 | Solomon Burke | Don't Give Up on Me | - Etta James & The Roots Band – Burnin' Down the House
- Delbert McClinton – Room to Breathe
- Charlie Musselwhite – One Night in America
- North Mississippi Allstars – 51 Phantom
| |
| 2004 | Etta James | Let's Roll | - Marcia Ball – So Many Rivers
- Sonny Landreth – The Road We're On
- Howard Tate – Rediscovered
- Susan Tedeschi – Wait for Me
| |
| 2005 | Keb' Mo' | Keep It Simple | - Dr. John – N'awlinz Dis Dat or D'udda
- Van Morrison – What's Wrong with This Picture?
- Charlie Musselwhite – Sanctuary
- Johnny Winter – I'm a Bluesman
| |
| 2006 | Delbert McClinton | Cost of Living | - Solomon Burke – Make Do with What You Got
- Robert Cray – Twenty
- Buddy Guy – Bring 'Em In
- North Mississippi Allstars – Electric Blue Watermelon
| |
| 2007 | Irma Thomas | After the Rain | - The Robert Cray Band – Live from Across the Pond
- Dr. John & The Lower 911 – Sippiana Hericane
- Keb' Mo' – Suitcase
- Susan Tedeschi – Hope and Desire
| |
| 2008 | J. J. Cale & Eric Clapton | The Road to Escondido | - Joan Armatrading – Into the Blues
- Doyle Bramhall – Is It News
- Robben Ford – Truth
- Bettye LaVette – The Scene of the Crime
| |
| 2009 | Dr. John & The Lower 911 | City That Care Forgot | - Marcia Ball – Peace, Love & BBQ
- Solomon Burke – Like a Fire
- Taj Mahal – Maestro
- Irma Thomas – Simply Grand
| |
| 2010 | The Derek Trucks Band | Already Free | - The Robert Cray Band – This Time
- Ruthie Foster – The Truth According to Ruthie Foster
- Mavis Staples – Live: Hope at the Hideout
- Susan Tedeschi – Back to the River
| |
| 2011 | Buddy Guy | Living Proof | - Solomon Burke – Nothing's Impossible
- Dr. John & The Lower 911 – Tribal
- Bettye LaVette – Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook
- Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band featuring Hubert Sumlin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Bryan Lee & Buddy Flett – Live! in Chicago
| |
| 2012 | Awarded to Grammy Award for Best Blues Album | |
| 2013 |
| 2014 |
| 2015 |
| 2016 |
| 2017 | Fantastic Negrito | The Last Days of Oakland | - Janiva Magness – Love Wins Again
- Kenny Neal – Bloodline
- The Record Company – Give It Back to You
- Joe Louis Walker – Everybody Wants a Piece
| |
| 2018 | Taj Mahal & Keb' Mo' | TajMo | - Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm – Robert Cray & Hi Rhythm
- Sonny Landreth – Recorded Live in Lafayette
- Robert Randolph & The Family Band – Got Soul
- Tedeschi Trucks Band – Live from the Fox Oakland
| |
| 2019 | Fantastic Negrito | Please Don't Be Dead | - Teresa James & the Rhythm Tramps – Here in Babylon
- Danielle Nicole – Cry No More
- Boz Scaggs – Out Of The Blues
- Victor Wainwright & the Train – Victor Wainwright & the Train
| |
| 2020 | Gary Clark Jr. | This Land | - Larkin Poe - Venom & Faith
- Robert Randolph & the Family Band - Brighter Days
- Sugaray Rayford - Somebody Save Me
- Southern Avenue - Keep On
| |
| 2021 | Fantastic Negrito | Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? | - Ruthie Foster Big Band - Live at the Paramount
- G. Love - The Juice
- Bettye LaVette - Blackbirds
- North Mississippi Allstars - Up and Rolling
| |
| 2022 | Christone "Kingfish" Ingram | 662 | - The Black Keys ft. Eric Deaton & Kenny Brown - Delta Kream
- Joe Bonamassa - Royal Tea
- Shemekia Copeland - Uncivil War
- Steve Cropper - Fire It Up
| |
| 2023 | Edgar Winter | Brother Johnny | - Shemekia Copeland – Done Come Too Far
- Eric Gales – Crown
- Ben Harper – Bloodline Maintenance
- North Mississippi Allstars – Set Sail
| |
| 2024 | Larkin Poe | Blood Harmony | - Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton - Death Wish Blues
- Ruthie Foster - Healing Time
- Christone "Kingfish" Ingram - Live in London
- Bettye LaVette - LaVette!
| |
| 2025 | Ruthie Foster | Mileage | - Joe Bonamassa - Blues Deluxe Vol. 2
- Shemekia Copeland - Blame It On Eve
- Steve Cropper & The Midnight Hour - Friendlytown
- Antonio Vergara - The Fury
| |
| 2026 | Winner TBA on 1 February 2026 | | - Joe Bonamassa - Breakthrough
- Samantha Fish - Paper Doll
- Eric Gales - A Tribute to LJK
- Robert Randolph - Preacher Kids
- Southern Avenue - Family
| |