(CelebrityAccess) — In what is surely a sign of the times, the Toronto Blues Society announced that the annual Maple Blues Awards will take place virtually for 2021 and will be streamed from four Canadian cities on each Monday in the month of February.
Multiple Maple Blues Awards winners have been announced as hosts for the events, starting with Alana Bridgewater and Johnny Max, who will host the festivities from Toronto on February 1st. The stream will include performances from Dione Taylor, who has been nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, new Artist / Group of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year.
Jack de Keyzer, who, along with his bandmates has been nominated for Entertainer of the Year for 2021, Electric Act of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Recording / Producer of the Year, Guitarist of the Year, is also lined up to perform.
On Monday, February 8th the awards show will stream from Canada’s capital Ottawa and will be hosted Angelique Francis and Matt Sobb. The night will include performances from JW-Jones, who has been nominated along with his bandmates for Entertainer of the Year, Electric Act of the Year, New Artist / Group of the Year (for Jones’ other project HOROJO Trio), and Recording / Producer of the Year. Nashville-based Indigenous artist Crystal Shawanda, who has been nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, Songwriter of the Year, and Recording / Producer of the Year, is also lined up to perform.
The stream for Monday, February 15th, will stream live from Montreal with hosts Dawn Tyler Watson and Ben Racine. The stream will feature a performance from Durham County Poets, who are nominated for Songwriter of the Year and Recording / Producer of the Year. Matt Andersen, who has been nominated for Acoustic Act of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year will also be performing.
The fourth and final stream for the awards show will take place on February 22nd from Vancouver Island with hosts Dalannah Gail Bowen and Jim Byrnes. Scheduled performers include 13-year old New Artist / Group of the Year nominee Liam Docherty and Drummer of the Year nominee Lindsay Beaver, who will stream in from Halifax.
All streams will start at 8 PM EST via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TorontoBluesSociety
