Blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa failed to secure a Grammy for the fifth time, as Robert Randolph won the Best Contemporary Blues Album category for Preacher Kids on February 1. Despite the loss, Bonamassa is set to release a tribute album honoring B.B. King. The project features collaborations with several music legends.
Joe Bonamassa, a prominent blues musician from New Hartford, New York, experienced another Grammy setback on February 1 during the pre-telecast ceremony. Nominated for his album Breakthrough, he competed in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category but lost to Robert Randolph's Preacher Kids. This marks Bonamassa's fifth nomination without a win, following previous nods in 2013, 2016, 2022, and 2025.
Other nominees included Samantha Fish's Paper Doll, Eric Gales' A Tribute to LJK, and Southern Avenue's Family. Like Bonamassa, these artists had multiple prior nominations but no victories until Randolph claimed his first Grammy. Nominees receive a Nominee Medallion and Certificate from the Recording Academy.
Before the announcement, Bonamassa shared a lighthearted post on Instagram and Facebook: "After tonight I'm gonna make a...wind chime out of these." The comment referred to his collection of Grammy nomination items.
Bonamassa began his career young, performing as "Smokin' Joe" in Utica at age 12 and opening for B.B. King. Since 2000, he has released 17 solo albums. Looking ahead, he plans to release a B.B. King tribute album this Friday, featuring guests such as Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Trombone Shorty, Slash, Michael McDonald, Marcus King, Paul Rodgers, Keb' Mo', and Train. The release could position him strongly for next year's awards.
For context, other artists like mastering engineer Chris Gehringer (22 nominations, no wins) and Syracuse native Post Malone (18 nominations, no wins) share similar records of Grammy near-misses. Bonamassa's tour includes New York dates on March 6 in Westbury and June 26 at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts with JJ Grey & Mofro.
