Friday night, OffBeat hosted our big, annual Best of the Beat Awards party at House of Blues. Many thanks to all of our sponsors who made the night possible: Abita Beer, Capital One Bank, Harrah’s New Orleans, WWL Channel 4 TV, LouisianaEntertainment.gov, Jazz & Heritage Foundation, and Loyola University Music Business Program.

It was a night of great music and delicious food, and we also would like to thank all of the artists who performed and all of the restaurants who brought their dishes to the party.

We also announced the rest of the 2009 Best of the Beat Award winners, as voted on by OffBeat readers. This year we received the largest number of votes ever, and so lastly we’d like to thank all of you, the readers who cast their votes and voiced their opinions about who they thought were this year’s Best of the Beat. You can see the music business award winners and individual instrument award winners, who we announced on Wednesday, here. The rest of the winners announced on Friday night at House of Blues are below.

 

Best Blues Performer – Tab Benoit

Best Blues Album – Wishing Well: Honey Island Swamp Band

Best R&B/Funk Performer – Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk

Best R&B/Funk Album – Live at the Maple Leaf: Joe Krown, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Russell Batiste, Jr.

Best Rock Performer – Theresa Andersson

Best Rock Album – Paper Empire: Better Than Ezra

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Performer – Juvenile

Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album – No Ceilings Mixtape: Lil Wayne

Best Traditional Jazz Performer – Kermit Ruffins

Best Traditional Jazz Album – The Bright Mississippi: Allen Toussaint

Best Contemporary Jazz Performer – Terence Blanchard

Best Contemporary Jazz Album – Choices: Terence Blanchard

Best Brass Band – Rebirth Brass Band

Best Cajun Performer – BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

Best Cajun Album – Alligator Purse: BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

Best Zydeco Performer – Terrance Simien

Best Zydeco Album – Live 2009: Wayne Toups

Best Country/Folk/Roots Rock Performer – The Iguanas

Best Country/Folk/Roots Rock Album – Stew Called New Orleans: Paul Sanchez and John Boutte

Best Emerging Artist – Honey Island Swamp Band

Best Cover Band – The Bucktown All-Stars

Artist of the Year – Allen Toussaint

Album of the Year – The Bright Mississippi: Allen Toussaint