2026 International Blues Challengers Announced

This list was provided by The Blues Foundation on 12/30/25.

Jazz & Blues Florida does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of this list.

Florida specific information is posted at: https://jazz-bluesflorida.blogspot.com/2025/08/2025-florida-regional-competitions-to.html

Bands: 64
Solo/Duo: 57
Youth Acts: 14
Non-USA Countries Represented: 10 (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Finland, France, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom)

Total entries: 135

Adelaide Roots and Blues Association, Don Morrison – Solo/Duo
Atlanta Blues Society, Blue Velvet Atlanta – Band
Atlanta Blues Society, Scott Low – Solo/Duo
Belgian Blues Federation, PD Martin – Solo/Duo
Blues Association of South East Queensland, 8 Ball Aitken & Taya Chani – Band
Blues Club Luxembourg, Rockin’ Dukes – Band
Blues Society of Northwest Florida, Charlie and the Hammerheads – Band
Blues Society of Northwest Florida, The Brothers – Deezer & Rocky D – Solo/Duo
Blues Society of Omaha, Brady Wells – Solo/Duo
Blues Society of Omaha, The Memphis Project – Youth Act
Blues Society of Omaha, The Pocket Architects – Band
Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania, “Big” Bay Allen – Solo/Duo
Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania, The Jason Born Trio – Band
Boston Blues Society, 21 Grams More – Band
Boston Blues Society, Frank EB – Solo/Duo
Capital Area Blues Society, Just Magnetic – Band
Capital Region Blues Network, Amy Ryan Band – Band
Capital Region Blues Network, Trevor Collins – Solo/Duo
Cascade Blues Association, Lilla – Solo/Duo
Cascade Blues Association, Nikki Jones Band – Band
Cascade Blues Association, Sleeper Wave – Youth Act
Central Iowa Blues Society, The Other Brothers – Band
Central Iowa Blues Society, Weary Ramblers – Solo/Duo
Central Kentucky Blues Society, Dane Sadler Band – Band
Central Kentucky Blues Society, Leo Freakdaddy Brown – Solo/Duo
Central Kentucky Blues Society, The Glass Heads – Youth Act
Charlotte Blues Society, Mojo Stomp – Band
Charlotte Blues Society, Rick Tobey – Solo/Duo
Charlotte Blues Society, The Giftt – Youth Act
Cincy Blues Society, Cat Campbell & the $2 Pistols – Band
Cincy Blues Society, Mutt & Jeff – Solo/Duo
Colorado Blues Society, Mad Dog Blues Solo – Solo/Duo
Colorado Blues Society, Reckless and Blue – Band
Columbus Blues Alliance, 614 BluesEd Band – Youth Act
Columbus Blues Alliance, Cigar Box Scott – Solo/Duo
Columbus Blues Alliance, Just Another Mojo – Band
Connecticut Blues Society, The Chicago Dawgs – Band
Connecticut Blues Society, THUMB-BONE – Solo/Duo
Croatian Blues Forces, Bilievo Maslo – Band
Croatian Blues Forces, Bugi – Solo/Duo
Crossroads Blues Society of Illinois, Knott Us Band – Youth Act
DC Blues Society Inc, Lucie and Luna Blues – Solo/Duo
DC Blues Society Inc, Nella B. & The Noise – Band
DeltaBlues, Gloria & The Doctors – Solo/Duo
Detroit Blues Society, Brendon Linsley Band – Band
Detroit Blues Society, DeSoto Drive – Solo/Duo
Dutch Blues Foundation, Mister Moan – Solo/Duo
Dutch Blues Foundation, The Hoochies – Band
Finnish Blues Society, Jantso Jokelin – Solo/Duo
First Coast Blues Society, Ben Flournoy – Youth Act
First Coast Blues Society, Ben Flournoy Trio – Band
First Coast Blues Society, Lonesome Jim Weber – Solo/Duo
Fort Smith Riverfront Blues Society, The Procrastinators – Band
France Blues, Olivier Gotti – Solo/Duo
France Blues, The Blue-Footed Boobies – Band
Granite State Blues Society, Bees Deluxe – Band
Greater West Texas Blues Society, Barlow – Solo/Duo
Greater West Texas Blues Society, Leon Carrasco & Twice as Nice – Band
Houston Blues Society, Tweed Smith and the Internationals – Band
Huntington Blues Society, Anything Blue – Band
Inland Empire Blues Society, Backbeat Slam! – Solo/Duo
Inland Empire Blues Society, Bobby Patterson Band – Band
Kansas City Blues Society, Black HOK – Youth Act
Kansas City Blues Society, Legerdemain – Band
Kansas City Blues Society, The Redbeards – Solo/Duo
Kentuckiana Blues Society, Gabe Spohn – Youth Act
Kentuckiana Blues Society, Gina and Johnny – Band
Kentuckiana Blues Society, Trevor Davis – Solo/Duo
Korea Blues Society – Korea, KY Band – Band
Lowcountry Blues Club, Albert and The Smoking Section – Band
Lowcountry Blues Club, Jared Petteys – Solo/Duo
Magic City Blues Society, Earl “Guitar” Williams – Solo/Duo
Magic City Blues Society, Hurricane Elaine Hudson – Band
Maine Blues Society, Mike Van Summern Duo – Solo/Duo
Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society, Cam Walter Blues – Band
Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society, Damon Smith – Solo/Duo
Memphis Blues Society, Davis Coen Band – Band
Memphis Blues Society, Effie & John – Solo/Duo
Mile High Blues Society, Doc Brown’s Blues Band – Band
Mile High Blues Society, Tracy Edwards – Solo/Duo
Minnesota Blues Society, Bambi Alexandra Band – Band
Minnesota Blues Society, Ken Valdez – Solo/Duo
Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola, Twice the Blues a.k.a. Variety – Solo/Duo
Mississippi Delta Blues Society of Indianola, Willie Lee Halbert and the Fingerprint Band – Band
Montreal Blues Society, Father’n’Son – Solo/Duo
Nashville Blues and Roots Alliance, Music City Youth Allstars – Youth Act
Nashville Blues and Roots Alliance, Shantelle & The Juke Joint Band – Band
New Orleans Blues Society, Big Mike & The R&B Kings – Band
New Orleans Blues Society, Sean Riley – Solo/Duo
North Central Florida Blues Society, Jasper Smitty – Solo/Duo
North Jersey Blues Society, Ed Alstrom – Solo/Duo
North Jersey Blues Society, The Outcrops – Band
Northern Arizona Blues Alliance, Chicago Bob and the Blues Squad – Band
Northern Arizona Blues Alliance, Garrett James and the Wanderers – Youth Act
Ouachita River Blues Society, Doug Duffey and BADD – Band
Ouachita River Blues Society, Fort Sumner Music School Blues Band – Youth Act
Ouachita River Blues Society, Toby Traylo – Solo/Duo
Ozark Blues Society of NW Arkansas, Batterton and Edwards – Solo/Duo
Ozark Blues Society of NW Arkansas, The RD Olson Blues Band – Band
Paramount Music Association, West Avenue Band – Band
Phoenix Blues Society, RINO – Band
Piedmont Blues Preservation Society, Carolina Rhythm Machine – Band
Piedmont Blues Preservation Society, Greg Grodem – Solo/Duo
Piedmont Blues Preservation Society, White Reverie – Youth Act
Port City Blues Society, Mark Morgan – Solo/Duo
Port City Blues Society, Tina Cossey Band – Band
River City Blues Society (VA), Dara James and the Soul Disciples – Band
River City Blues Society (VA), Rogue Johnsen – Solo/Duo
Sacramento Blues Society, Dirty Laundry – Solo/Duo
Sacramento Blues Society, Mike Hammar and The Nails – Band
Santa Clarita Valley Blues Society, Toni Dodd & Southbound Blues – Band
Saskatoon Blues Society, Whitey Somers – Solo/Duo
Smoky Mountain Blues Society, The Dirty Dougs – Solo/Duo
Smoky Mountain Blues Society, The Jeanine Fuller Band – Band
St. Louis Blues Society, Devin C. Williams – Solo/Duo
St. Louis Blues Society, Rum Drum Ramblers – Band
The Golden Gate Blues Society, Jeffrey James Horan – Solo/Duo
The Golden Gate Blues Society, M’sippi Slide – Band
Thunder Bay Blues Society, Thirsty Monks – Band
Treasure Coast Blues Society, Apostoli Floyd – Band
Treasure Coast Blues Society, Mike Faurot – Solo/Duo
Triangle Blues Society, Joel Keel and Charlley Ward – Solo/Duo
Triangle Blues Society, MAMA – Band
Trinity River Blues Society, EJ Mathews – Solo/Duo
Trinity River Blues Society, Michael King & The Icebreakers – Band
UK Blues Federation, Emma Wilson accompanied by Zacc Crowther – Solo/Duo
Washington Blues Society, Joel Astley Band – Band
Washington Blues Society, Nikhil Bagga – Youth Act
Washington Blues Society, Pitman & Sutton – Solo/Duo
Washmo Blues Society, The Faithful Strays – Band
West Michigan Blues Society, Citizen Jones – Solo/Duo
West Michigan Blues Society, Sunny Bleau and The Moons – Band
Windy City Blues Society, Marty “Big Dog” Mercer Duet – Solo/Duo
Windy City Blues Society, The Paolo Apuli Band – Band
Wiregrass Blues Society, Derrick Dove & the Peacekeepers – Band