INTERNATIONAL BLUES CHALLENGE

In 2002 the Sydney Blues Society affiliated with the International Blues Foundation based in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.

The Blues Foundation is widely acknowledged as the foremost non-profit Blues organisation in the world, with more than 4.000 members and nearly 200 affiliated Blues Societies across the globe.  They annually hold Blues Music Awards and the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, U.S.A.

In 2003 SBS organised the first Sydney Blues Challenge. The winner of this challenge is able to compete, in the following year, at the International Blues Challenge. There are over two hundred acts that take part. 

Originally SBS only sent one act to Memphis, from 2009 SBS began sending a representative in both the Solo/Duo category and the Band category. The winning competitor from Sydney is selected in the year before the Memphis competition, which is held in January.  The date below indictaes the date of thye challenge in Memphis, not the date of the Sydney Competition

2025 Sydney Blues Challenge Winner

Band: Jack & The Axes (chose not to travel to the USA)

Solo/Duo: Shane Flew & Matt Ross (chose not to travel to the USA)

2025 Sydney Blues Challenge Winner

Band: Matt Ross & the Mavericks

Solo/Duo: Beretta and Sullivan

Youth: Guitar Gem . Li'l G

2024 Sydney Blues Challenge Winner

Band: Simon Kinny-Lewis Band

Solo/Duo:  Jesse Redwing & Kane Muir - Due to unforeseeable circumstances Jesse performed solo and progressed to the semi-finals in Memphis

2023 Sydney Blues Challenge Winner

Band: Christina Croft's Band

Solo/Duo:  Frank Sultana (Frank won the final in Memphis)

2022 The International Blues Challenge has been cancelled due to Covid 19.

2020 Sydney Blues Challenge Winners

Band Stormcellar

Solo/Duo Ray Beadle (Ray went on to make the Final in Memphis)

2019 Sydney Blues Challenge Winners

Band The Milena Barrett Band

Solo/Duo Chris O'Connor

2018 Sydney Blues Challenge Winners

Band  No band challenge was held

Solo/Duo Buddy and Goori Knox

2017 Sydney Blues Challenge Winners

Band P J O'Brien

Solo/Duo CJ Raggart Duo  (Chris J Raggart and Kelvin Carlsson) 

2016 Sydney Blues Challenge Winners

Band Matt Roberts Trio

Solo/Duo Chris Okunbor

2015 Sydney Blues Challenge Winners

Band The Lachy Doley Group

Solo/Duo Darren Jack

2014 Sydney Blues Challenge Winners

Band Milena Barrett & Mal Eastick Project

Solo/Duo              Chris O'Connor

2013 Sydney Blues Challenge Winners

Band  Darren Jack Hammond organ Trio

Solo/Duo Dogg' It Blues

2012 Sydney Blues Challenge Winners

Band Buddy Knox Band

Solo/Duo Dr Don's Double Dose

Don Hopkins and Rob Grosser came 2nd at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis in 2012

2011 Sydney Blues Challenge Winners

Band Michelle Van der Meer's Midnight Ramblers

Solo/Duo Isaiah B Brunt

2010 Sydney Blues Challenge Winners

Band Ali Penny and the Money Makers

Solo/Duo Steve Innis and Bill Gunther

2009 There was no Sydney Blues Challenge held.

2008 Sydney Blues Challenge Winner

 The Ray Beadle Band

2007 Sydney Blues Challenge Winner

 The Stayers

2006 Sydney Blues Challenge Winner

 The P J O'Brien Band

2005 Sydney Blues Challenge Winner

Finn

2004 First Sydney Blues Challenge Winner

Jan Preston

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All Contents Copyright Sydney Blues Society 2018