A smoky-voiced Bristol singer has scooped two major gongs at a prestigious awards ceremony.
Elles Bailey won both Album of the Year for her highly-rated sophomore album Road I Call Home and Blues Artist of the Year at the UKBlues Awards.
Five finalists were shortlisted in each of the 10 categories, with the best artists in the genre competing in each.
Due to the Covid-19 lockdown the event had to take place online via the UKBlues Federation’s social media platforms, rather than at the Dingwalls venue in London as planned.
The virtual event was hosted by British blues legend and broadcaster Paul Jones, featuring a number of guest presenters including ‘Whispering Bob’ Harris, Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake), Blues royalty Walter Trout, and Larkin Poe.
Bailey delivered her acceptance speeches by video from home, in front of her piano.
In her Blues Artist of the Year speech, she mentioned her disappointment that so few of the awards’ nominees across the span of categories were women.
"Now, this is not just a Blues-scene issue," she said. "It’s a wider music industry issue and I don’t know the answer.
"I do know that we need to have an open dialogue to discuss these issues. And it’s not something that’s going to change overnight, but it is something that we need to do to make a change."
She then went on to promote an important Performing Right Society (PRS) initiative called Key Change, which is actively encouraging and challenging the music industry to become more diverse and inclusive.
This includes working towards greater gender balance and representation, both causes close to Bailey’s heart.
Bailey's latest release, 'Help Somebody', is raising money for the HEROES Charity and is out now.
For more information about the singer, visit her website.
