The Blues Foundation enters its 45th year with immense excitement, saluting the 2026 Keeping The Blues Alive (KBA) honorees during International Blues Challenge week, set for Tuesday, January 13 through Saturday, January 17, 2026. This year’s esteemed KBA recipients, including Cognac Blues Passion, John Anderson, Jeff Davis, Michael Gray, Jazz Alley, Nola Blue, Jim Hartzell, Robert Terrell, and Mark Jacobson, are recognized for their crucial roles in advancing the art and commerce of the blues, chosen annually by a select panel of blues professionals. These achievements will be celebrated at the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards brunch on Friday, January 16, 2026, at the Hyatt Centric in Memphis. The KBA ceremony is a key part of the Blues Foundation’s 40th Annual International Blues Challenge, the world’s largest and most renowned blues music competition, which will see over a thousand musicians from across the globe arrive in Memphis to compete for prizes, bookings, and the honor of winning the challenge, with events, showcases, and master classes happening all along historic Beale Street.