Daughter of a Bluesman Album Cover
Shy Perry is having a big year, with four nominations for the 2026 Josie Music Awards. The Mississippi-based singer and songwriter is nominated for Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for Daughter of a Bluesman, Song of the Year for “If These Strings Could Talk,” and Vocalist of the Year.
The nominations are especially meaningful because of the personal story behind Daughter of a Bluesman. Released in January, the album was inspired by Perry’s father, bluesman Bill “Howl-N-Madd” Perry, who passed away in May 2023. The album tells the story of Perry’s life in music and the influence her father had on her as a performer and songwriter.
In a recent interview with The Local Voice, Perry explained that her connection to music began when she was a child. Her father took her into a recording studio when she was about 8 years old, and she later performed with him and with her family band, The Perrys. Music has remained a major part of her life ever since.
Daughter of a Bluesman is Perry’s fifth album. She wrote all of the songs herself and handled the production, arranging, engineering, mixing, and mastering of the project. The album also includes several spoken interludes featuring recordings of her father.
The four Josie nominations give Perry recognition not only for the album and its songs, but also for her work as an individual artist and vocalist. Perry said receiving the nominations is especially exciting because there were more than 101,000 submissions for this year’s awards.
The awards ceremony will be held September 20 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7 pm, with a red carpet earlier in the evening. Perry is already preparing for the event and said, “There’s quite a bit to prepare for between now and then, so it’s definitely an exciting time!”
In recent weeks, Perry has been honing her craft by performing weekend shows at various stages in Jackson, Mississippi, and Birmingham, Alabama, typically alongside her talented keyboardist brother, Bill Perry, Jr.
For Shy, the recognition carries an added meaning because of the connection between the album and her father. “Having the album and one of its songs recognized alongside my Artist and Vocalist nominations is something I’m very proud of,” she said.
The nominations mark another step forward for an independent artist who has spent much of her life surrounded by music. With her father’s influence still present, Perry is continuing to build a career that honors where she came from while making room for her own voice.
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