Blues legends Ruth Brown, Robert Cray, Bonnie Raitt, and Keb' Mo' will be among the featured performers at the 19th annual W.C. Handy Blues Awards, to take place this Thursday at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis. For the first time in its history, the honors show will be webcast live, beginning at 7 p.m. EDT at www.handyawards.com; the site, which debuted online April 16, has been building up to the event with daily trivia contests, nominee bios, and a list of jams scheduled around the awards ceremony. "It's been a year of great loss for the blues, as some great artists and good friends have passed on since last year," says Howard Stovall, executive director of sponsoring organization the Blues Foundation. "While we should all take time to honor those who have gone before, it is exciting that the blues continue to thrive with new artists emerging and older artists rising into the limelight.