Bob Dylan has recieved his WC Handy awards nomination

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Handy Website) - Bob Dylan has received his first-ever W.C. Handy Awards nomination, for his songwriting rather than his performing. Dylan was nominated for blues song of the year for "Let It Rain," a song he composed especially for R&B veteran Solomon Burke's new album, Don't Give Up On Me. Dylan will compete in the category against Corey Harris, Ted "Popa Chubby" Horowitz, Willie King, and W.C. Clark.

Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, and Tom Waits were among the others who contributed songs to Burke's album, which is up for blues album of the year, while Burke received nominations for blues entertainer of the year and soul male artist of the year.

Others who received Handy nominations include Magic Slim & the Teardrops, Shemekia Copeland, Dr. John, B.B. King, Fabulous Thunderbirds' frontman Kim Wilson, James Cotton, Taj Mahal, Susan Tedeschi, and Charlie Musselwhite.

The 24th Annual W.C. Handy Awards ceremony will take place May 22 at the Orpheum Theatre in Memphis. It's produced each year by the Memphis-based Blues Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to "preserve, celebrate, and support" the blues.

The awards are named for W.C. Handy, the composer of "St. Louis Blues" who's known as the "Father Of The Blues" for penning the first published blues song.