Two icons of the Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival – Early Wright and Julius Guy – are honored each year with the selection of successors who have continued their outstanding contributions to preserve, perpetuate, and promote blues and gospel music.
The Early Wright Blues Heritage Award
The symbolic leader of the Sunflower River Blues Association, Early Wright, “The Soul Man,” broadcast on WROX Radio for 52 years, and interviewed celebrities from Elvis Presley to Bobby Rush.
| 1991 | Early Wright |
| 1992 | Skip Henderson |
| 1993 | Sid Graves |
| 1994 | Jim O’Neal |
| 1995 | Panny Mayfield |
| 1996 | Lillian S. McMurry |
| 1997 | John Ruskey |
| 1998 | Johnnie Billington & Howard Stovall |
| 1999 | Lew Houston |
| 2000 | Maie Smith |
| 2001 | Yvonne Stanford |
| 2002 | Doris & Sam Carr |
| 2003 | Frank Ratliff/ Sonny Payne |
| 2004 | Catherine Clark |
| 2005 | Nat McMullen |
| 2006 | Red Paden |
| 2007 | John Sherman |
| 2008 | Steve Ladd |
| 2009 | Dr. Frank T. and Rita Marascalco |
| 2010 | Wade Fondren |
| 2011 | Shelley Ritter |
| 2012 | Morgan Freeman/Bill Luckett |
| 2013 | Roger Stolle |
| 2014 | Harold Pontez |
| 2015 | Ginger Johnson/True Value Hardware William H. Gresham, Jr. |
| 2016 | Paul Wilson |
| 2017 | Charlie Musselwhite |
| 2018 | James ”Super Chikan” Johnson |
| 2019 | Anthony Saffold |
| 2020 | No Award due to Covin-19 |
| 2021 | Samuel Davis Margaret Jordan Walker |
| 2022 | Coahoma Community College |
Julius Guy
Julius Guy, a community leader and activist for Clarksdale youth, co-founded the Sunflower River Gospel Festival with Melville Tillis.
| 1994 | James Julius Guy |
| 1995 | Rev Wars Carter |
| 1996 | Rev Willie Morganfield |
| 1997 | Melville Tills |
| 1998 | Johnnie Kennard |
| 1999 | Kenneth Lackey |
| 2001 | James Williams |
| 2002 | Norman Collins |
| 2003 | Edwin Fox |
| 2003 | Revered Lloyd Jackson |
| 2024 | Edwin fox |
| 2005 | Nancy Forte |
| 2006 | Dot Johnson |
| 2008 | Rose Williams |
| 2007 | Nathaniel Jackson |
| 2008 | Kevin Towers |
| 2009 | Christopher |
| 2010 | CV Veal |
| 2011 | Claudette Williams |
| 2012 | Rev Marvin Myles |
| 2013 | Chapel Hill Men’s Chorus |
| 2014 | Sons lf Wonder |
| 2015 | Myra Turner/P. J. Walker |
| 2016 | Terry Carr |
| 2017 | Marge Harris |
| 2018 | Locust Grove M.B. Church Morning Star M.B. Church |
| 2019 | Minister Ricky Burton & 4ever Grateful |
| 2020 | No Award due to Covin-19 |
| 2021 | Annie Bell Revel |
| 2022 | Pastor E. L. Martin, III |
