Founded in 2000, NorthernBlues Music has become one of the most respected record labels in Blues. Founder Fred Litwin opened shop with Otis Taylor and in 2001 released Taylor's White African CD and received a Blues Music Award (BMA) nomination for Blues Album of the Year. Since then, NorthernBlues has a vibrant artist roster that has included American Blues artists like Mason Casey, Janiva Magness, Mem Shannon, Eddie Turner, Homemade Jamz Blues Band, Samuel James, Moreland & Arbuckle, and Watermelon Slim, along with Canadians like JW-Jones, Paul Reddick, Carlos del Junco, and The Twisters. In a very short time, NorthernBlues recordings and artists have become routinely nominated for JUNO Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammys, and Blues Music Awards. In 2008, NorthernBlues won Album of the Year at the BMAs for Watermelon Slim's "The Wheel Man." By featuring a roster that combines new, cutting edge artists and more established ones, NorthernBlues is setting the template for today's independent record companies.