The Hebden Bridge Blues Festival, which this year won the British Blues Award for theBest UK Blues Festival, has announced its line-up for next year's event. As expected,an array of top names will be heading for Hebden.

Running for three days at the end of May 2013, the organisers have laid on another spectacular bonanza for blues lovers everywhere. With around forty top flight bands andsolo artists from across the country, the festival looks set to live up to its rapidly earnedand well deserved reputation as one of the 'must go to' events of the year.

Last year an incredible sixteen of the Hebden Festival acts were nominated for British Blues awards. For 2013, Jason Elliott and Paddy Maguire have stuck to their policy ofgiving encouragement and stage space to up-and-coming talent, new and exciting singer song-writers and contemporary blues artists who are recording and relevant, as well asthose hugely popular established blues names.

"Of course we were really pleased to have won the Best Festival Award and that somany of our artists were nominated" said Jason "but, more importantly we feel that we have created a really good atmosphere in just a couple of years and built up anenthusiastic and knowledgable fan base. The feed-back from the musicians has always been very positive and we are small enough for everyone to feel part of it...it's like a three day party with a lot of really talented guests....!"

Said Paddy, "Festival goers now know that we have a very clear idea of what we want our Festival to deliver and it is great to be able to offer some of these artists their first high profile festival slot alongside some of the greats. It is never easy getting together aline up covering such a vast array of talent but I'm really happy that we've done it once again. The headliners are fabulous and everyone of the support acts are at the top oftheir game. We have got the best of blues all in one place." Once again, Paddy will be hosting his hugely popular Midnight Jam sessions every night of the festival.

This years headliners on Friday 24th May are Ron Sayer Jr and Aynsley Lister, two ofthe most accomplished blues artists in the country; Paul Lamb and The Detroit Breakdown will be in the UK to kick off the Saturday night and topping that night's billwill be the fabulous Jo Harman, currently regarded as the hottest new British femaletalent around. Sunday night will be opened by the internationally acclaimed local star Kyla Brox and then see the return of the much-loved roof-raising super-stars Paddy Milner and Marcus Bonfanti, the guaranteed sell-out duo who have become Festival regulars. And this is just the headliners!

The Festival which is based in Hebden Bridge, centres on a few venues all within walking distance of each other and tickets are available right now from the Festival Website. Nearly forty bands will be playing from Friday 24th May to Sunday 26th May.