The DC-based Nighthawks have been nominated for three awards in the "Blues/Traditional R&B" category for band of the year and recording of the year for their American Landscape album released in 2009; plus the band's guitarist, Paul Bell, has been nominated for best instrumentalist. The Nighthawks were enshrined in the Association's Hall of Fame back in 1989.

American Landscape has become one of the band's most critically acclaimed and best- selling albums. In addition to universal praise from the press and multi-format radio play, the CD was ranked #20 on the top blues albums of 2009 based on airplay charts compiled by Living Blues magazine.

The band released its latest album, Last Train to Bluesville, on February 9, with distribution by Rip Bang Records. Recorded live and acoustic at the Sirius/XM Satellite Radio studios in Washington, the new album features down-home versions of 10 blues classics from such artists as Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley, Slim Harpo, Chuck Berry, Sonny Boy Williamson and James Brown, among others. Capturing the intimate feeling of a back-porch setting, Last Train to Bluesville bristles with all the energy of a live gig and the world-class performances that fans from around the world have come to expect from The Nighthawks.

The band's current lineup features Mark Wenner on harp and vocals, Paul Bell on guitar and vocals, Johnny Castle on bass and vocals and Mark Stutso on drums and vocals. Stutso replaced long-time member Pete Ragusa, whose work on Last Train to Bluesville represents his last recording with the group. The set list for the new CD includes versions of a number of songs that have become "standards" in a Nighthawks set, as well as several that fans may not have heard in some time.