Grammy Award for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album

According to Cody Daigle of The Daily Advertiser, advocates lobbied for nearly seven years in an attempt to create a Grammy category specifically for zydeco and cajun music.

[6][7] Cynthia, a trustee of the Memphis chapter of the Recording Academy, claimed hundreds of dollars and hours were invested in the lobbying effort she described as an "uphill battle".

[8] For the 50th Annual Grammy Awards (2008), Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album nominees included Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie for Le Cowboy Creole, Lisa Haley for King Cake, The Lost Bayou Ramblers for Live: Á La Blue Moon, the French language cajun band Pine Leaf Boys for their second album Blues de Musicien,[13] Racines for Racines, Roddie Romero and the Hub City All-Stars for The La Louisianne Sessions, and Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience for Live!

[5] Le Cowboy Creole, Delafose's fifth album, contained cover versions of Chuck Berry's "Promised Land", the Commodores' "Easy", The Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved", Ronnie Milsap's "(There's) No Gettin' Over Me", and Van Morrison's "Domino".

Worldwide contained recordings of live performances from around the world during Simien's 25-year career, including "The Star-Spangled Banner" and traditional songs such as "Zydeco Boogaloo" and Boozoo Chavis' "Uncle Bud".

[18] 2009 nominees included BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet for Live at the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Michael Doucet for From Now On, Pine Leaf Boys for Homage Au Passé, Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys for Live at the 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and Cedric Watson for Cedric Watson.

Doucet, the founder, lead singer and fiddler of BeauSoleil,[19] is the only artist to receive more than one nomination for Best Zydeco or Cajun Music Album within the same year.

The album contains original tracks, covers by Hoagy Carmichael and Allen Toussaint, and standards such as "St. Louis Blues" and "You Gotta Move".

Alligator Purse included guest appearances by Garth Hudson of The Band, Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs, Roswell Rudd, and John Sebastian of The Lovin' Spoonful.

[24] Members of The Magnolia Sisters, an all-female cajun group of multi-instrumentalists, included Anya Burgess, Ann Savoy, Lisa Trahan and Jane Vidrine.

[26] Group member Wilson Savoy was unable to attend the award ceremony, but admitted the nominations have "acted as vindication" of their "new-traditionalist sound".