Tommy Castro swept three major awards at the 43rd Blues Music Awards, which were held at the Renasant Convention Center in downtown Memphis on Thursday (May 5). Castro, 67, took the B.B. King entertainer of the year award, album of the year for Tommy Castro Presents a Bluesman Came to Town and, with his band, the Painkillers, band of the year. The album reached No. 2 on Billboard‘s Blues Albums chart.
Sue Foley was a double winner on the night. She won traditional blues album for Pinky’s Blues and also traditional blues female artist (a.k.a., the Koko Taylor award). Pinky’s Blues reached No. 4 on Blues Albums.
Rodd Bland and the Members Only Band won the award for best emerging artist album for Live on Beale Street: A Tribute to Bobby “Blue” Bland. The elder Bland (Rodd’s father) was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1981, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992 and received a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 1997. He died in 2013 at age 83.
Mike Finnigan won the award for instrumentalist – piano (a.k.a., the Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Award). That’s one of three awards named for a late blues legend. (The others are the aforementioned B.B. King entertainer of the year award and the Koko Taylor award to the top traditional blues female artist).
Other key winners included Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’.
This year marked the first time the awards have been presented in person since 2019. The show was held virtually the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here’s the full list of winners for the 2022 Blues Music Awards.
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
WINNER: Tommy Castro
Eric Gales
Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
J.P. Soars
Sugaray Rayford
Album of the Year
Holler If You Hear Me, Altered Five Blues Band
Not In My Lifetime, Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
Pinky’s Blues, Sue Foley
Raisin’ Cain, Chris Cain
WINNER: Tommy Castro Presents a Bluesman Came to Town, Tommy Castro
Band of the Year
Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
J.P. Soars and the Red Hots
Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials
Sugaray Rayford Band
WINNER: Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
Song of the Year
“Fragile Peace and Certain War”, written by Dave Alvin (performed by Carolyn Wonderland)
“Holler If You Hear Me”, written by Jeff Schroedl & Mark Solveson (performed by Altered Five Blues Band)
WINNER: “I’d Climb Mountains,” written & performed by Selwyn Birchwood
“Real Good Lie”, written by Christine Vitale, Larry Batiste, Anthony Paule (performed by Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra)
“Somewhere”, written by Tommy Castro & Tom Hambridge (performed by Tommy Castro & The Painkillers)
Best Emerging Artist Album
GA-20 Does Hound Dog Taylor: Try It… You Might Like It!, GA-20
Just Say The Word, Gabe Stillman
WINNER: Live on Beale Street: A Tribute to Bobby “Blue” Bland, Rodd Bland and the Members Only Band
Welcome To The Land, Memphissippi Sounds
You Ain’t Unlucky, Veronica Lewis
Acoustic Blues Album
WINNER: Dear America, Eric Bibb
Land of the Sky, Catfish Keith
Let’s Get Happy Together, Maria Muldaur
Let Loose These Chains, Hector Anchondo
The Trio Sessions, EG Kight
Blues Rock Album
Alafia Moon, Damon Fowler
Dance Songs For Hard Times, The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
WINNER: Resurrection, Mike Zito
Tinfoil Hat, Popa Chubby
Unemployed Highly Annoyed, Jeremiah Johnson
Contemporary Blues Album
WINNER: 662, Kingfish
Damage Control, Curtis Salgado
Holler If You Hear Me, Altered Five Blues Band
Raisin’ Cain, Chris Cain
Tommy Castro Presents A Bluesman Came To Town, Tommy Castro
Soul Blues Album
Let’s Have A Party, Gerald McClendon
WINNER: Long As I Got My Guitar, Zac Harmon
Not In My Lifetime, Wee Willie Walker & The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra
You Get What You Give: Duets, Dave Keller
You Gotta Have It, Tia Carroll
Traditional Blues Album
Be Ready When I Call You, Guy Davis
Bob Corritore & Friends: Spider In My Stew, Bob Corritore
Boogie w/ R.L. Boyce (Live), R.L. Boyce
Little Black Flies, Eddie 9V
WINNER: Pinky’s Blues, Sue Foley
Acoustic Blues Artist
Eric Bibb
Kevin Burt
Guy Davis
Doug MacLeod
WINNER: Keb’ Mo’
Blues Rock Artist
WINNER: Albert Castiglia
Tommy Castro
Tinsley Ellis
Ana Popovic
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Contemporary Blues Female Artist
WINNER: Vanessa Collier
Thornetta Davis
Ruthie Foster
Danielle Nicole
Carolyn Wonderland
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Selwyn Birchwood
Chris Cain
WINNER: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Kenny Neal
Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
Soul Blues Female Artist
WINNER: Annika Chambers
Trudy Lynn
Terrie Odabi
Kat Riggins
Vaneese Thomas
Soul Blues Male Artist
William Bell
Don Bryant
John Nemeth
Johnny Rawls
WINNER: Curtis Salgado
Traditional Blues Female Artist (Koko Taylor Award)
Rory Block
WINNER: Sue Foley
Rhiannon Giddens
Diunna Greenleaf
EG Kight
Traditional Blues Male Artist
Cedric Burnside
Super Chikan
WINNER: Taj Mahal
Sugar Ray Norcia
Jontavious Willis
Instrumentalist – Bass
Willie J. Campbell
Larry Fulcher
Jerry Jemmott
Scot Sutherland
WINNER: Danielle Nicole
Instrumentalist – Drums
Danny Banks
June Core
WINNER: Tom Hambridge
Derrick D’Mar Martin
Chris Peet
Instrumentalist – Guitar
Christoffer “Kid” Andersen
Chris Cain
Laura Chavez
Anson Funderburgh
WINNER: Eric Gales
J.P. Soars
Instrumentalist – Harmonica
Billy Branch
Bob Corritore
WINNER: Jason Ricci
Brandon Santini
Kim Wilson
Instrumentalist – Horn
Mindi Abair
WINNER: Jimmy Carpenter
Marc Franklin
Regi Oliver
Nancy Wright
Instrumentalist – Piano (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Award)
Eden Brent
WINNER: Mike Finnigan
Dave Keyes
Veronica Lewis
Jim Pugh
Instrumentalist – Vocals
Thornetta Davis
Ruthie Foster
WINNER: John Nemeth
Sugaray Rayford
Curtis Salgado
