Tommy Castro won the B.B. King entertainer of the year award for the second year in a row at the 44th Annual Blues Music Awards, which were held at the Renasant Convention Center in Memphis on Thursday May 11.
The evening’s other top award winners were Buddy Guy, Albert Castiglia and John Németh, with two awards each. Guy’s The Blues Don’t Lie picked up album of the year and contemporary blues album. Castiglia won blues rock album (I Got Love) as well as blues rock artist. Németh won traditional blues album (May Be the Last Time) as well as instrumentalist harmonica.
The double wins for Guy’s album make up for its Grammy loss in February. The album was nominated for best traditional blues album but lost to Taj Mahal & Ry Cooder’s Get on Board: The Songs of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee. Likewise, Charlie Musselwhite’s Mississippi Son won here for acoustic blues album after losing at the Grammys for best traditional blues album.
For the fourth consecutive year, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram took home contemporary blues male artist. Other artists who held on to their crowns for a second year in a row were Castiglia – blues rock artist; Danielle Nicole – instrumentalist bass, Curtis Salgado – soul blues male artist; and Sue Foley – traditional blues female artist (Koko Taylor award).
First-time winners were Laura Chavez – instrumentalist guitar; Thornetta Davis – soul blues female; and Dylan Triplett – best emerging artist album for Who is He?.
Tedeschi Trucks Band won band of the year for the third time.
In a nice touch, three awards are named after late blues legends. The entertainer of the year award is named after B.B. King, who died in 2015. The award for traditional blues female artist is named after Koko Taylor, who died in 2009. The award for instrumentalist – piano is named after Pinetop Perkins, who died in 2011.
Here’s a complete list of winners for the 2023 Blues Music Awards.
B.B. King entertainer of the year
Sugaray Rayford
WINNER: Tommy Castro
Eric Gales
Bobby Rush
Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
Band of the year
Anthony Geraci & The Boton Blues Allstars
John Németh and the Blue Dreamers
Rick Estrin and the Nightcats
Southern Avenue
WINNER: Tedeschi Trucks Band
Song of the year
Altered Five Blues Band “Great Minds Drink Alike” (Jeff Schroedl)
WINNER: Buddy Guy “The Blues Don’t Lie” (Tom Hambridge)
Eric Gales “I Want My Crown” (Eric Gales, Joe Bonamassa)
John Németh “The Last Time” (John Németh)
Shemekia Copeland “Too Far to Be Gone” (John Hahn/Will Kimbrough)
Best emerging artist album
Blue Moon Marquee / Scream, Holler & Howl
DaShawn Hickman / Drums, Roots & Steel
WINNER: Dylan Triplett / Who Is He?
Jose Ramirez / Major League Blues
Yates McKendree / Buchanan Lane
Acoustic blues album
WINNER: Charlie Musselwhite / Mississippi Son
Corey Harris / The Insurrection Blues
Duwayne Burnside / Acoustic Burnside
Harrison Kennedy / Thanks for Tomorrow
Rory Block / Ain’t Nobody Worried
Blues rock album
WINNER: Albert Castiglia / I Got Love
Bernard Allison / Highs & Lows
Colin James / Open Road
Eric Gales / Crown
Tinsley Ellis / Devil May Care
Contemporary blues album
WINNER: Buddy Guy / The Blues Don’t Lie
Diunna Greenleaf / I Ain’t Playin’
Janiva Magness / Hard to Kill
Larry McCray / Blues Without You
Shemekia Copeland / Done Come Too Far
Soul blues album
Kat Riggins / Progeny
Kirk Fletcher / Heartache by the Pound
WINNER: Sugaray Rayford / In Too Deep
The Love Light Orchestra / Leave the Light On
Trudy Lynn / Golden Girl
Traditional blues album
Kenny Neal / Straight From the Heart
Bob Corritore / Bob Borritore & Friends: You Shocked Me
Duke Robillard / They Called it Rhythm & Blues
WINNER: John Németh / May Be the Last Time
John Primer / Hard Times
Acoustic blues artist
WINNER: Doug MacLeod
Guy Davis
Harrison Kennedy
Rhiannon Giddens
Rory Block
Blues rock artist
Walter Trout
WINNER: Albert Castiglia
Tommy Castro
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Tinsley Ellis
Contemporary blues female artist
WINNER: Ruthie Foster
Beth Hart
Janiva Magness
Teresa James
Vanessa Collier
Contemporary blues male artist
Selwyn Birchwood
Chris Cain
WINNER: Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
Soul blues female artist
Annika Chambers
Trudy Lynn
WINNER: Thornetta Davis
Kat Riggins
Vaneese Thomas
Soul blues male artist
John Németh
Johnny Rawls
WINNER: Curtis Salgado
Don Bryant
Billy Price
Traditional blues female artist (Koko Taylor award)
Dietra Farr
Diunna Greenleaf
Rhiannon Giddens
Rory Block
WINNER: Sue Foley
Traditional blues male artist
Billy Branch
Duke Robillard
WINNER: John Primer
Johnny Burgin
Sugar Ray Norcia
Instrumentalist – bass
Bob Stronger
WINNER: Danielle Nicole
Larry Fulcher
Michael “Mudcat” Ward
Willie J. Campbell
Instrumentalist – drums
Chris Layton
Cody Dickinson
Derric D’Mar Martin
WINNER: Kenny “Beedy Eyes” Smith
Tony Braunagel
Instrumentalist – guitar
Chris Cain
Christoffer “Kid” Andersen
Joanna Connor
Kirk Fletcher
WINNER: Laura Chavez
Instrumentalist – harmonica
Billy Branch
Bob Corritore
Jason Ricci
WINNER: John Németh
Dennis Gruenling
Instrumentalist – horn
WINNER: Deanna Bogart
Gregg Piccolo
Jimmy Carpenter
Mark Kaz Kazanoff
Sax Gordon Beadle
Instrumentalist – piano (Pinetop Perkins piano player award)
WINNER: Anthony Geraci
Ben Levin
Dave Keyes
Jim Pugh
Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne
Instrumentalist – vocals
Curtis Salgado
Danielle Nicole
Diunna Greenleaf
John Németh
WINNER: Shemekia Copeland
