Tommy Castro Was a Triple Winner at 2022 Blues Music Awards: Full Winners List

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