Alligator Records Artists Receive 24 Blues Music Award Nominations
On Wednesday, February 18, The Blues Foundation announced the nominees for the 47th Annual Blues Music Awards. Alligator Records artists received an astounding 24 nominations, more than any other label.
Southern Avenue (Band Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Contemporary Blues Album), Tommy Castro & The Painkillers (Album Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Blues Rock Artist) and D.K. Harrell (Album Of The Year, Contemporary Blues Album, Contemporary Blues Male Artist) were honored with three nominations each.
Ronnie Baker Brooks (B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year, Instrumentalist–Guitar), Chris Cain (Contemporary Blues Male Artist, Instrumentalist–Guitar) and Carolyn Wonderland (Contemporary Blues Album, Instrumentalist–Guitar), received two nominations each.
Rick Estrin, leader of Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, received two individual nominations (B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year, Traditional Blues Male Artist), while the band’s drummer, Derrick “D’mar” Martin, and guitarist, Christoffer “Kid” Andersen, each received one. Additionally, Andersen is nominated for Song Of The Year for Can’t Catch A Break, his co-write with labelmate Tommy Castro.
Marcia Ball (Instrumentalist–Piano), who will also be inducted into The Blues Foundation’s Hall Of Fame, received one nomination, as did Shemekia Copeland (Instrumentalist–Vocals), Roomful Of Blues (Traditional Blues Album), Nick Moss Band bassist Rodrigo Mantovani and The Selwyn Birchwood Band’s saxophonist, Regi Oliver.
The 47th Annual Blues Music Awards will be held in Memphis, Tennessee on Thursday, May 7 at The Cannon Center For The Performing Arts.
Click here for a full list of awards and nominees. Alligator artists and their nominations follow:
Band Of The Year: Southern Avenue
Song Of The Year: Upside (written by Tierinii Jackson, Tikyra Jackson, Ori Naftaly, Dylan Altman & Marshall Altman)
Contemporary Blues Album: Family
Album Of The Year: Closer To The Bone
Song Of The Year: Can’t Catch a Break (written by Tommy Castro & Christoffer “Kid” Andersen)
Blues Rock Artist: Tommy Castro
Album Of The Year: Talkin’ Heavy
Contemporary Blues Ablum: Talkin’ Heavy
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year: Rick Estrin
Traditional Blues Artist: Rick Estrin
Instrumentalist–Guitar: Christoffer “Kid” Andersen
Instrumentalist–Drums: Derrick D’mar Martin
B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year
Instrumentalist–Guitar
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Instrumentalist–Guitar
Chris Cain
Contemporary Blues Album: Truth Is
Instrumentalist–Guitar
Carolyn Wonderland, Truth Is
2026 Blues Hall Of Fame Inductee
Instrumentalist–Piano
Marcia Ball
Traditional Blues Album: Steppin’ Out!
Roomful of Blues
Instrumentalist–Vocals
Shemekia Copeland
Instrumentalist–Horn: Regi Oliver
Instrumentalist–Bass: Rodrigo Mantovani