Tommy Castro’s got the blues for days…
The 66-year-old Latino blues, R&B and rock guitarist, singer and songwriter is the top nominee for the 2022 Blues Music Awards, with five nominations.
Castro is nominated for the B.B. King entertainer of the year award, album of the year, band of the year (with The Painkillers), contemporary blues album, and blues rock artist.
This is Castro’s fourth nomination for the entertainer of the year award, which he won in 2008 and 2010.
Curtis Salgado has earned three nominations, including Contemporary blues album for Damage Control.
Hector Anchondo is nominated in the Acoustic blues album category for his acclaimed album Let Loose These Chains.
Laura Chavez is nominated in the Instrumentalist – guitar category.
The awards, presented by the Blues Foundation, are in their 43rd year.
The awards will be presented on May 5 at Memphis’ Renasant Convention Center.
The Blues Foundation’s Blues Hall of Fame induction ceremony is set to take place on May 4 at Memphis’ Halloran Centre at the Orpheum. The 2022 class of inductees will be announced in the coming weeks.
The complete list of Blues Music Award nominees can be found below and on The Blues Foundation’s website — www.blues.org. The ballot will be open to current Blues Foundation members until 11:59 pm CST on March 18.
Founded in 1980, the Blues Foundation has approximately 4,000 individual members and 173 affiliated blues societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals worldwide.
Here’s a full list of nominees for the 2022 Blues Music Awards:
B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
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
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
Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
Song of the year
“Fragile Peace and Certain War” — written & performed by Carolyn Wonderland
“Holler If You Hear Me” — written by Jeff Schroedl, Mark Solveson; performed by Altered Five Blues Band
“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” — co-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
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
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
Resurrection, Mike Zito
Tinfoil Hat, Popa Chubby
Unemployed Highly Annoyed, Jeremiah Johnson
Contemporary blues album
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
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
Pinky’s Blues, Sue Foley
Acoustic blues artist
Eric Bibb
Kevin Burt
Guy Davis
Doug MacLeod
Keb’ Mo’
Blues rock artist
Albert Castiglia
Tommy Castro
Tinsley Ellis
Ana Popovic
Joanne Shaw Taylor
Contemporary blues female artist
Vanessa Collier
Thornetta Davis
Ruthie Foster
Danielle Nicole
Carolyn Wonderland
Contemporary blues male artist
Selwyn Birchwood
Chris Cain
Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
Kenny Neal
Mr. Sipp (Castro Coleman)
Soul blues female artist
Annika Chambers
Trudy Lynn
Terrie Odabi
Kat Riggins
Vaneese Thomas
Soul blues male artist
William Bell
Don Bryant
John Nemeth
Johnny Rawls
Curtis Salgado
Traditional blues female artist (Koko Taylor Award)
Rory Block
Sue Foley
Rhiannon Giddens
Diunna Greenleaf
EG Kight
Traditional blues male artist
Cedric Burnside
Super Chikan
Taj Mahal
Sugar Ray Norcia
Jontavious Willis
Instrumentalist – bass
Willie J. Campbell
Larry Fulcher
Jerry Jemmott
Scot Sutherland
Danielle Nicole
Instrumentalist – drums
Danny Banks
June Core
Tom Hambridge
Derrick D’Mar Martin
Chris Peet
Instrumentalist – guitar
Christoffer “Kid” Andersen
Chris Cain
Laura Chavez
Anson Funderburgh
Eric Gales
J.P. Soars
Instrumentalist – harmonica
Billy Branch
Bob Corritore
Jason Ricci
Brandon Santini
Kim Wilson
Instrumentalist – horn
Mindi Abair
Jimmy Carpenter
Marc Franklin
Regi Oliver
Nancy Wright
Instrumentalist – piano (Pinetop Perkins Piano Player Award)
Eden Brent
Mike Finnigan
Dave Keyes
Veronica Lewis
Jim Pugh
Instrumentalist – vocals
Thornetta Davis
Ruthie Foster
John Nemeth
Sugaray Rayford
Curtis Salgado