MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Guitarist and singer Tommy Castro won in three top categories, including entertainer of the year, at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee.
The Memphis-based Blues Foundation held the annual ceremony honoring the year's best blues musicians at the Renasant Convention Center on Thursday night.
Castro had led the way with five nominations. He won the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year award, along with top honors for album of the year for "Tommy Castro Presents a Bluesman Came to Town," and band of the year, with The Painkillers.
Guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Selwyn Birchwood won song of the year for "I'd Climb Mountains," Vanessa Collier won in the contemporary blues female artist category, and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram won the award for contemporary blues male artist.
Other winners include Taj Mahal, Keb' Mo', Sue Foley and Annika Chambers.
Founded in 1980, the Blues Foundation has about 4,000 individual members and 173 affiliated blues societies.
The International Blues Challenge is also happening this weekend on Beale Street in Memphis. It runs May 6-9. Learn more at https://blues.org/international-blues-challenge/2022-schedule/.
