ALLIGATOR RECORDS ARTISTS RECEIVE NINE BLUES MUSIC AWARDS
Ronnie Baker Brooks Wins Three Awards, Including
Song Of The Year For Blues In My DNA
Shemekia Copeland, Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, Tommy Castro, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, Billy Branch And Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith (Of The Cash Box Kings) Each Receive One Award
On Thursday, May 8, 2025, the Blues Foundation announced the winners for the 46th Annual Blues Music Awards. Seven Alligator Records artists were honored with nine Blues Music Awards.
Leading all artists with three wins is Ronnie Baker Brooks. Brooks won Song Of The Year for Blues In My DNA, the title track from his Alligator Records debut. He also won the awards for Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year (for Blues In My DNA) and for Contemporary Artist Of The Year (Male).
Multiple GRAMMY-nominee Shemekia Copeland won the top Album Of The Year Award for her 2024 release, Blame It On Eve. Copeland now holds 16 Blues Music Awards
Rick Estrin & The Nightcats took home the coveted award for Band Of The Year. This is the third time the band has received this high honor.
GRAMMY Award-winner Christone "Kingfish" Ingram won Instrumentalist--Guitar, his 10th Blues Music Award.
Tommy Castro won Blues Rock Artist. Billy Branch won Instrumentalist--Harmonica, and drummer Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith (of The Cash Box Kings) was awarded Instrumentalist--Drums.
The 46th Annual Blues Music Awards were held in Memphis, Tennessee on Thursday, May 8 at The Renasant Convention Center.
Click here for a full list of award winners. Alligator artists and their Blues Music Awards follow:
Ronnie Baker Brooks
Contemporary Blues Male Artist
Contemporary Blues Album (Blues In My DNA)
Song Of The Year -- Blues In My DNA, performed and written by Ronnie Baker Brooks
Shemekia Copeland
Album Of The Year (Blame It On Eve)
Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
Band Of The Year
Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
Blues Rock Artist
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
Blues Instrumentalist -- Guitar
Billy Branch
Blues Instrumentalist — Harmonica
Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith of The Cash Box Kings
Instrumentalist — Drums
