ALLIGATOR RECORDS ARTISTS RECEIVE SEVEN BLUES MUSIC AWARDS

Alligator Artists Win Top Awards:
B.B. King Blues Entertainer Of The Year — Ronnie Baker Brooks
Blues Album Of The Year -— D.K. Harrell Talkin' Heavy
Song Of The Year — Can't Catch A Break, Tommy Castro And Kid Andersen

On Thursday, May 7, The Blues Foundation announced the winners of the 47th Annual Blues Music Awards. Alligator Records artists received seven awards, including three of the night's top honors.

World-renowned blues star Ronnie Baker Brooks received the coveted B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year Award.

Young blues phenomenon D.K. Harrell won the awards for Blues Album Of The Year and Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year for his critically acclaimed Alligator debut, Talkin' Heavy.

Tommy Castro (of Tommy Castro & The Painkillers) won the award for Song Of The Year for Can't Catch A Break (from his album Closer To The Bone) co-written with Christoffer "Kid" Andersen (of Rick Estrin & The Nightcats). Castro also won the award for Blues Rock Artist Of The Year.

Derrick "D'mar" Martin (drummer of Rick Estrin & The Nightcats) won Best Instrumentalist—Drums. 

And Marcia Ball, who was also inducted into The Blues Foundation's Hall Of Fame, won the award for Best Instrumentalist—Piano. 

The 47th Annual Blues Music Awards were held in Memphis, Tennessee on Thursday, May 7 at The Cannon Center For The Performing Arts.

Alligator artists and their awards follow: 

Ronnie Baker Brooks
B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year 

 

 

D.K. Harrell
Album Of The Year: Talkin' Heavy
Contemporary Blues Album: Talkin' Heavy

 

 

Tommy Castro & The Painkillers
Song Of The Year: Can’t Catch a Break (written by Tommy Castro & Christoffer "Kid" Andersen)
Blues Rock Artist: Tommy Castro

 

 

Rick Estrin & The Nightcats
Instrumentalist—Drums: Derrick D'mar Martin

 

Marcia Ball
2026 Blues Hall Of Fame Inductee
Instrumentalist—Piano