14 ALLIGATOR ARTISTS RECEIVE 22 BLUES MUSIC AWARD NOMINATIONS
Shemekia Copeland Leads All Alligator Artists With Four Nominations,
Including Album Of The Year And Song Of The Year
On Tuesday, January 10, 2023, the Blues Foundation announced the nominees for the 44th Annual Blues Music Awards. A total of 14 Alligator Records artists received an astounding 22 nominations. Leading all Alligator artists with four nominations is powerhouse vocalist Shemekia Copeland. Her nominations include both the coveted awards for Album Of The Year (for the Grammy Award-nominated Done Come Too Far, and Song Of The Year (for Too Far To Be Gone, written by John Hahn and Will Kimbrough).
Award-winning blues legends Rick Estrin & The Nightcats followed with three nominations, including for the Band Of The Year Award. Internationally beloved guitar master Chris Cain, soul blues vocalist Curtis Salgado, Southern blues rocker Tinsley Ellis, fiery road warrior Tommy Castro and harmonica giant Billy Branch received two nominations each.
Blues icon Charlie Musselwhite received an Acoustic Album Of The Year nomination for his Grammy Award-nominated album Mississippi Son, on which the beloved harmonica player surprised and delighted the world with his note-perfect original country blues guitar playing.
Young blues guitar phenomenon Christone "Kingfish" Ingram, guitarist/lap-steel sensation Selwyn Birchwood, harmonica star Dennis Gruenling (of The Nick Moss Band Featuring Dennis Gruenling) and legendary drummer Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith (of The Cash Box Kings) also received one nomination apiece.
The 44th Annual Blues Music Awards will be held in Memphis, Tennessee on Thursday, May 11, 2023. Alligator artists and their nominations follow :
Album Of The Year - Done Come Too Far
Contemporary Blues Album Of The Year - Done Come Too Far
Instrumentalist Of The Year (Vocals)
Song Of The Year - Too Far To Be Gone (by John Hahn and Will Kimbrough) 
Band Of The Year
Christoffer "Kid" Andersen:
Instrumentalist Of The Year (Guitar)
Derrick D'mar Martin:
Instrumentalist Of The Year (Drums) 
Traditional Blues Male Artist Of The Year
Instrumentalist Of The Year (Harmonica)
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year
Instrumentalist Of The Year (Guitar)
B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year
Blues Rock Artist Of The Year 
Blues Rock Album Of The Year -
Devil May Care
Blues Rock Artist Of The Year 
Soul Blues Male Artist Of The Year
Instrumentalist Of The Year (Vocals) 
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year
Contemporary Blues Male Artist Of The Year 
Dennis Gruenling:
Instrumentalist Of The Year (Harmonica)
Acoustic Album Of The Year - Mississippi Son
Kenny "Beedy Eyes" Smith:
Instrumentalist Of The Year (Drums)
