A 17-song tribute compilation, Long Journey Home: A Century After the 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention celebrates the centenary of the iconic gathering of nearly 100 musicians in rural Mountain City, Tennessee. Produced by John McCutcheon (who also sings and plays banjo and fretless banjo on it), the album on Appalsongs showcases old-time fiddling and old time music with a number of today’s most celebrated old-time and bluegrass artists performing their own renditions of ballads, reels and tunes that have stood the test of time. Featured artists, in addition to McCutcheon and Tuttle, include Jake Blount, Old Crow Medicine Show, Tim O’Brien, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Becky Buller, Trey Wellington & Victor Furtado, Stuart Duncan, Cathy & Marcy’s Old Time Coalition, Kody Norris Show, Earl White Stringband, and Bruce Molsky.

Molly Tuttle, who is joined by Ketch Secor (who fronts and co-founded Old Crow Medicine Show) on “I’ve Always Been a Rambler,” is an acclaimed guitarist known for her prowess at flatpicking and cross-picking, as well as a singer- songwriter and banjo player. At age 24, she became the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Guitar Player of the Year Award in 2017 and did so again the following year when the Americana Music Association also named her Instrumentalist of the Year. Tuttle has been the recipient of two Grammy Awards for Best Bluegrass Album for Crooked Tree and City of Gold in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Crooked Tree also was named Album of the Year in the International Bluegrass Music Awards, while its title track was feted as Song of the Year and she was named Female Vocalist of the Year. City of Gold, also recorded with her band Golden Highway, also was named Album of the Year during the 2023 International Folk Music Awards presented by Folk Alliance International.

Connie Kaldor is a three-time Juno Award-winning singer songwriter who has been writing and performing her songs for more than 45 years and has recorded 19 albums. Her new release, Wide Open Space, was the #2 album on the FAI Folk Chart in September. A member of the Order of Canada and a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award recipient, she also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Woodstock Folk Festival in Woodstock, Illinois earlier this year. Kaldor is based in Montreal and tours extensively. She is frequently joined in concert by her husband Paul Campagne and sons Aleksi and Gabriel Campagne. She will be among the official showcase artists during the Northeast Regional folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference in Albany, NY in November.

The September 2025 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 10, 565 airplays reported on 347 playlists submitted by 93 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of September 2025 

1.Long Journey Home: A Century After the 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers
Convention by Various Artists (131)

2. Wide Open Spaces by Connie Kaldor (71)

3. Look to the Moon by Patty and Craig (51)
3. Stone by Stone by Friction Farm (51)
5. Connected by Darryl Purpose (48)
6. Song of the Bricoleur by Rags Rosenberg (42)
7. Lost & Found by Becki Davis (40)
8. Mother Mind by Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fiedler (39)
9. Hummingbird Highway by Dar Williams (38)
9. Stay Put by Elexa Dawson (38)
9. The Last Bough by Kyle Carey (38)
12. Kentucky Queen by Carla Gover (34)
12. Songs That Sing Me by Becky Buller (34)
12. Now Then by Robbie Fulks (34)
15. Sweet Resilence by Jane Fallon (32)
16. So Long Little Miss Sunshine by Molly Tuttle (30)
17. Heavy on the Blues by Rory Block (29)
18. The Light Still Shines on the Main by Jory Nash (28)
19. The Ghost of Sis Draper by Shawn Camp (27)
20. The America Chronicles by Kemp Harris (25)
21. Drum School Dropout by Christine Lavin (24)
22. Time Out #3 by The Accidentals (23)
23. New Skin by Judy Kass (22)
23. NERFA Songwriters, Vol. 1 by Various Artists (22)
25. Perennial by Kate MacLeod (21)
25. You Climb the Mountain by The Onlies (21)
27. Bridging Divides by Billy Jonas (20)
28. Wild and Clear and Blue by I’m With Her (19)
28. Squirrels by Jubal Lee Young (19)
30. One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey by Maria Muldaur (18)
30. Crown of Rose by Patty Griffin (18)
30. Callin’ Me Back by Petunia & the Vipers (18)
30. The Woods Have Shown Us by Ponyfolk (18)
30. Seeds of Dreaming by Diyet and the Love Soldiers (18)
35. Bones of Trees by Tim Grimm (17)
35. Personal History by Mary Chapin Carpenter (17)
35. Hard Headed Woman by Margo Price (17)
38. Ghost of the Old West by George Mann and Mick Coates (16)

38. Lost & Found Highway by Joselyn & Don (16)
38. Lift Up the Old World by Hilary Hawke (16)
38. Dark Ages by Eliza Gilkyson (16)
42. Riding High in Texas by Asleep at the Wheel (15)
42. The Way I Tell the Story by David Wilcox (15)
42. American Romance by Lukas Nelson (15)
42. Kerrville Covers by Janet Feld (15)
42. Shadows of a Ghost Town by Meghan Clarisse (15)
47. American Portraits by Marty Cooper (14)
47. Airline Highway by Rodney Crowell (14)
47. Arcadia by Alison Krauss and Union Station (14)
47. The Way the West Was Won by Dallas Burrow (14)
47. We’re Only Human by Hayes Carll (14)

Top Songs of September 2025

1. “I’ve Always Been a Rambler” by Molly Tuttle (23)
2. “No Kings Here” by Tom Paxton (18)
3. “Love, Surround Me” by Patty and Craig (15)
4. “Cuckoo” by John McCutcheon (14)
4. “Me & Robbie Erenberg” by Darryl Purpose (14)
6. “Louder Than Guns” by Friction Farm (13)
7. “Hummingbird Highway” by Dar Williams (12)
7. “900 Miles” by Tim O’Brien (12)
9. “Goodnight America” by Kemp Harris (11)
9. “Bullfrogs” by Rags Rosenberg (11)
11. “It Ain’t Gonna Go Away (Ode to the Epstein Files)” by Cathy Fink
& Marcy Marxer (10)
11. “Memory of August” by Anne Hills (10)
11. “What You Gonna Do With the Baby” by Old Crow Medicine Show (10)
11. “Returning to Myself” by Brandi Carlile (10)
11. “The Last Bough” by Kyle Carey (10)
11. “Tennessee Mountain Fox Chase” by Cathy and Marcy’s Old Time Coaltion (10)
17. “Open All the Doors and Windows” by Billy Jonas (9)
17. “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” by Sparky and Rhonda Rucker (9)
17. “Oh, Little One” by Jory Nash (9)
17. “House Carpenter” by Jake Blount (9)
17. “At Our Best” by Judy Kass (9)
17. “Dear Time” by Alison Brown and Steve Martin (9)
17. “Wide Open Spaces” by Connie Kaldor (9)
24. “Baling Hay” by Elexa Dawson (8)
24. “Early Fields” by Kate MacLeod (8)
24. “Millworker” by Becky Buller (8)
24. “The Edge” by Becki Davis (8)
24. “Something My Own” by Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fiedler (8)
24. “Rocky Road to Dinah’s House” by Becky Buller (8)
24. “Bridget O’Brien” by Maggie’s Wake (8)
24. “Feel What Our Hearts Feel” by Darryl Purpose (8)
24. “Savannah Is a Devilish Girl” by Robbie Fulks (8)
24. “American Dream” by Friction Farm (8)
24. “This Car” by Connie Kaldor (8)
24. “Bright Side of the Blues” by Bryan Titus (8)

Top Artists of September 2025

1. Connie Kaldor (71)
2. Molly Tuttle (57)
3. Friction Farm (53)
4. Patty and Craig (51)
4. Darryl Purpose (51)
6. Becky Buller (50)
7. Dar Williams (49)
8. Tom Paxton (48)
9. John McCutcheon (44)
10. Rags Rosenberg (43)
11. Becki Davis (41)
12. Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fiedler (39)
12. Elexa Dawson (39)
14. Kyle Carey (38)
15. Woody Guthrie (36)
16. Bruce Springsteen (35)
16. Robbie Fulks (35)
18. Carla Gover (34)
19. Jane Fallon (33)
19. John Prine (33)
21. Christine Lavin (31)
22. Jory Nash (30)
22. Cheryl Wheeler (30)
24. Rory Block (29)
25. Eliza Gilkyson (28)
26. Joni Mitchell (27)
26. Shawn Camp (27)
28. Tim O’Brien (26)
29. Kemp Harris (25)
29. Tim Grimm (25)
31. Kate MacLeod (24)
31. Mary Chapin Carpenter (24)
33. Guy Clark (23)
33. Pete Seeger (23)
33. The Accidentals (23)
36. Willie Nelson (22)
36. Judy Kass (22)
36. The Onlies (22)
39. The Kennedys (21)
39. Bill Monroe (21)

Buller is a 10-time winner of International Bluegrass Music Awards (including 2016 Fiddler and Female Vocalist of the Year) and was a musician and songwriter on three Grammy-nominated albums last year. She has also taught bluegrass fiddle, singing and songwriting for 20 years and serves on the board of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s IBMA Foundation.

Fure has released nearly 20 albums during a career spanning 50 years. “Monuments” appears on her latest release, Stone By Stone, which was the #2 album in January. Her previous album, Roses in November, was on the Folk DJ charts for eight months, while one of its tracks, “Lessons From Home Plate,” was the most-played song in June 2018. Fure also teaches guitar and songwriting and is a past president of AFM Local 1000, the traveling musicians union. Here’s a link to hear “Monuments”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZj_cVPJkYA.

Rice, a 2013 inductee into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, was an influential acoustic guitar player who developed his own flatpicking style that melded elements of acoustic jazz, traditional country and folk with bluegrass. He played with J.D. Crowe & The New South, the David Grisman Quintet, The Bluegrass Album Band, Tony Rice Unit, and Rice, Hillman & Pederson. Rice also collaborated with such artists as Norman Blake, Bela Fleck, Jerry Garcia, Peter Rowan, and Ricky Skaggs. Here’s a link to an article posted shortly after his death: https://acousticmusicscene.com/2020/12/29/tony-rice-bluegrass-guitar-virtuoso-1951-2020/

The January 2021 Top Albums, Songs and Artists charts are based on 13, 679 airplays reported on 458 playlists submitted by 112 different DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of January 2021

1. Distance and Time by Becky Buller (120)
2. Stone by Stone by Tret Fure (88)
3. Hold the Line by Hardened and Tempered (64)
4. Our Turn Now by Len Seligman (59)
5. Roots by Liam Purcell and Cane Mill Road (48)
6. All About the Timing by Roland Roberts (46)
7. Woman in Color by Raye Zaragoza (42)
8. Back to the Earth by Adam Hurt (41)
9. Learning to Listen by Susan Ellenton (38)
9. Shall We Hope by Tony Trischka (38)
11. Bet on Love by Pharis and Jason Romero (37)
12. Solace in the Wild by Erin Ivey (33)
13. Mipso by Mipso (31)
14. We Go On: Si Kahn’s Songs of Hope in Hard Times by Katie Oates (30)
14. Old Friends by Gathering Time (30)
14. Songs Doc Didn’t Sing by Doc and Merle Watson (30)
14. Kitchen Days by Braden Gates (30)
18. 2020 by Eliza Gilkyson (29)
18. Manzanita by The Tony Rice Unit (29)
18. Cabin Fever: Songs From the Quarantine by John McCutcheon (29)
18. As Long as I’m Dreaming by Laura Smith (29)
22. Tangle of Souls by Scott Cook (28)
22. Tryin’ to Get Home by Andy Cohen (28)
24. Ghost Tattoo by Kristen Grainger and True North (27)
24. When I Wait for You by Dirk Powell (27)
26. Joyful Banner Blazing by Maria Dunn (24)
26. The Burnt Pines by The Burnt Pines (24)
26. Night Flyer: The Singer Songwriter Collection by Tony Rice (24)
26. Tony Rice Sings Gordon Lightfoot by Tony Rice (24)
26. Jaroso by Darrell Scott (24)
31. Rough Enough by Frank Richard (23)
31. Church Street Blues by Tony Rice (23)
33. Spider Tales by Jake Blount (22)
33. The Onlies by The Onlies (22)
35. Boulevard by Rod Macdonald (21)
35. World on the Ground by Sarah Jarosz (21)
35. Winter Wanderings by Sara Thomsen and Paula Pedersen (21)
35. Total Freedom by Kathleen Edwards (21)
39. Live @ the Freight by Cry Cry Cry (20)
39. Record Time by Randy Casey (20)
39. My Work Here Ain’t Yet Done by Georgie Jessup (20)
39. Fall Like Rain by Justin Moses (20)
43. Love Circles ‘Round by Byrd and Street (19)
43. Over That Road I’m Bound by Joachim Cooder (19)
43. I’ll Be Back Soon by Tiffany Williams (19)
43. Shadow of the Cyclone by Aaron Nathans and Michael G. Ronstadt (19)
43. Skaggs and Rice by Ricky Skaggs and Tony Rice (19)
48. Chasing Echoes by Phil Henry (18)
48. Tribulation by Appalachian Road Show (18)
48. Pretty Free by Justin Farren (18)
51. Unit of Measure by The Tony Rice Unit (17)
51. The Balladeer by Lori McKenna (17)
51. Ordinary Love by Ellis Delaney (17)
51. Norman Blake and Tony Rice 2 by Norman Blake and Tony Rice (17)
51. Diary of a Snowflake by Donal Hinely (17)
51. Just a Little Rain by Ray Cardwell (17)
51. More From the Levee by Chris Smither (17)
51. Mariah by Mama Said String Band (17)
59. Boots No. 2: The Lost Songs, Vol. 3 by Gillian Welch (16)
60. The Dirt and the Stars by Mary Chapin Carpenter (15)
60. Blake and Rice by Norman Blake and Tony Rice (15)
60. Still Time by Karen Matheson (15)
60. Over the Sea to Skye by Hanneke Cassel (15)
60. This Too Shall Pass by Chris Wilhelm (15)
60. Just Like Leaving by Bella White (15)
60. The Coronavirus Sessions by George Mann (15)
60. Long Day in the Milky Way by Kris Delmhorst (15)
68. Friend of the Sky by Cej (14)
68. Me and My Guitar by Tony Rice (14)
68. Cuttin’ Grass, Vol. 1 (The Butcher Shoppe Sessions) by Sturgill
Simpson (14)
68. The Longest Night of the Year, Vol. 3 by Various Artists (14)
68. Alternative Facts and Other White Lies by Mike Glick (14)

Top Songs of January 2021

Top Artists of January 2021

Hosted by Sierra Hull, Joe Newberry, Tim O’Brien and Rhonda Vincent, the awards show was the centerpiece of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Virtual World of Bluegrass week. Considered the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. World of Bluegrass has taken place in Raleigh, North Carolina since 2013. However, concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the nonprofit professional organization for the global bluegrass community to shift to online presentation of its professional development seminars, artist showcases and awards this year.

A list of award winners in 17 categories as determined by votes cast by IBMA’s professional members follows:

Entertainer of the Year: Sister Sadie
Vocal Group of the Year: Sister Sadie
Instrumental Group of the Year: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (its sixth win in his category)
Song of the Year: “Chicago Barn Dance” – Special Consensus with Michael Cleveland & Becky Buller (artists), Becky Buller/Missy Raines/Alison Brown (writers), Compass Records, Alison Brown (producer)
Album of the Year: Live In Prague, Czech Republic – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artist), Billy Blue Records, Doyle Lawson and Rosta Capek (producers)
Gospel Recording of the Year: Gonna Rise And Shine – Alan Bibey & Grasstowne (artist), Mark Hodges (producer), Mountain Fever Records (label)
Instrumental Recording of the Year: Tall Fiddler – Michael Cleveland (artist), Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan (producers), Compass Records (label)
New Artist of the Year: Mile Twelve
Collaborative Recording of the Year: The Barber’s Fiddle – Becky Buller with Shawn Camp, Jason Carter, Laurie Lewis, Kati Penn, Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Johnny Warren, Stuart Duncan, Deanie Richardson, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Jason Barie, Fred Carpenter, Tyler Andal, Nate Lee, Dan Boner, Brian Christianson, and Laura Orshaw (artists), Stephen Mougin (producer), Dark Shadow Recording (label)
Female Vocalist of the Year: Brooke Aldridge (her fourth win in this category)
Male Vocalist of the Year: Danny Paisley
Banjo Player of the Year: Scott Vestal
Bass Player of The Year: Missy Raines (her ninth win in this category)
Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year: Justin Moses
Fiddle Player of the Year: Deanie Richardson
Guitar Player of the Year: Jake Workman
Mandolin Player of the Year: Alan Bibey (who also won in this category last year)

Here’s a link to view the official video for “Chicago Barn Dance,” the Song of the Year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmDoxyuRM60

Momentum Awards Also Presented During Virtual World of Bluegrass

Earlier in the week, the IBMA recognized artists and business professionals in the early years of their bluegrass music careers with Momentum Awards. A veteran bluegrass professional who has made significant contributions in fostering excellence in young bluegrass performers and members of the industry also received a Mentor Award.

2020 Momentum Awards recipients include:

Kris Truelsen (Industry Involvement)
Annie Savage (Mentor)
Thomas Cassell (Instrumentalist)
Tabitha Agnew (Instrumentalist)
Melody Williamson (Vocalist)
The Slocan Ramblers (Band)

An awards show is usually the centerpiece of the IBMA’s annual five-day World of Bluegrass, which is considered the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. It has taken place in Raleigh, NC since 2013. However, concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic recently prompted the association for the global bluegrass community to shift to online presentation of its professional development seminars and artist showcases in September. THE IBMA has not yet announced how and when the awards will be presented.

Nominees for the IBMA’s coveted Entertainer of the Year Award include Balsam Range, Billy Strings, Del McCoury Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Sister Sadie, and Special Consensus Each is also nominated in other categories.

Balsam Range, a five-member acoustic ensemble that previously won this award in 2014 and 2018, takes its name from a majestic mountain range that surrounds part of its home county in western North Carolina, where the Smokies meet the Blue Ridge. Formed in 2007, Balsam Range has received more than a dozen other IBMA honors – including the 2017 and 2013 Album of the Year awards for Mountain Voodoo and Papertown, respectively. Besides its nod for Entertainer of the Year, Balsam Range is also in the running for /also received nominations for Vocal Group of the Year and Gospel Recording of the Year (“Angel Too Soon’).

Billy Strings is a 27 year-old genre-bending flatpicker who hails from Lansing, Michigan but now calls Nashville home. Named IBMA Guitarist and New Artist of the Year last September, he is also a nominee for Album (Home), Instrumental Recording (“Guitar Peace”) and Guitar Player of the Year in 2020.

Led by a Grand Ole Opry member and nine-time IBMA Entertainer of the Year, the Del McCoury Band took home the a2019 IBMA Award for Album of the Year (Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass). While the band vies to be named Entertainer of the Year again, Del is among the nominees for Male Vocalist of the Year and is also featured on Jason Barie’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” which is in the running for Collaborative Recording of the Year. His son, Ronnie McCoury, is nominated for Mandolin Player of the Year.

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver is a traditional bluegrass & southern gospel group fronted by a 76 year-old Tennessee native and International Bluegrass Hall of Famer who has been playing mandolin and singing professionally for nearly 60 years. Launched in 1979, the group is up for five other awards besides Entertainer of the Year. These include Vocal Group, Song (“Living Like There’s No Tomorrow”), Album (Live in Prague, Czech Republic), Instrumental Recording (“Shenandoah Breakdown”), and Gospel Recording (“I’m Going to Heaven”) of the Year.

Special Consensus has been performing as a band for four decades. Five-time IBMA award-winners and two-time Grammy nominees, the quartet is led by banjo player Greg Cahill, an IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award recipient who also is a former IBMA president and board chair. The band received the 2018 IBMA Album of the Year award for Rivers & Roads and also was honored for Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year. Its latest release, Chicago Barn Dance, is in the running for Album of the Year, while its title track is also nominated for both Song and Collaborative Recording of the Year.

Other artists receiving multiple awards nominations include Brooke Aldridge, Appalachian Road Show, Blue Highway, Becky Buller, Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Mile Twelve, Po’ Ramblin’ Boy, Missy Raines (eight-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year), and Molly Tuttle.

The nominees for these awards were selected by the professional membership of the IBMA, which is comprised of artists, songwriters, label personnel, radio hosts, event producers, managers and agents, publicists, studio engineers, associations, manufacturers, retailers, and others who work in the bluegrass industry. IBMA members also will vote to determine the winners.

The complete list of nominees in 17 categories as determined by votes cast by IBMA’s professional members follows.

Entertainer Of The Year

Vocal Group Of The Year
• Balsam Range
• Blue Highway
• Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
• Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
• Sister Sadie

Instrumental Group Of The Year
• Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
• Mile Twelve
• Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
• Sam Bush Band
• The Travelin’ McCourys

New Artist Of The Year
• Appalachian Road Show
• Carolina Blue
• High Fidelity
• Merle Monroe
• Mile Twelve

Song Of The Year
• “Both Ends Of The Train” – Blue Highway (artist), Tim Stafford/Steve Gulley (writers), Rounder Records, Blue Highway (producers)
• “Chicago Barn Dance” – Special Consensus (artist), Becky Buller/Missy Raines/Alison Brown (writers), Compass Records, Alison Brown (producer)
• “Haggard” – The Grascals (artist), Harley Allen (writers), Mountain Home Music Company, The Grascals (producers)
• “Hickory, Walnut & Pine” – The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys (artist), Slaid Cleaves/Nathan Hamilton (writer), Rounder Records, Dave Maggar (producer)
• “Living Like There’s No Tomorrow” – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artist), Jim McBride/Roger Alan Murrah (writer), Billy Blue Records, Doyle Lawson and Rosta Capek (producers)

Album Of The Year
• Chicago Barn Dance – Special Consensus (artist), Compass Records, Alison Brown (producer)
• Home – Billy Strings (artist), Rounder Records, Glenn Brown (producer)
• Live In Prague, Czech Republic – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artist), Billy Blue Records, Doyle Lawson and Rosta Capek (producers)
• New Moon Over My Shoulder – Larry Sparks (artist), Rebel Records, Larry Sparks (producer)
• Tall Fiddler – Michael Cleveland (artist), Compass Records, Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan (producers)
• Toil, Tears & Trouble – The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys (artist), Rounder Records, Dave Maggard (producer)
• Tribulation – Appalachian Road Show (artist), Billy Blue Records, Jim VanCleve, Barry Abernathy, and Appalachian Road Show (producers)

Gospel Recording Of The Year
• “Angel Too Soon” – Balsam Range (artist), Balsam Range (producer), Mountain Home Music Company (label)
• “Because He Loved Me” – Dale Ann Bradley (artist), Dale Ann Bradley (producer), Pinecastle Records (label)
• “Gonna Rise And Shine” – Alan Bibey & Grasstowne (artist), Mark Hodges (producer), Mountain Fever Records (label)
• “I’m Going To Heaven” – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artist), Doyle Lawson and Rosta Capek (producer), Billy Blue Records (label)
• “Little Black Train” – Appalachian Road Show (artist), Barry Abernathy, Darrell Webb, and Ben Isaacs (producer), Billy Blue Records (label)

Instrumental Recording Of The Year
• “Tall Fiddler” – Michael Cleveland (artist), Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan (producers), Compass Records (label)
• “Shenandoah Breakdown” – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artist), Doyle Lawson and Rosta Capek (producer), Billy Blue Records (label)
• “Soldier’s Joy” – Jesse McReynolds with Michael Cleveland (artist), Jesse McReynolds (producer), Pinecastle Records (label)
• “The Appalachian Road” – Appalachian Road Show (artist), Jim VanCleve, Barry Abernathy, and Appalachian Road Show (producer), Billy Blue Records (label)
• “Guitar Peace” – Billy Strings (artist), Glenn Brown (producer), Rounder Records (label)

Collaborative Recording Of The Year
• “Chicago Barn Dance” – Special Consensus (artist), Alison Brown (producer), Compass Records (label)
• “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cr”y – Jason Barie featuring Del McCoury & Paul William (artists), Jason Barie (producer), Billy Blue Records (label)
• “Tall Fiddler” – Michael Cleveland with Tommy Emmanuel (artist), Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan (producers), Compass Records (label)
• “The Barber’s Fiddle” – Becky Buller with Shawn Camp, Jason Carter, Laurie Lewis, Kati Penn, Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Johnny Warren, Stuart Duncan, Deanie Richardson, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Jason Barie, Fred Carpenter, Tyler Andal, Nate Lee, Dan Boner, Brian Christianson, and Laura Orshaw (artists), Stephen Mougin (producer), Dark Shadow Recording (label)
• “On and On” – Gena Britt with Brooke Aldridge (artists), Gena Britt (producer), Pinecastle Records (label)

Male Vocalist Of The Year
• Ronnie Bowman
• Del McCoury
• Russell Moore
• Danny Paisley
• Larry Sparks

Female Vocalist Of The Year
• Brooke Aldridge
• Dale Ann Bradley
• Amanda Smith
• Molly Tuttle
• Rhonda Vincent

Instrumental Performers Of The Year

Banjo
• Kristin Scott Benson
• Gena Britt
• Gina Furtado
• Ned Luberecki
• Scott Vestal

Bass
• Barry Bales
• Mike Bub
• Todd Phillips
• Missy Raines
• Marshall Wilborn

Fiddle
• Becky Buller
• Jason Carter
• Michael Cleveland
• Stuart Duncan
• Deanie Richardson

Resophonic Guitar
• Jerry Douglas
• Andy Hall
• Rob Ickes
• Phil Leadbetter
• Justin Moses

Guitar
• Trey Hensley
• Billy Strings
• Bryan Sutton
• Molly Tuttle
• Jake Workman

Mandolin
• Alan Bibey
• Jesse Brok
• Sam Bush
• Sierra Hull
• Ronnie McCoury

In addition, the IBMA has announced three new inductees into International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and seven people who will receive its Distinguished Achievement Award:

2020 Hall Of Fame Inductees
• New Grass Revival
• The Johnson Mountain Boys
• J.T. Gray

2020 Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients
• Norman & Judy Adams
• Daryl & Phyllis Adkins
• Darol Anger
• Wayne Rice
• Jack Tottle

Hosted by Rhonda Vincent and Jim Lauderdale, Bluegrass Now! Pays homage to bluegrass across genre, gender and generations. Featured performers include Alison Brown, Becky Buller, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Missy Raines, Larry Sparks, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Molly Tuttle, and Dan Tyminski.

“This feels like a homecoming as many of today’s most prominent bluegrass artists make a pilgrimage back to he source of the music to document their own musical journey,” said Chris Joslin, executive director of the hall of fame & museum. “If bluegrass music is Kentucky’s gift to the world, Bluegrass Now! Feels like Christmas morning.”

Here’s a link to a 30-second trailer for the televised special:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B_4a0nCVqk

Produced by Todd Jarrell (Bluegrass Underground, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band 50th Anniversary, and Songwriting With Soldiers), Bluegrass Now! showcases individual artists/bands and also brings together co-host Rhonda Vincent with Brown, Buller, Raines and Tuttle on renditions of “Allegheny Town” and “Girls’ Breakdown,” while Vincent’s band The Rage accompanies Bluegrass Hall of Famer Larry Sparks on “Take Me Back to West Virginia.” Co-host Jim Lauderdale is joined by Brown and Buller on “I Feel Like Singing Today,” while Buller also accompanies Lauderdale on “Iodine.” The PBS special concludes with an all-star finale performance of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot.”

Bluegrass Now! will air on more than 300 PBS stations. Check your local TV listings or visit https://pbs.org to find out when it premieres in your area.

The Earls of Leicester, which also was the top winner in the 2015 International Bluegrass Music Awards, pay homage to the musical legacy of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs and their band, the Foggy Mountain Boys. Besides being named Entertainer of the Year again, the bluegrass supergroup’s bandleader, Jerry Douglas, was again named Dobro Player of the Year, while bandmate Barry Bales repeated as Bass Player of the Year and Charlie Cushman was named Banjo Player of the Year.

Last year, The Earls of Leicester also took home trophies for Album of the Year for its self-titled debut release, Instrumental Group of the Year and Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year, while member Shawn Camp was named Male Vocalist of the Year. Also in the group is Johnny Warren (fiddle).

Flatt Lonesome has been garnering considerable attention, accolades and radio airplay. Launched in 2011 by siblings Kelsi Robertson Harrigil (mandolin), Buddy Robertson (guitar), and Charli Robetrtson (fiddle), along with neighbor Dominic Illingworth (bass) and longtime friend Michael Stockton (dobro), and joined by Paul Harrigil (banjo) the following year, the band released its eponymous debut album in 2013.

During the awards show, members of Flatt Lonesome expressed thanks to their parents for teaching them how to sing. “We wouldn’t be Vocal Group of the Year without them,” said Charli Robertson, while twin brother Buddy remarked: “I’ve spent a lot of hours picking in the house with dad growing up and if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be who I am today.” Commenting on winning Album of the Year, older sister Kelsi Harrigill said: “This is our first album to have the majority of material to be all original and that is a huge deal to us. We want to pay tribute to those who came before us but we also want to show people what’s in our hearts…”

Earlier this year, Flatt Lonesome was named Best Overall Bluegrass Band and took home Album of the Year honors during the 42nd annual SPBGMA Awards.

A listing of all the award winners appears below.

2016 International Bluegrass Music Awards

Entertainer of the Year: The Earls of Leicester
Female Vocalist of the Year: Becky Buller
Male Vocalist of the Year: Danny Paisley
Vocal Group of the Year: Flatt Lonesome
Instrumental Group of the Year: Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Song of the Year: “You’re the One,” Flatt Lonesome
Album of the Year: Runaway Train, Flatt Lonesome
Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: “All Dressed Up,” Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers
Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year: “Fireball,” Special Consensus featuring Rob Ickes, Trey Hensley and Alison Brown
Emerging Artist of the Year: Mountain Faith
Recorded Event of the Year: Longneck Blues, Junior Sisk and Ronnie Bowman
Banjo Player of the Year: Charlie Cushman
Bass Player of the Year: Barry Bales
Dobro Player of the Year: Jerry Douglas
Fiddle Player of the Year: Becky Buller
Guitar Player of the Year: Bryan Sutton
Mandolin Player of the Year: Sierra Hull

Inductees into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame: Clarence White; the Rounder Founders: Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin

Distinguished Achievement Awards: Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine, Boston Bluegrass Union, SiriusXM Radio’s Bluegrass Junction, Bill Emerson, Jim Rooney


The International Bluegrass Awards Show was a centerpiece of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s five-day World of Bluegrass, which is considered the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. Held in Raleigh for the fourth consecutive year, World of Bluegrass also featured a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums, artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions, an exhibit hall, plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities, and the Wide Open Bluegrass Music Festival.

Speaking during the awards show, Douglas said: “This is unbelievable fun, and we’re going to keep doing it.”

The Tar Heel State’s own Balsam Range, last year’s Entertainer of the Year and previous winner for Album and Song of the Year, was honored as Vocal Group of the Year, while its “Moon Over Memphis” was named Song of the Year. The acoustic quintet’s Tim Surrett was named Bass Player of the Year.

During the show, Balsam Range performed another one of its songs “Stacking Up The Rocks,” a cappella. Other performers included Flatt Lonesome, the Gibson Brothers (hosts of the event), The Del McCoury Band and Hot Rize.

Alison Krauss joined singer-guitarist Larry Sparks and his band, the Lonesome Ramblers, on a medley of his signature songs after inducting him into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Sparks recently released a new album to mark his 50th year in bluegrass music. Also inducted into the Hall of Fame was banjoist Bill Keith – whom Bill Monroe had hailed as the first banjo player who could play banjo songs in a fiddle style and with a fiddler’s virtuosity. Musician and author Jim Rooney and fellow banjo player Alan Munde sang Keith’s praises in inducting him, while banjoist Noam Pikelny – a founding member of the Punch Brothers and last year’s Album and Banjo Player of the Year winner — played Keith’s tune “Beating Around the Bush” in tribute.

The 26th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards is the centerpiece of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s five-day World of Bluegrass event that continues through Saturday, Oct. 3, with the Wide Open Bluegrass festival featuring free and ticketed events. Awards were voted on by the professional membership of the IBMA (www.ibma.org), the trade association for the global bluegrass music community. Prior to the evening awards show, winners of five 2015 Distinguished Achievement Awards were recognized.

A listing of all the award winners appears below.

2015 International Bluegrass Music Awards

Entertainer of the Year: The Earls of Leicester
Female Vocalist of the Year: Rhonda Vincent
Male Vocalist of the Year: Shawn Camp
Vocal Group of the Year: Balsam Range
Instrumental Group of the Year: The Earls of Leicester
Song of the Year: “Moon Over Memphis,” Balsam Range
Album of the Year: The Earls of Leicester, The Earls of Leicester (produced by Jerry Douglas)
Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: “Who Will Sing for Me,” the Earls of Leicester
Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year: “The Three Bells,” Jerry Douglas, Mike Auldridge, Rob Ickes
Emerging Artist of the Year: Becky Buller
Recorded Event of the Year: “Southern Flavor,” Becky Buller with Peter Rowan, Michael Feagan, Buddy Spicher, Ernie Sykes, Roland White and Blake Williams
Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year: Becky Buller
Banjo Player of the Year: Rob McCoury
Bass Player of the Year: Tim Surrett
Dobro Player of the Year: Jerry Douglas
Fiddle Player of the Year: Michael Cleveland
Guitar Player of the Year: Bryan Sutton
Mandolin Player of the Year: Jesse Brock

Inductees into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame: Bill Keith and Larry Sparks
Distinguished Achievement Awards: Alison Brown, Murphy Henry, the International Bluegrass Music Museum, “Bashful Brother” Oswald Kirby and Steve Martin

The following artists/bands were chosen by the IBMA’s showcase selection committee from among 166 who applied: Barbwire, Becky Buller, Compton & Newberry, Constant Change, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Davidson Brothers (from Australia), Donna Ulisse, Driven, Flatt Lonesome, Helen Highwater Stringband, Irene Kelly, Jeff Scroggins and Colorado, Jim Lauderdale, Monroe Crossing, Moore Brothers Band, Mr. Sun, Mustered Courage (from Australia), New Country Rehab (from Canada), Newtown, Rebecca Frazier and Hit & Run, Red June, Sister Sadie, Special Consensus, The Barefoot Movement, The Danberrys, The Earl Brothers, The Grass Cats, The Lonely Heartstring Band, The Railsplitters, and The Rigneys. Profiles and artist website links may be found online in the World of Bluegrass section on the IBMA website.

“This year, we had more applications for Bluegrass Ramble showcase opportunities than ever before,” said Jon Weisberger, IBMA’s board chair. “The quality – and breadth – of the artists chosen to appear are at an all-time high. I believe that every one of them merits the attention of the industry, and I know that audiences attending their performances around Raleigh are going to find a lot to enjoy.”

Besides these “official” showcase performers, other artists will be added to the Bluegrass Ramble via sponsored shows at the venues. Privately hosted “After Hours Showcases (Tuesday-Saturday) and a new “Wide Open After Hours” showcase format (Friday and Saturday) also are on the docket to afford artists many opportunities to perform at sanctioned IBMA events during World of Bluegrass 2014.

Both IBMA Business Conference attendees (with ID) and the general public (with wristbands that can be purchased online) will be admitted to the Bluegrass Ramble showcases.

IBMA’s World of Bluegrass is considered bluegrass music’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. This is its second year in Raleigh, having uprooted from its Nashville base in 2013. The inaugural week-long event in Raleigh last September drew an estimated 154,000-plus attendees, according to the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, a figure that exceeded expectations. Besides the bureau, IBMA has partnered with PineCone – The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the City of Raleigh, and a local organizing committee to extend its outreach to the roots music community and local bluegrass music fans in the Carolinas.

Featuring a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums, a keynote speaker to be announced, artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions, an exhibit hall, and plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities, the business conference portion of World of Bluegrass 2014 will extend from Tuesday, Sept. 30 trough Thursday, Oct. 2. The 25th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, a centerpiece of the week, are slated to be presented on Thursday evening, Oct. 2, while the festival portion of World of Bluegrass 2014 will take place Friday and Saturday, Oct. 3 and 4. Featuring both free stages and ticketed performances, the Wide Open Bluegrass Music Festival will afford attendees and the general public opportunities to hear a wide variety of bluegrass music and enjoy a street fair with music stages, vendors of all sorts, and youth activities.

For more information and to register and/or purchase tickets for World of Bluegrass 2014 or any of it individual events, visit www.ibma.org/world-of-bluegrass or call (888) GET-IBMA.