Billy Strings, a Michigan-born and Nashville, Tennessee-based genre-bending flatpicking guitarist and singer-songwriter, was previously named Entertainer of the Year in 2021, 2022 and 2023. A two-time Grammy Award winner for Best Bluegrass Album — Live Vol. 1 (2025) and Home (2021) — he also was named Artist of the Year (2022 and 2023) in the Americana Music Honors & Awards presented by the Americana Music Association, as well as Pollstar’s Breakthrough Artist of the Pandemic. He was previously honored as both Guitar Player and New Artist of the Year in the 2019 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards and was named Guitar Player of the Year again in 2021, while his song “Red Daisy” was 2022’s Song of the Year. Billy Strings, who turns 33 on Oct. 3, grew up playing traditional bluegrass with his dad. In the years since, he has been among the artists who have helped to expand the boundaries of the genre, widening its appeal.

Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland’s “Outrun the Rain” won the coveted Song of the Year award and was also named Collaborative Recording of the Year, while the 2025 release on which it appears, Carter & Cleveland, was named Album of the Year. Carter, a five-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year, has played with the Del McCoury Band for 30 years and is a founding member of the Travelin’ McCourys, winners of the 2018 Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album. The Kentucky native’s fiddling prowess can also be heard on albums by such notable artists as Asleep at the Wheel, Diercks Bentley, Charlie Daniels, Steve Earle, Vince Gill, and Ricky Skaggs. Southern Indiana-based Michael Cleveland, whose 2024 release, Tall Fiddler, won a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album, was inducted into the National Fiddler Hall of Fame (2018) and was a recipient of a prestigious 2022 NEA National Heritage Fellowship, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts, from the National Endowment for the Arts. He has been recognized 13 times as the IBMA’s Fiddle Player of the Year and six times for Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year, while Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper has been hailed as its Instrumental Group of the Year multiple times. And has also received awards from the society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPGMA). The subject of a 2019 biographical documentary film, Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story, the much sought-after musician has also performed with such noted artists as J.D. Crowe and the New South, Vice Gill, The Kruger Brother, Tim O’Brien, Andy Statman, and Mary Stuart, among others.

The IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association, a nonprofit trade organization that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide (ibma.org).

A complete list of 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards recipients appears below, along with brief information about three Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees.

Entertainer of the Year: Billy Strings

Song of the Year: “Outrun the Rain” – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland

Songwriters: Terry Herd & Jimmy Yeary

Producers: Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland

Label: Fiddle Man Records

Album of the Year: Carter & Cleveland – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland

Producers: Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland

Label: Fiddle Man Records

Vocal Group of the Year: Authentic Unlimited

Instrumental Group of the Year: The Travelin’ McCourys

Gospel Recording of the Year:

“He’s Gone” – Jaelee Roberts

Songwriter: Kelsi Harrigil
Producer: Byron House
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

Instrumental Recording of the Year:

“Ralph’s Banjo Special” – Kristin Scott Benson
Songwriter: Ralph Stanley
Producer: Allison Brown
Label: Compass Records

Collaborative Recording of the Year:

“Outrun the Rain” – Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland, Jaelee Roberts & Vince Gill
Songwriters: Terry Herd & Jimmy Yeary
Producers: Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Label: Fiddle Man Records

New Artist of the Year: Red Camel Collective

Male Vocalist of the Year: Greg Blake

Female Vocalist of the Year: Alison Krauss

Banjo Player of the Year: Kristin Scott Benson

Bass Player of the Year: Vickie Vaughn

Fiddle Player of the Year: Maddie Denton

Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year: Justin Moses

Guitar Player of the Year: Trey Hensley

Mandolin Player of the Year: Sierra Hull

Music Video of the Year: “The Auctioneer” – The Kody Norris Show

Songwriters: Leroy Van dyke & Buddy Black
Producer: James Gilley
Videographer: Nate Wiles

Label: Rebel Records

Hot Rize (a pioneering bluegrass band), The Bluegrass Cardinals (known for its flawless harmonies, virtuoso playing, and original music), and Arnold Shultz (an influential African American musician) were inducted into Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame during the awards show.

The IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show is the centerpiece of World of Bluegrass that extended from September 16-20. Considered the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion, IBMA’s World of Bluegrass also featured a three-day business conference (replete with a wide array of professional development programming, sponsored artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions, and plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities), the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble (a series of showcases at various Chattanooga venues), and the two-day IBMA Bluegrass Live! – a festival of live performances and fan experiences.

Bluegrass Sings Paxton is a multi-artist collection of a dozen select songs penned by Paxton and performed by a wide array of bluegrass singers and pickers assembled by producers Cathy Fink and Jon Weisberger. “I Can’t Help But Wonder (Where I’m Bound)” is the album’s lead-off track. Other Paxton songs on the Mountain Home Music recording – seven of which were among September’s most-played songs on folk radio — include current IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Greg Blake’s rendition of “Leaving London,” previous three-time IBMA Male Vocalist Award recipient Danny Paisley’s take on the classic “Ramblin’ Boy,“ and past IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year Claire Lynch’s rendition of “I Give You the Morning.” Sister Sadie’s interpretation of “The Last Thing On My Mind” closes out the album, which also features selections, old an new, recorded by Laurie Lewis (Central Square”), Bluegrass Hall of Famer Alice Gerrard (“The Things I Notice Now”), Grammy Award-winner Tim O’Brien (“You Took Me In,” a new gospel-tinged song co-written by Paxton, O’Brien and bandmate Jan Fabricius), Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer (“All I Want”), Aaron Burdett of The Steep Canyon Rangers (“The Same River Twice”), Chris Jones (“The Last Hobo”), and Sav Sankaran (“Looking for the Moon”).

[Here’s a link to enjoy a five-minute video featuring Tom Paxton discussing Bluegrass Sings Paxton and its songs, along with a few musical excerpts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUU8haC-nmU.]

House of Hamill, a self-described upcycled Celtic folk band, was the most played artist on folk radio for a second consecutive month – this time tying with singer-songwriter Kate McDonnell. Featuring Rose Baldino (fiddle and vocals), Brian Buchanan (fiddle, vocals and guitar), and Caroline Browning (bass, mandolin and piano), House of Hamill is a Pennsylvania-based, nationally touring trio that has performed at music festivals and established folk venues. Its fourth full-length release, Wildfire, topped the folk album charts in August, while its rendition of Jimmy Webb’s “The Highwayman” was that month’s top song. House of Hamill’s tight vocal harmonies, sophisticated instrumental arrangements, and acoustic pop sensibilities are evident on Wildfire. Like its live shows and previous releases, the album features a mix of original numbers, modern takes on centuries-old folk ballads, and choice covers. Recorded in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, Wildfire also features House of Hamill’s original song “Banks of the Brandywine.” An ode to folklore that surrounds a notorious location on the Brandywine River in Chester County, PA, the song was recently selected as the grand-prize winner in the folk category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest – 2024 Session 1.

[Here’s a link to listen to the title track of House of Hamill’s new album, Wildfire:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grwhwUutYiA.]

Kate McDonnell is an award-winning singer-songwriter, as well as a gifted guitarist with a propensity to play the instrument differently than most. According to her official bio, she taught herself how to play the guitar, strung for a right-handed player, left-handed “upside down and backwards,” using her stronger right hand for chording and ignoring the customary positioning of the guitar strings. Part of a musically-inclined family, McDonnell began writing her own songs in 1989 and gained recognition in the early 1990s as both a Kerrville New Folk finalist and a finalist in the Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, as well as being voted the #1 singer-songwriter in a New Haven (Connecticut) Advocate readers’ poll following the release of her-self-produced debut album, Broken Bones. Since then, she has earned much critical acclaim and praise from such noted songwriters as Jonathan Edwards and the late Bill Staines, recorded five more albums, and toured internationally. Although she took a hiatus from performing for a decade to focus on working as a child therapist in day treatment programs, residential programs, and inner city schools, McDonnell never gave up songwriting. She returned to the studio in 2020 to record her fifth album, Ballad of a Bad Girl. Her sixth album, Trapeze, was released in September. It features 14 songs that she wrote over the past three years.

[Here’s a link to enjoy a recent video of Kate McDonnell performing her song “Pretty Good Day”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nUfNS26c6k.]

The September 2024 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 10,787 airplays reported on 362 playlists submitted by 101 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 2024

1.Bluegrass Sings Paxton by Various Artists (124)
2. Labor Day: A Tribute to Hardworking People Everywhere by Si Kahn and
George Mann (103)
3. Trapeze by Kate McDonnell (58)
4. Wildfire by House of Hamill (56)
5. From China to Appalachia by Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Chao Tian (53)
6. The Legend of Sugarbelly by Guy Davis (52)
7. Ten Good Sermons by Eugene Ruffolo (51)
8. Manos Pan Americanos by Larry and Joe (45)
8. Boarding Windows in Paradise by Rebecca Frazier (45)
10. Everything Must Go by Donal Hinely (44)
11. Back to the Light by Heather Pierson (43)
12. Woodland by Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (33)
12. The Set by Jerry Douglas (33)
14. The American Dream by Amy Speace (31)
14. Bloom Where You Fall by Hana Zara (31)
16. Dan Tyminski: Live From the Ryman by Dan Tyminski (30)
17. Carved in the Bark by Nick Carter (29)
17. A Prosperous Gale by Open the Door for Three (29)
19. Blessed by the West by Sarah Pierce (28)
19. Heart on a Wire by Carolyn Shulman (28)
19. Now, O Now by Rakish (28)
22. Terra Madre by Beppe Gambetta (27)
23. Earl Jam by Tony Trischka (26)
24. Willie Watson by Willie Watson (25)
25. Live at Steelstacks by River Drivers (24)
26. City of Glass by Aj Lee and Blue Summit (23)
27. “The Great Northwest by Steve Lundquist (22)
28. The First Day of December by Ivan Strunin (21)
29. Harbortowne by Jim Patton and Sherry Brokus (20)
29. Lessen the Blue by Larry Folk (20)
31. The Light Years by The Magnolia Janes (19)
32. Blame It on Eve by Shemekia Copeland (18)
33. The Unspeakable Milo Binder by Milo Binder (17)
33. The Two of Us by Janie Rothfield and Allan Carr (17)
33. Thus Spoke the Fool by Pony Bradshaw (17)
33. Bluegrass Tracks by Andy Statman (17)
33. Weird Wild Wonderful by Emily Hicks (17)
33. Quiet Town by Mindy Smith (17)
33. Hanging at the Luna Star by Lou Dominguez (17)
40. Wasted Luck by Tiffany Williams and Dalton Mills (16)
40. Goldenrod by Teni Rane (16)
40. One of These Days by Cris Jacobs (16)
40. Trail of Flowers by Sierra Ferrell (16)
44. Soliloquy by Craig Bickhardt (15)
44. Long Way Home by Ray Lamontagne (15)
46. Driven to Drive by Joe Ely (14)
47. Phthalo Blue by Andrew Marlin (13)
47. Polaroid Lovers by Sarah Jarosz (13)
47. More Than a Whisper: Celebrating the Music of Nanci Griffith by
Various Artists (13)
50. Western Chill by Robert Earl Keen (12)
50. Diamond Days by Brooks Williams (12)
50. Daylight Savings Time by Steve Forbert (12)
50. The Price of Happiness by Miranda Hardy (12)
50. “weet Critters by Caleb Caudle (12)
50. Trees by Laurie Lewis (12)
50. Atlantic Sounds by Miscellany of Folk (12)
50. 20 by The Grascals (12)

Top Songs of September 2024

1. “I Can’t Help but Wonder (Where I’m Bound)” by Tom Paxton and Della Mae (27)
2. “I Give You the Morning” by Claire Lynch (17)
3. “Canaan” by Danny Schmidt (16)
4. “The Old Labor Hall” by Joe Jencks (13)
5. “Banks of the Brandywine” by House of Hamill (12)
5. “The Same River Twice” by Aaron Burdett (12)
5. “The American Dream” by Amy Speace (12)
5. “Central Square” by Laurie Lewis (12)
5. “Something You Got” by Jerry Douglas (12)
10. “You Took Me In” by Tim O’Brien (11)
10. “Ramblin’ Boy” by Danny Paisley (11)
10. “It Takes All Kinds” by Mark Stepakoff (11)
10. “Everything Must Go” by Donal Hinely (11)
10. “Up Here in the Mountains” by Heather Pierson (11)
10. “The Last Thing on My Mind” by Sister Sadie (11)
16. “Back to the Light” by Heather Pierson (10)
16. “A World Minus One” by Eugene Ruffolo (10)
16. “Wildfire” by House of Hamill (10)
19. “Long Way to Harlan” by Si Kahn and Laurie Lewis (9)
19. “The Things I Notice Now” by Alice Gerrard (9)
19. “High on a Mountain” by Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Chao Tian (9)
19. “Gone Gonna Rise Again” by Michael Johnathon and Odetta (9)
19. “Late Bloomer” by Eugene Ruffolo (9)
19. “Back When Times Were Hard” by Si Kahn (9)
19. “No Child Should Ever Go Hungry” by Tret Fure (9)
19. “Pretty Good Day” by Kate McDonnell (9)
19. “Beautiful You” by Tom Prasada-Rao (9)
19. “Ain’t That Me and You” by Nick Carter (9)
19. “What’s Gonna Become of Me” by Jerron Paxton (9)
19. “Lawrence Jones” by Kathy Mattea (9)

Top Artists of September 2024

1. Kate McDonnell (60)
1. House of Hamill (60)
3. Highwaymen (55)
4. Guy Davis (54)
5. Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Chao Tian (53)
6. Eugene Ruffolo (51)
7. Heather Pierson (48)
8. Donal Hinely (47)
9. Larry and Joe (45)
9. Rebecca Frazier (45)
11. Bob Dylan (39)
11. Amy Speace (39)
13. Jerry Douglas (38)
14. Gillian Welch and David Rawlings (36)
15. Laurie Lewis (34)
16. Hana Zara (31)
16. Open the Door for Three (31)
16. Rakish (31)
19. Dan Tyminski (30)
19. Tony Trischka (30)
21. John McCutcheon (29)
21. Leonard Cohen (29)
21. Nick Carter (29)
21. Beppe Gambetta (29)
25. Willie Watson (28)
25. Carolyn Shulman (28)
25. Sarah Pierce (28)
28. Tom Paxton and Della Mae (27)
28. Willie Nelson (27)
28. Tim O’Brien (27)
31. River Drivers (26)
31. Si Kahn (26)
31. Danny Schmidt (26)
34. John Gorka (24)
34. Dar Williams (24)
34. Joe Jencks (24)
37. Aj Lee and Blue Summit (23)
37. Nanci Griffith (23)
37. Joni Mitchell (23)
37. Tim Grimm (23)

The September 2015 FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 13, 054 airplays from 138 different DJs from the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Label and release date appear in brackets below, while the number of reported spins is shown in parentheses. The charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission.

Top Albums of September 2015

1: Joy Of Living: A Tribute To Ewan MacColl, Various Artists
[Compass, new] (86)
2: Songs Of Heart and Home, Greg Blake [gregblakemusic.com, new] (78)
3: Get Together: Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics, Lowell
Levinger [Grandpa Raccoon, new] (60)
4: Dreams and Ghosts: A Family Album, Avery Hill
[averyhilltunes.com, 7/15] (59)
5: Round Trip, Beppe Gambetta and Tony McManus [Borealis, new] (55)
6: Shifted, Harpeth Rising [Grimm Rising, 8/15] (53)
7: If Not Now, When, Freebo [Poppabo, 4/15] (49)
7: The Song Of The Banjo, Alison Brown [Compass, new] (49)
7: A Thousand Hands, Chris Rosser [Hollow Reed Arts, 10/14] (49)
10: Kokomo Kidd, Guy Davis [M. C., new] (47)
10: Third Street, Peter Mayer [Blue Boat, 11/14] (47)
12: Walking Into White, Sarah McQuaid [Waterbug, 8/15] (42)
13: A Silent Song, Archie Fisher [Red House, new] (41)
14: So Far, So Good, David Roth [Wind River, 6/15] (40)
15: Low Lily, Low Lily [lowlily.com, 8/15] (38)
16: Domestic Eccentric, Old Man Luedecke [True North, 7/15] (37)
16: Joe Hill’s Last Will, John McCutcheon [Appalsongs, 5/15] (37)
18: Hillary Rollins Presents Christine Lavin and Friends: Live at
McCabe’s, Christine Lavin [christinelavin.com, new] (34)
19: Leaving Soon, Crow and The Canyon [crowandthecanyon.com, 6/15] (33)
20: Bright Shadow, Ana Egge [Grace/Parkinsong, 5/15] (32)
20: The Post-American Century, Terry Kitchen [Urban Campfire, new] (32)
20: Rembrandt Afternoons, Tret Fure [Tomboy Girl, new] (32)
20: Road Signs, Mike Laureanno [University Studios, new] (32)
24: Old Time Reverie, Mipso [Robust, new] (31)
24: The Promise Of The Sowing, Dan Schatz [Folk-Legacy, 8/15] (31)
24: Tomorrow’s Child, Jonathan Edwards [Rising, 6/15] (31)
27: The Farwells, The Farwells [Tin Halo, new] (30)
27: Frankie and The No-Go Road, Rita Hosking [Self, new] (30)
27: Radio, Steep Canyon Rangers [Rounder, 8/15] (30)
30: Ballads Long and Short, John Roberts And Debra Cowan [Golden
Hind, 7/15] (29)
31: Deep End Sessions, Vol. 2, Jesse Milnes And Emily Miller
[emmyandjesse.com, 7/15] (26)
32: Over and Even, Joan Shelley [No Quarter, new] (25)
32: Postmodern Man, Clint Alphin [Ernest Engine Songs, 6/15] (25)
32: Too Big World, Bumper Jacksons [bumperjacksons.com, 6/15] (25)
32: With A Lampshade On, The Dustbowl Revival [Signature, 7/15] (25)
36: Emerald, Dar Williams [Self, 5/15] (23)
36: Grandma’s Got A Boombox, Sandy Ross [sandyross.com, 5/15] (23)
38: Temporary Things, Clara Baker [Self, 6/15] (22)
39: Ordinary Band, Katie Dahl [Waterbug, 6/15] (21)
40: Dinas, Calan [Sain, 6/15] (20)
41: Dancin’ In The Kitchen, Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer [Community,
3/15] (19)
41: Rural Electrification, Peter Keane [Little Hat, 6/15] (19)
43: Road Be Kind, Andy Cohen [Earwig, new] (18)
43: Watkins Family Hour, Watkins Family Hour [Self, 7/15] (18)
43: When I’m Free, Hot Rize [Ten In Hand, 9/14] (18)
46: Further West, Hungrytown [Listen Here!, 5/15] (17)
46: Lost Time, Dave Alvin And Phil Alvin [Yep Roc, new] (17)
46: Precious Memories, Sue Massek [Strictly Country, 4/15] (17)
46: So Far, David Myles [Little Tiny, new] (17)
46: Soul of a Man, Adam Michael Rothberg [amrsounds.com, 4/15] (17)
46: Tangled Country, The Honey Dewdrops [thehoneydewdrops.com, 3/15] (17)
46: Banjo & Fiddle: Tunes from the North, Songs from the South,
Karrnnel Sawitsky and Daniel Koulack [hearthmusic.com, 3/15] (17)
53: Still She Will Fly (EP), Heather Pierson Acoustic Trio [Vessel,
5/15] (16)
53: 1896, Peter Spencer [Self, 2011] (16)
53: Della Mae, Della Mae [Rounder, 5/15] (16)
53: Pop Songs for Elk, Hillfolk Noir [Self, 6/15] (16)
57: Beautiful You, The Waifs [Compass, 8/15] (15)
57: Coffee Creek, The Slocan Ramblers [slocanramblers.com, 7/15] (15)
57: Morning in a New Machine, Dubl Handi [dublhandimusic.com, 6/15] (15)
57: Nashville Obsolete, Dave Rawlings Machine [Acony, new] (15)
57: The Shape of Things Gone Missing, The Shape of Things to Come,
Martha Scanlan [Up On The Divide, 4/15] (15)
57: Sorrow Bound, Kaia Kater [Kingswood, 6/15] (15)
57: Stumbling Towards The Light, Eric Bannan [Self, 7/15] (15)
64: The Faster It Goes, The Railsplitters [therailsplitters.com, 5/15] (14)
64: The Trackless Woods, Iris DeMent [Flariella, 8/15] (14)
64: Treehouse, Kevin Dooley [Stormcrow, 7/15] (14)
67: A Gathering of Moments II, David Tamulevich [Yellow Room, 8/15] (13)
67: Rise, Andrea Zonn [Compass, 9/15] (13)
67: Something More Than Free, Jason Isbell [Southeastern, 7/15] (13)
67: Southern Girl, Joanne Rand [Self, new] (13)
67: A Wanderer I’ll Stay, Pharis and Jason Romero [Lula, 3/15] (13)

Top Songs of September 2015

1. “House Carpenter” (21)
by Low Lily
from Low Lily
2. “Get Together” (19)
by Lowell Levinger
from Get Together: Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics
3. “Wind Stole My Song” (17)
by Chris Rosser
from A Thousand Hands
4. “Hey Porter” (14)
by Greg Blake
from Songs of Heart and Home
5. “Summer Wages” (13)
by Greg Blake
from Songs of Heart and Home
6. “Hello And Goodbye” (12)
by Avery Hill
from Dreams and Ghosts: A Family Album
6. “Remembering My Password” (12)
by Christine Lavin
from Hillary Rollins presents Christine Lavin and Friends:
Live at McCabe’s
8. “Bonnie Mulligan’s” (11)
by Beppe Gambetta And Tony McManus
from Round Trip
8. “Carolina In The Pines” (11)
by Alison Brown
from The Song of the Banjo
8. “Does Joni Mitchell Ever Mow the Lawn” (11)
by David Roth
from So Far, So Good
8. “Kokomo Kidd” (11)
by Guy Davis
from Kokomo Kidd
8. “Northern Spy” (11)
by Low Lily
from Low Lily
13. “30-Foot Trailer” (9)
by Eliza Carthy
from Joy of Living: A Tribute to Ewan MacColl
13. “Canticle Of The Sun” (9)
by Sarah McQuaid
from Walking Into White
13. “Dirty Old Town” (9)
by Steve Earle
from Joy of Living: A Tribute to Ewan MacColl
13. “Down In The Water” (9)
by Mipso
from Old Time Reverie
13. “Field” (9)
by Mike Laureanno
from Road Signs
13. “Gentle On My Mind” (9)
by Crow and The Canyon
from Leaving Soon
13. “Hard Times” (9)
by Peter Spencer
from 1896
13. “So Much More To Home” (9)
by Terry Kitchen
from The Post-American Century
21. “Brighter Than the Blues” (8)
by Joan Shelley
from Over and Even
21. “Darkness Darkness” (8)
by Lowell Levinger
from Get Together: Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics
21. “Doherty’s” (8)
by Beppe Gambetta And Tony McManus
from Round Trip
21. “Freedom” (8)
by Tret Fure
from Rembrandt Afternoons
21. “God Save The Watchman” (8)
by Avery Hill
from Dreams and Ghosts: A Family Album
21. “Hippie From Olema” (8)
by Lowell Levinger
from Get Together: Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics
21. “Lord of the May” (8)
by Archie Fisher
from A Silent Song
21. “Moving On Song” (8)
by Norma Waterson
from Joy of Living: A Tribute to Ewan MacColl
21. “Rollin’ To You” (8)
by Harpeth Rising
from Shifted
21. “She Loves My Dog More Than Me” (8)
by Freebo
from If Not Now When
21. “Sweet Thames Flow Softly” (8)
by Rufus And Martha Wainwright
from Joy of Living: A Tribute to Ewan MacColl
21. “Time After Time” (8)
by Alison Brown
from The Song of the Banjo
21. “Tomorrow’s Child” (8)
by Jonathan Edwards
from Tomorrow’s Child
21. “Tomorrow’s Train” (8)
by Peter Mayer
from Third Street

Besides these “official” showcase performers, other artists will be added to the Bluegrass Ramble via co-sponsored shows at the venues along with privately hosted “After Hours Showcases” (Tuesday-Friday) at the Marriott. The “Wide Open After Hours” showcase format introduced last year also is on the docket (Friday-Saturday, Oct. 2-3).

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. Although the IBMA is adding afternoon showcases this year to its business conference from Tuesday-Thursday, these will be open only to conference registrants/attendees — affording artists an opportunity to showcase their talents before talent buyers, labels, agents and “tastemakers” in the bluegrass community.

IBMA’s World of Bluegrass is considered bluegrass music’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. This is its third year in Raleigh, having uprooted from its Nashville base in 2013. IBMA has partnered with The Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau, 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 2015 will extend from Tuesday, Sept. 29 trough Thursday, Oct. 1. The 26th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, a centerpiece of the week, will be presented on Thursday evening, Oct. 1, while the festival portion of World of Bluegrass 2015 will take place Friday and Saturday, Oct. 2 and 3. Featuring free stages and ticketed performances, the Wide Open Bluegrass music festival will afford conference 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 2015 or any of its individual events, visit www.ibma.org/world-of-bluegrass or call (888) GET-IBMA.