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.

Featuring songs penned by Martin, The Long Awaited Album is the second album that the 72-year old, comedian, actor, clawhammer-style banjoist, and multiple Grammy Award-winner has recorded with the Grammy-winning North Carolina-based bluegrass group. Their first album together, Rare Bird Alert, was recorded in 2010. Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers earned the bluegrass music industry’s top honor in 2011 when they were named Entertainer of the Year during the 22nd Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards.

“Wildflowers” is one of a dozen tracks on Bidin’ My Time, the first studio album in more than a decade by country-rock pioneer Hillman – a founding member of the Byrds, Flying Burrito Brothers, Manasas, and the Desert Rose Band. It was produced by the late Tom Petty, who also is featured on the album, along with former members of the Byrds and Desert Rose Band.

The October 2017 FOLKDJ-L charts are based on 13, 841 airplays from 136 different DJs. Label and release date appear in brackets below, while the number of reported spins is shown in parentheses. The top albums and songs charts are posted on AcousticMusicScene.com, with permission.

Top Albums of October 2017

1: The Long-Awaited Album, Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers [Rounder, 9/17] (103)
2: Bidin’ My Time, Chris Hillman [Rounder, 9/17] (87)
3: Echo In The Valley, Bela Fleck And Abigail Washburn [Rounder, new] (74)
4: Turmoil And Tinfoil, Billy Strings [Apostol, 9/17] (73)
5: Fifteen, The Wailin’ Jennys [Red House, 10/17] (69)
5: Letters Never Read, Dori Freeman [Free Dirt, 10/17] (69)
7: Edge Of America, Crowes Pasture [crowespastureduo.com, 9/17] (56)
8: Small Believer, Anna Tivel [Fluff And Gravy, 9/17] (52)
9: Folksinger, Vol. 2, Willie Watson [Acony, 9/17] (49)
10: Happy Little Trees, KC Groves [thebluegrassgirl.com, 9/17] (45)
11: A Hand Full Of Songs, Jim Page [jimpage.net, 10/17] (44)
11: Lead Belly, Baby!, Dan Zanes And Friends [Smithsonian/Folkways, 9/17] (44)
13: Spaghettification, Christine Lavin [christinelavin.com, 8/17] (42)
14: Short Stories, Beppe Gambetta [Borealis, new] (36)
15: The Laughing Apple, Yusuf (Cat Stevens) [Decca, 9/17] (35)
15: Peaceful Easy Feeling, Jack Tempchin [Blue Elan, 8/17] (35)
15: Solid Ground: The Songs Of Fred Alley, Katie Dahl, Eric Lewis And Rich Higdon [Leaky Boat, 8/17] (35)
18: Any Port In A Storm, Mark Stepakoff [markstepakoff.com, new] (34)
18: Grace, Lizz Wright [Concord, 9/17] (34)
18: Night Tree, Night Tree [nighttreemusic.com, 9/17] (34)
18: The Oxygen Girl, Jeni Hankins [Jewel Ridge, 6/17] (34)
22: Headwaters, Misner And Smith [misnerandsmith.com, 10/17] (33)
22: The Quiet Places, Terry Kitchen [Urban Campfire, new] (33)
22: Same As I Ever Have Been, Matt Patershuk [Black Hen, new] (33)
22: Undone, Sean McConnell [Rounder, 9/17] (33)
22: Worth, Emily Mure [emilymure.com, 9/17] (33)
27: Poor David’s Almanack, Dave Rawlings [Acony, 8/17] (32)
28: Eric Gerber Three, Eric Gerber [Scruffy Dog, new] (30)
28: One Go Around, Jeffrey Martin [Fluff And Gravy, new] (30)
30: On That Other Green Shore, John Reischman And The Jaybirds [Corvus, 6/17] (29)
30: The Wild, Kris Delmhorst [Blue Blade, 9/17] (29)
32: California Calling, Laura Cortese And The Dance Cards [Compass, 10/17] (28)
33: Jump In, The Railsplitters [Self, new] (27)
34: Rise, Molly Tuttle [Self, 6/17] (26)
35: At The End Of The Day, Bett Padgett [Self, new] (25)
35: Some Distant Shore, Bill Booth [Wheeling, 3/17] (25)
35: Southern Blood, Gregg Allman [Rounder, 9/17] (25)
38: On To Something Fine, Leah Kaufman [Boojum, 8/17] (23)
39: Folk Hotel, Tom Russell [Frontera, 9/17] (22)
39: Mother Lion, May Erlewine [Earthwork, new] (22)
41: Down Hearted Blues, Eilen Jewell [Signature, 9/17] (21)
41: Freedom Highway, Rhiannon Giddens [Nonesuch, 2/17] (21)
43: Middle Of Nowhere, Folkapotamus [Phatcat, 9/17] (20)
43: Bone On Bone, Bruce Cockburn [True North, 9/17] (20)
43: Crazy If You Let It, Thomm Jutz [Mountain Fever, new] (20)
43: Painting Tomorrow’s Skies Blue, Hank Stone Band [Self, new] (20)
43: Songs From The Dog House, Dennis Dougherty [Thinking Dog, new] (20)
48: Chase The Sun, The Early Mays [Bird On The Wing, 8/17] (19)
48: Wake Up Call, Michael Veitch [Burt Street, new] (19)
48: What If, The Jerry Douglas Band [Rounder, 8/17] (19)
51: The Femme Fatale Of Maine, The Jeremiahs [thejeremiahs.ie, 7/17] (18)
51: Forest Fire, Shawna Caspi [shawnacaspi.com, 9/17] (18)
51: Horizon Lines, Matthew Byrne [matthewbyrne.net, 8/17] (18)
51: The Nashville Sound, Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit [Southeastern, 6/17] (18)
51: Play Guitar In 7 Days, Jim Lloyd [Self, 9/17] (18)
51: Run Away, Rebekah Long [LUK, 9/17] (18)
51: Waitin’ For The Sun, Rusty Young [Blue Elan, 9/17] (18)
58: All American Made, Margo Price [Third Man, new] (17)
58: An American Troubadour: The Songs Of Steve Forbert, Various Artists [Blue Rose, 10/17] (17)
58: Come Back Coming On, Young And Rusty [Motherlotus, 8/17] (17)
58: Wildflower Blues, Jolie Holland And Samantha Parton [Cinquefoil, 9/17] (17)
62: Three Black Crows, Hope Dunbar [Self, new] (16)
62: An American In Havana, Susan Werner [Self, 9/17] (16)
62: The Conversation, Pete’s Posse [Epact, 8/17] (16)
62: For You To See The Stars, Radney Foster [Devil’s River, 9/17] (16)
66: Alastair Moock, Alastair Moock [moock.com, 6/17] (15)
66: Ghost On The Car Radio, Slaid Cleaves [Candy House Media, 7/17] (15)
66: Midnight And Dawn, Deer Creek Boys [Mountain Fever, new] (15)
66: Not My Monkey, Fiddle Whamdiddle [Self, 7/17] (15)
66: Portraits In Fiddles, Mike Barnett [Compass, new] (15)
66: Time Captain, Ragged Union [Self, new] (15)

Top Songs of October 2017

1. “Wildflowers” (29)
by Chris Hillman
from Bidin My Time
2. “Wildflowers” (25)
by The Wailin’ Jennys
from Fifteen
3. “Edge Of America” (17)
by Crowes Pasture
from Edge Of America
4. “Caroline” (15)
by Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers
from The Long-Awaited Album
4. “Santa Fe” (15)
by Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers
from The Long-Awaited Album
6. “Bells Of Rhymney” (14)
by Chris Hillman
from Bidin My Time
6. “Peaceful Easy Feeling” (14)
by Jack Tempchin
from Peaceful Easy Feeling
8. “Don’t Let It Bring You Down” (13)
by Bela Fleck And Abigail Washburn
from Echo In The Valley
8. “Enjoy It While It Lasts” (13)
by Terry Kitchen
from The Quiet Places
10. “Nothing Rhymes With Orange” (12)
by Jim Page
from A Hand Full Of Songs
10. “Pledging Allegiance” (12)
by Michael Veitch
from Wake Up Call
12. “America” (11)
by Misner And Smith
from Headwaters
12. “By My Silence” (11)
by Mara Levine with Gathering Time
from Facets Of Folk (preview)
12. “Catch The Wind” (11)
by Crowes Pasture
from Edge Of America
12. “Gypsy” (11)
by Matt Patershuk
from Same As I Ever Have Been
12. “If I Could Make You My Own” (11)
by Dori Freeman
from Letters Never Read
12. “Midnight Train” (11)
by Dave Rawlings
from Poor David’s Almanack
12. “My Home’s Across The Blue Ridge Mountains” (11)
by Bela Fleck And Abigail Washburn
from Echo In The Valley
12. “Poor Man” (11)
by Jeffrey Martin
from One Go Around
12. “Promontory Point” (11)
by Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers
from The Long-Awaited Album
12. “Take Me To Harlan” (11)
by Bela Fleck And Abigail Washburn
from Echo In The Valley
22. “Road To Nowheresville” (10)
by Folkapotamus
from Middle Of Nowhere
22. “Cat Stevens” (10)
by Yusuf
from Mary And The Little Lamb
22. “Alleyway” (10)
by Anna Tivel
from Small Believer
22. “Loves Me Like A Rock” (10)
by The Wailin’ Jennys
from Fifteen
22. “On The Line” (10)
by Billy Strings
from Turmoil And Tinfoil
22. “Rock Island Line” (10)
by Dan Zanes And Friends
from Leadbelly Baby!
22. “Salty Sheep” (10)
by Billy Strings
from Turmoil And Tinfoil

A Greensboro native, Giddens studied opera at Oberlin Conservatory before returning home and immersing herself in the rural traditions of North Carolina’s Piedmont region. A powerhouse vocalist and multi-instrumentalist (banjo and fiddle), she launched the Carolina Chocolate Drops with bandmates Justin Robinson and Dom Flemons following a chance meeting at the 2005 Black Banjo Gathering in Boone.

The Chocolate Drops, Durham, NC-based tradition bearers whose music incorporated pre-World War II country blues, early jazz, minstrel songs, southern black music from the 1920s and 30s, and folk balladry, along with old-time string-band tunes, developed a reputation for its energetic live shows punctuated with stories about the origins and history of the tunes they played. The Chocolate Drops released several albums on their own prior to signing with Nonesuch Records in 2010. That same year, they released the chart-topping album Genuine Negro Jig, which also won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Recording.

T-Bone Burnett produced Giddens’ solo debut Tomorrow Is My Turn in 2015, a Grammy-nominated album of songs exploring facets of the human condition, after initially recruiting her to perform solo during the 2013 Another Day, Another Time concert at The Town Hall in New York City. During that concert celebrating the early 1960s’ folk revival that had inspired the Coen Brothers’ film Inside Llewyn Davis, Giddens was widely viewed as the star of the evening. Her rendition of Odetta’s “Water Boy” reportedly “stole the show.” Giddens, who currently divides her time between North Carolina and Ireland, has also been cast in the upcoming fifth season of the television series Nashville in which she plays a social worker with the voice of an angel.

Steve martin, the acclaimed actor, author, comedian and musician, established his namesake prize in 2010 to recognize artistry and heighten awareness of talented bluegrass performers. A banjo player himself for more than four decades, Martin has toured in recent years with the Steep Canyon Rangers.

Recipients receive $50,000 cash and a specially designed bronze sculpture. The Steve Martin Charitable Foundation funds the prize, while a panel of musical luminaries that includes Martin, Alison Brown, J.D. Crowe, Bela Fleck, Alison Brown, Tony Trischka, Pete Wernick and others chooses the winner. Previous winners have included Noam Pikelny – banjoist for the Punch Brothers (2010), Sammy Shelor of the Lonesome River Band (2011), Mark Johnson (2012), Jens Kruger (2013), Eddie Adcock (2014), and Danny Barnes (2015). Like the MacArthur Foundation “genius grant” fellowships, no one can apply for the Steve Martin Prize.

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

An eclectic player, Barnes is helping to redefine how the banjo can be used in contemporary music. His own music has been informed by punk rock and dub music of the 1970s, along with his tenure in the 1990s as principal songwriter, producer and singer for alt-country rockers Bad Livers, stints with all sorts of alternative string bands and as a backing player with jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, Tim O’Brien and others.

“My whole thing is music, and trying to make my own sound,” writes Barnes in an introduction on his own website. “I have developed a specific technique I call barnyard electronics – which is an aesthetic combining various bits of bluegrass, noise, rock and electronic music.”

Barnes’ father and grandmother instilled a love of country and bluegrass music in him, while his brothers introduced him to Delta blues and punk rock. Seeing Grandpa Jones and Stringbean in concert as a youngster reportedly stirred his interest in the banjo. Barnes, who briefly had his own band (Danny Barnes & Three Old Codgers), has been a guest musician on albums by Frisell, Wayne Horvitz and the Dave Matthews Band, among others, and is currently playing with the Jeff Austin Band, helmed by a former member of the Yonder Mountain String Band. Besides the banjo, he also plays guitar and resonator guitar.

http://dannybarnes.com/video/maintain-done-jeff-austin-band

The Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass was established by the acclaimed actor, author, comedian and musician in 2010 to recognize artistry and heighten awareness of talented bluegrass performers. A banjo player himself for more than four decades, Steve Martin has toured in recent years with the Steep Canyon Rangers.

Recipients are awarded a $50,000 cash prize and a specially designed bronze sculpture. Previous honorees have also joined Martin in performing on the Late Show with David Letterman. The Steve Martin Charitable Foundation funds the prize, while a panel of musical luminaries that includes Martin, Bela Fleck, Alison Brown, Pete Wernick and others chooses the winner. Previous winners have included Noam Pikelny – banjoist for the Punch Brothers (2010), Sammy Shelor of the Lonesome River Band (2011), Mark Johnson (2012), Jens Kruger (2013), and Eddie Adcock (2014).

Best American Roots Song
“Love Has Come For You” – Edie Brickell & Steve Martin (from Love Has Come for You on Rounder)

Best Americana Album
Old Yellow Moon – Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell (Nonesuch Records)

Best Bluegrass Album
The Streets of Baltimore – Del McCoury Band (McCoury Music)

Best Folk Album
My Favorite Picture of You – Guy Clark (Dualtone)

Best Regional Roots Music Album
Dockside Sessions – Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience (Musicmatters Records)

In addition, The Civil Wars were named the winners in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for “From This Valley.” The East Nashville, Tennessee-based singer-songwriter duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White previously took home two Grammy Awards in 2012 for Best Folk Album of the Year (for its debut album, Barton Hollow) and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for that album’s title track.

The Grammy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, also known as The Recording Academy. A complete list of nominees in all 82 categories appears online at www.grammy.com.

Steve Martin & Edie Brickell were nominated for Best American Roots Song for the title track of their Rounder release, Love Has Come for You, which also is in the running for Best Americana Album. Martin previously received a Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album in 2010 for The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo.

Below is a listing of the nominees, by category, in the American Roots Music Field.

Best American Roots Song

“Build Me Up From Bones” – Sarah Jarosz (Sugar Hill Records)
“Invisible” – Steve Earle (New West Records)
“Keep Your Dirty Lights On” – Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott (from Memories and Moments on Full Skies Records)
“Love Has Come For You” – Edie Brickell & Steve Martin (from Love Has Come for You on Rounder)
“Shrimp Po-Boy, Dressed” – Allen Toussaint (from Songbook on Rounder)

Best Americana Album

Old Yellow Moon – Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell (Nonesuch Records)
Love Has Come For You – Steve Martin & Edie Brickell (Rounder)
Buddy and Jim – Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale (New West Records)
One True Vine – Mavis Staples (Anti Records)
Songbook – Allen Toussaint (Rounder)

Best Bluegrass Album

It’s Just A Road – The Boxcars (Mountain Home Music Company)
Brothers of the Highway – Dailey & Vincent (Rounder)
This World Oft Can Be – Della Mae (Rounder)
Three Chords and the Truth – James King (Rounder)
The Streets of Baltimore – Del McCoury Band (McCoury Music)

Best Blues Album

Remembering Little Walter – Billy Boy Arnold, Charlie Musselwhite, Mark Hummel, Sugar Ray Norcia & James Harman (Blind Pig Records)
Cotton Mouth Man – James Cotton (Alligator)
Get Up! – Ben Harper with Charlie Musselwhite (Stax)
Seesaw – Beth Hart & Joe Bonamassa (J & R Adventures)
Down in Louisiana – Bobby Rush (Deep Rush Records)
Bobby Rush

Best Folk Album

My Favorite Picture of You – Guy Clark (Dualtone)
Sweetheart of the Sun – The Greencards (Darling Street Records)
Build Me Up From Bones – Sarah Jarosz (Sugar Hill Records)
The Ash & Clay – The Milk Carton Kids (Anti Records)
They All Played For Us: Arhoolie Records 50th Anniversary Celebration – Various Artists –Arhoolie Records

Best Regional Roots Music Album

The Life & Times Of…The Hot 8 Brass Band – Hot 8 Brass Band (Tru Thoughts)
Hula Ku’I – Kahulanu (Palm Records)
Le Fou – Zachary Richard (Avalanche Productions)
Dockside Sessions – Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience (Musicmatters Records)
Apache Blessing & Crown Dance Songs – Joe Tahonnie Jr. (Cool Runnings Music)

In addition, living folk music icon Pete Seeger is among the nominees for Best Spoken Word Album (for The Storm King), while The Civil Wars were nominated in the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category for “From This Valley.” The East Nashville, Tennessee-based singer-songwriter duo of Joy Williams and John Paul White took home two Grammy Awards in 2012 for Best Folk Album of the Year (for its debut album, Barton Hollow) and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for that album’s title track.

Nominees for Best Children’s Album include Elizabeth Mitchell & You Are My Flower for Blue Clouds, Beth Nielsen Chapman for The Mighty Sky, Justin Roberts for Recess, Alastair Moock & Friends for Singing Our Way Through: Songs for the World’s Bravest Kids, and Jennifer Gasoi for Throw a Penny in the Wishing Well.

The Grammy Awards are presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, also known as The Recording Academy. A complete list of nominees in all 82 categories appears online at www.grammy.com.

Brothers Eric and Leigh Gibson, along with their band, also won two other awards – being named Vocal Group of the Year and taking Song of the Year honors for “They Called It Music,” the title track of their latest album on Compass Records. Eric Gibson also was named Songwriter of the Year. The Gibson Brothers had garnered a collective eight nominations, individually and as an ensemble, last month.

Balsam Range, a western North Carolina-based band that received seven collective nominations, took home the Album of the Year trophy for Papertown. The Boxcars, who had six nods, were named Instrumental Group of the Year. Balsam Ridge band member Buddy Melton was part of a larger group – including Terry Baucom, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Wyatt Rice and Steve Bryant – that won the Recorded Event of the Year award for “What I’ll Do.” Junior Sisk and Claire Lynch were named male and female vocalists of the year, respectively. The Emerging Artist of the Year Award went to Della Mae. Tony Rice and Paul Warren were the 2013 inductees into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Rice was inducted by two of his musical collaborators, Peter Rowan and Sam Bush. He also performed with his son Wyatt, Bush, Jerry Douglass, Ricky Skaggs and others.

The IBMA Awards Show – which was broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio (Bluegrass Junction) and syndicated to more than 300 U.S. markets and 14 foreign networks — is considered the centerpiece of the trade association’s annual World of Bluegrass music week, Sept. 24-28.

After a long stint in Nashville beginning in 2005, the IBMA 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 have the event in North Carolina’s capital city for the next several years.

Other award winners include:

Gospel Recorded Performance: “Beulah Land” – Marty Raybon
Instrumental Recorded Performance: “Foggy Mountain Rock” – Tom Adams, Dan Tyminski, Ron Stewart, Dennis Crouch, Clay Hess (a song from a tribute album to Earl Scruggs)
Banjo Player of the Year: Mike Munford
Bass Player of the Year: Barry Bales
Fiddle Player of the Year: Jason Carter
Dobro Player of the Year: Rob Ickes (his 15th win in that category)
Guitar Player of the Year: Bryan Sutton
Mandolin Player of the Year: Adam Steffey (member of The Boxcars)

Brothers Eric and Leigh Gibson, along with their band (Mike Barber, Clayton Campbell and Joe Walsh) also were honored for Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year” for “Singing As We Rise.”

Other top winners of this year’s International Bluegrass Music Awards, which are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), included Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice whose The Heart of a Song was named Album of the Year, while “A Far Cry from Lester & Earl” took Single of the Year honors. Russell Moore (of Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out) and Dale Ann Bradley were named male and female vocalists of the year, respectively. The Emerging Artist of the Year Award went to Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, while Doyle Lawson and the late Ralph Rinzler were the 2012 inductees into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.

Steve Martin and other top bluegrass musicians participated in a star-filled tribute to Earl Scruggs, the legendary banjo player who died earlier this year, that capped off the gala event that was hosted by Del McCoury and Laurie Lewis.

The IBMA Awards Show is considered the centerpiece of the trade association’s annual World of Bluegrass Week, which also included an IBMA business conference and Bluegrass Fan Fest.

A complete list of award winners follows:

Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductees: Doyle Lawson, Ralph Rinzler
Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients: Byron Berline, Joe & Lil Cornett, Orin Friesen, Pee Wee Lambert, Kitsy Kuykendall
Entertainer of the Year: The Gibson Brothers
Vocal Group of the Year: Blue Highway
Instrumental Group of the Year: The Boxcars
Emerging Artists of the Year: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Male Vocalist of the Year: Russell Moore
Female Vocalist of the Year: Dale Ann Bradley
Song of the Year: “A Far Cry From Lester & Earl” Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
Album of the Year: Heart Of A Song, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
Gospel Recorded Event of the Year: “Singing As We Rise” by the Gibson Brothers w/Ricky Skaggs
Instrumental Performance of the Year: “Angeline The Baker” by Lonesome River Band
Recorded Event of the Year: “Life Goes On” by Carl Jackson, Ronnie Bowman, Larry Cordle, Jerry Salley, Rickey Wasson, Randy Kohrs, D.A. Adkins, Garnet Bowman, Lynn Butler, Ashley Kohrs, Gary Payne, Dale Pyatt, Clay Hess, Alan Bibey, Jay Weaver, Ron Stewart & Jim VanCleve (artists); Jerry Salley, Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Jim Van Cleve & Randy Kohrs (producers); Rural Rhythm Records
Banjo Player of the Year: Sammy Shelor
Bass Player of the Year: Marshall Wilborn
Fiddle Player of the Year: Stuart Duncan
Dobro Player of the Year: Rob Ickes
Guitar Player of the Year: Doc Watson
Mandolinist of the Year: Adam Steffey
Broadcaster of the Year: Kyle Cantrell
Bluegrass Event of the Year: ROMP, produced by the International Bluegrass Music Museum; Owensboro, KY
Print Media Person of the Year: Marty Godbey, author of Crowe on the Banjo: The Music Life of J.D. Crowe (Univ. of Illinois Press)
Best Graphic Design: Bedrock Manufacturing (designer) for Nobody Knows You, by the Steep Canyon Rangers (Rounder Records)
Best Liner Notes: Marian Leighton Levy (liner notes), for Tony Rice: The Bill Monroe Collection, by Tony Rice (Rounder Records)
Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year: Jon Weisberger

IBMA’s new Momentum Awards, designed to recognize promising new talent – artists and business people in the early years of their careers in bluegrass music, were presented earlier in the week This year’s recipients are:

Band of the Year: Monroeville
Vocalist of the Year: Emily Bankester (performs with The Bankesters)
Instrumentalists of the Year: bassist Samson Grisman (son of legendary mandolinist David “Dawg” Grisman, performs with The Deadly Gentlemen), fiddler Alex Hargreaves (performs with Sarah Jarosz), and fiddler Christian Ward (performs with Sierra Hull)
Event/Venue of the Year: Appalachian Uprising, produced by Steve Cielic (a new festival in Scottown, Ohio)
Industry Achievement: Crash Avenue publicist Emilee Warner
Mentor of the Year: Five-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year and producer Mike Bub

A North Carolina native, Scruggs grew up in a small rural community in Cleveland County, where he was surrounded by music. His father played the fiddle and banjo, while his mother played the organ in church and several of his brothers and sisters played both banjo and guitar. He began playing the banjo as a youngster, when his parents reportedly bought him one for $10, and played before his first audience at age 6. Scruggs once wrote that “Probably no other family enjoyed music and singing more than we did. The banjo stayed in my mind most of the time, if I was playing with friends or working on the farm.”

Indeed, he was widely regarded as a master of the banjo for nearly 70 years. Scruggs, then 21, joined the “Father of Bluegrass” Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in late 1945 as its banjo player and stayed with the band until 1948, when he and guitarist, Lester Flatt, left to form the Foggy Mountain Boys – later known by the simple moniker Flatt and Scruggs.

“Scruggs devised a new style of three-fingered picking [enabling one to play a song’s melody and rhythm simultaneously] that created an immediate sensation in the 1940s and became one of the defining characteristics of bluegrass music,” said Wayne Martin, folklife director of the North Carolina Arts Council, which honored Scruggs with its North Carolina Heritage Award in 1996. “He brought an extraordinarily high level of creativity, precision and artistry to banjo playing and, through his long recording and touring career, carried the instrument to the forefront of American roots music. He transformed banjo playing and, in the process, transformed American popular culture.” For his part, Scruggs said at the time: “My music came up from the soil of North Carolina, and I have been blessed that people in all parts of the world enjoy it.”

Scruggs is, perhaps, best known for two songs: Paul Henning’s “The Ballad of Jed Clampett,” which he, Flatt and singer Jerry Scoggins recorded in the fall of 1962 as the theme song for the popular American TV series The Beverly Hillbillies (Flatt and Scruggs appeared in several episodes of the show as family friends of the zany Clampetts); and “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” his own 1969 Grammy Award-winning instrumental that can be heard during the chase sequences in the movie Bonnie and Clyde. He won a second Grammy Award for a 2001 recording of the same song that also featured Steve Martin (who has called Scruggs his inspiration) on second banjo and several other musical luminaries. His 2001 album, Earl Scruggs and Friends, (his first release in 17 years) featured musical collaborations with such diverse artists as Elton John, Melissa Etheridge, John Fogarty, Don Henley, Sting and Dwight Yoakam — revealing that his influence extended far beyond bluegrass circles. Indeed, Scruggs helped bridge both generations and genres.

Here’s a link to a video of Earl Scruggs and Steve Martin performing “Foggy Mountain Breakdown:”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icMTVV5Lwaw

After parting ways with Flatt earlier in 1969, Scruggs became one of the select few bluegrass or country-western artists to embrace the anti-war movement and played “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” during the Moratorium to End the War in Vietnam rally in Washington, D.C. Following his split with Flatt, he formed the Earl Scruggs Revue with his three sons – Gary, Randy and Steve; the group blended bluegrass with more contemporary music and helped give rise to country rock. Scruggs also collaborated with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on its landmark 1972 album Will The Circle Be Unbroken.

Through the years, Scruggs, who was equally at home at a folk festival or at the Grand Ole Opry, received numerous awards and honors. In addition to four Grammy Awards — the latter two for playing on an all-star recording of “Same Old Train” (1998) and “Earl’s Breakdown” with the Dirt Band (2004) — the Country Music Hall of Famer was awarded a National Heritage Fellowship and a National Medal of Arts. He was in the International Bluegrass Hall of Honor’s inaugural class of 1991 and received lifetime achievement awards from Folk Alliance and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (which runs the Grammy Awards), as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Scruggs was predeceased by his wife and manager, Louise, as well as his youngest son, Steve.