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.

Called DelFest At Home and celebrating musical highlights from DelFests past that have taken place in western Maryland for more than a decade, the free online event will showcase the festival’s namesake and his family, along with notable bluegrass artists and jam bands such as the Trey Anastasio Band, Billy Strings, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck & Chris Thile, Greensky Bluegrass, Hot Rize, I’m With Her, The Infamous Stringdusters, Railroad Earth, Sierra Hull, Marty Stuart, The Wood Brothers, and more.

Like many festivals and other musical events this spring and summer, Delfest was cancelled due to public health concerns surrounding the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

“We’ve heard from many folks how much it’s going to hurt not being at DelFest this Memorial Day weekend, so we hope this helps a little,” says Ronnie McCoy, a mandolinist with the Del McCoury Band and The Travelin’ McCourys “We’re grateful to have a dedicated crew that has captured some great moments of DelFest through the years, and are looking forward to reliving some of these great moments with you ourselves.” Adds Rob McCoury, his brother—and banjo-playing bandmate in both ensembles: “We are so excited about this. It’s just a small way we can all feel connected this weekend. … We are going to pop onto Facebook Live from time to time between sets to say ‘hello.’”

DelFest At Home starts Thursday, May 21, at 4:30 p.m. EST and can be viewed on Nugs.tv and via DelFest’s YouTube channel and Facebook page. Performances will air until 9:30 p.m EST. on May 21, and from 2:30-11:30 p.m. on May 22, 12:30 p.m. on May 23 – 1 a.m. on May 24, and from 11:30 a.m. on May 24 to 12:30 a.m. on May 25. Although there is no cost to view the virtual festival from the comfort of your own home, donations will be gratefully accepted throughout the holiday weekend that will go toward funding the DelFest Foundation, an organization that works with and supports nonprofit organizations throughout western Maryland.

Editor’s Note: Although I have not been to DelFest to date, I have had the pleasure of seeing Del McCoury perform live a few times — both with his sons and with David Grisman as Del & Dawg.

Carlile, a folk-rock and Americana singer-songwriter, whose eighth album has more pop sensibilities, was recognized for Best Americana Album (By The Way, I Forgive You), while one of its tracks (“The Joke”) was named both Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song during ceremonies prior to the evening’s live broadcast. Carlile also was among the nominees for three of the major Grammy Awards — Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Awards were presented in 84 categories.

Here’s a link to view the official video for Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r6A2NexF88

The Grammy Award for Best Folk Album went to Punch Brothers for the eclectic quintet’s fifth album, All Ashore. Chris Thile, the band’s mandolinist, describes the recording on Nonesuch as “a meditation on committed relationships in the present day, particularly in light of the current unsettled political climate—certainly the most unsettled one that anyone in the band has ever experienced.” He continues, “We were hoping we could create a thing that would be convincing as a complete thought, sort of a nine-movement or a nine-song thought, even though it’s rangy in terms of what it’s talking about and in the characters doing the talking.” Formed in 2006, the other members of Punch Brothers are Chris Eldridge (guitar), Noam Pikelny (banjo), Paul Kowert (bass), and Gabe Witcher (violin).

Named as Best Bluegrass Album was The Travelin’ McCourys by The Travelin’ McCourys. Although The Travelin’ McCourys have been playing together for decades, this is their eponymous debut album as a band featuring brothers Ronnie (mandolin) and Rob (bass), who were raised on bluegrass as the sons of one of the genre’s most influential players and members of the Del McCoury Band. Rounding out The Travelin’ McCourys are Jason Carter (fiddle), Alan Bartram (bass), and newest member Cody Kilby (guitar). The band will celebrate Del McCoury’s 80th birthday on Feb. 13 at the “Grand DEL Opry,” along with Diercks Bentley, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Vince Gill, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Marty Stuart, among others.

Here’s the complete list of winners in the Grammy Awards’ American Roots Music Field:

Best Americana Album: By The Way, I Forgive You, Brandi Carlile
Best American Roots Performance: “The Joke,” Brandi Carlile
Best American Roots Song: “The Joke,” Brandi Carlile
Best Folk Album: All Ashore, Punch Brothers
Best Bluegrass Album: The Travelin’ McCourys, The Travelin’ McCourys
Best Traditional Blues Album: The Blues Is Alive and Well, Buddy Guy
Best Contemporary Blues Album: Please Don’t Be Dead, Fantastic Negrito
Best Regional Roots Music Album: No ‘Ane’I, Kalani Pe’a

On the afternoon prior to the Grammy Awards, Folk Alliance International, the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), and The Blues Foundation jointly hosted a celebration of the folk, bluegrass and blues nominees at Los Angeles’ No Name Bar. Among the names in attendance were Elvin Bishop Big Fun Trio, Fantastic Negrito, Dom Flemons, Mary Gauthier, Jaime Harris, MC Ed Helms from the TV show The Office, members of Punch Brothers, and Wood & Wire.

Also of note: Voices of Mississippi’s Artists And Musicians Documented By William Ferris was named Best Historical Album, while the 120-page hardback book by David Evans that accompanies the four disc-set was recognized for Best Album Notes. Voices features an album each of blues, gospel and storytelling, along with a DVD containing some of Ferris’ short films from the former University of North Carolina professor’s archives.

Carlile, a folk-rock and Americana singer-songwriter, whose eighth album has more pop sensibilities, is up for Best Americana Album (By The Way, I Forgive You), while one of its tracks (“The Joke”) is in the running for both Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song. Carlile is also among the nominees for three of the major Grammy Awards with By The Way, I Forgive You receiving one of the eight nods for Album of the Year and “The Joke” under consideration for both Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

Here’s a link to view the official video for Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r6A2NexF88

Prine, an internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter who has been touring ad plying his craft for nearly 50 years, has received nominations for Best Americana Album (The Tree of Forgiveness) and Best American Roots Song for both “Knockin’ On Your Screen Door” and “Summer’s End.” Prine’s album topped the Folk DJ chart in April and also sported four of that month’s most-played songs on folk radio. The Tree of Forgiveness is Prine’s first collection of new material since his Grammy-winning 2005 release, Fair and Square.

To view the official video for John Prine’s “Knockin’ On Your Screen Door,” click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAYoWePzQ2c

Here’s a list of the Grammy Award nominees in the American Roots Music Field:

Best Folk Album

Whistle Down the Wind, Joan Baez
Black Cowboys, Dom Flemons
Rifles & Rosary Beads, Mary Gauthier
Weed Garden, Iron & Wine
All Ashore, Punch Brothers

Best Americana Album

By the Way, I Forgive You, Brandi Carlile
Things Have Changed, Bettye LaVette
The Tree of Forgiveness, John Prine
The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone, Lee Ann Womack
One Drop of Truth, The Wood Brothers

Best Bluegrass Album

Portraits in Fiddles, Mike Barnett
Sister Sadie II, Sister Sadie
Rivers and Roads, Special Consensus
The Travelin’ McCourys, The Travelin’ McCourys
North of Despair, Wood & Wire

Best Traditional Blues Album

Something Smells Funky ‘Round Here, Elvin Bishop’s Big Fun Trio
Benton County Relic, Cedric Burnside
The Blues Is Alive and Well, Buddy Guy
No Mercy in This Land, Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite
Don’t You Feel My Leg (The Naughty Bawdy Blues of Blue Lu Barker), Maria Muldaur

Best Contemporary Blues Album

Please Don’t Be Dead, Fantastic Negrito
Here in Babylon, Teresa James and the Rhythm Tramps
Cry No More, Danielle Nicole
Out of the Blues, Boz Scaggs
Victor Wainwright and the Train, Victor Wainwright and the Train

Best Regional Roots Music Album

Kreole Rock and Soul, Sean Ardoin
Spyboy, Cha Wa
Aloha From Na Hoa, Na Hoa
No ‘Ane’I, Kalani Pe’a
Mewasinsational – Cree Round Dance Songs, Young Spirit

Best American Roots Performance

“Kick Rocks,” Sean Ardoin
“Saint James Infirmary Blues,” Jon Batiste
“The Joke,” Brandi Carlile
“All On My Mind,” Anderson East
“Last Man Standing,” Willie Nelson

Best American Roots Song

“All the Trouble,” Lee Ann Womack
“Build a Bridge,” Mavis Staples
“The Joke,”Brandi Carlile
“Knockin’ On Your Screen Door,” John Prine
“Summer’s End,” John Prine

Also of note: Kacey Musgrave’s Golden Hour is among the nominees for Album of the Year and Best Country Album, while the cuts “Butterflies” and “Space Cowboy” are up for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song, respectively. Kittel & Co.’s “Chrysalis” is vying for Best Instrumental Composition, while Betty LaVette’s “Don’ Fall Apart On Me Tonight” is in the running for Best Traditional R & B Performance. Among the Best New Artist nominees is Margo Price, an East Nashville, TN-based Americana-country singer-songwriter, who released her second full-length album in October 2017. The Decembrists’ I’ll Be Your Girl is nominated for Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package. Best Album Notes nominees include Trouble No More, The Bootleg Series Vol. 13/1979-1981 – Bob Dylan and Voice of Mississippi’s Artists And Musicians Documented By William Ferris — which was also nominated for Best Historical Album, as is At The Louisiana Hayride Tonight – Various Artists.

The global performing arts marketplace and conference featured more than 1000 artist showcases (music, theatre, dance, comedy and more), a large EXPO Hall with nearly 400 exhibitors, daily plenary sessions and keynote speakers, and a wide array of professional development workshops and forums. It is hosted by APAP, a Washington, D.C.-based national service, advocacy and membership organization dedicated to developing and supporting a robust performing arts presenters field and the professionals who work within it. 9Last year’s APAP Conference featured a professional development session on Presenting Bluegrass: Engaging New Audiences. An article on that is archived on AcousticMusicScene.com and may be viewed by clicking on this link:

From the moment Balsam Range kicked off its showcase at the New York Hilton, the conference’s host hotel, with “Moon Over Memphis,” it seemed clear that the group that has headlined concert halls, theaters and festivals throughout North America since its formation eight years ago was doing just that.

Commenting on the accolades and success that Balsam Range has achieved to date, Tim Surrett (bass and dobro) said: “It’s amazing. We would have laughed if you would have told us eight years ago that this would happen.” Surrett, who also co-founded the Mountain Home Music Company (the label for which Balsam Range records) noted that although the group’s members all hail from the same county and live just 15 minutes from each other in western North Carolina, they had been playing in different bands and touring all over the world. “We just got together to pick a little.” The group takes its name from a mountain range in NC’s Smoky Mountain region.

The Depue Brothers Band, Matuto, and Mipso mixed things up a bit during their respective showcases. The DePue Brothers Band perform what they call “Grassical” music – fusing bluegrass and classical, along with elements of jazz, blues and rock. Matuto is a New York City-based ensemble fronted by guitarist Clay Ross. The band plays what it calls Brazilian bluegrass — a lively and very danceable blend of northeastern Brazil’s infectious folkloric rhythms and rootsy Americana (including bluegrass, swampy Louisiana two-steps and spirituals). Besides Ross on guitar and vocals, Matuto features violin, accordion, bass, drums and various Brazilian percussive instruments. The band has been an international musical ambassador through American Music Abroad – a partnership between American Voices and the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Mipso, which bills itself as North Carolina’s renegade traditionalists performing ‘dark holler pop,’ is comprised of four recent college graduates – three of whom grew up with the bluegrass tradition but who, along with their fiddler, give it a little bit of a twist. The quartet’s sound is a blend of bluegrass, contemporary country, folk, gospel and pop.

Bluegrass Sampler Platter Showcase Provides Some Tasty Morsels

The Gibson Brothers, Sierra Hull, Tim O’Brien, Bryan Sutton and The Travelin’ McCourys were part of an extended four-hour Bluegrass Sampler Platter showcase that drew a large crowd (not limited to APAP attendees) to Manhattan’s City Winery.

Opening the show, top-notch guitarist Bryan Sutton, who hails from the mountains of western North Carolina near Asheville, exclaimed: “It sort of feels like a New York City on Sunday night – a place where I don’t have to worry and don’t have to hurry.” Sutton showed off the guitar chops and intricate finger-play that have earned him much critical acclaim and numerous awards (including a Grammy and being named three times as IBMA Guitarist of the Year). Although best known for his flat-picked acoustic guitar playing, Sutton also played banjo on a couple of numbers – while Rob McCoury joined him on banjo on another.

Next up was Sierra Hull, a classy young mandolinist with a beautiful, crystalline voice. Accompanied by Ethan Jodziewicz on stand-up bass, she moved effortlessly between instrumentals and songs during her set. Now in her early 20s, Hull has gravitated more towards the singer-songwriter side of Americana roots music from the more traditional bluegrass of her teen years – although her repertoire reflects a wide range of musical styles. Like Matuto, she was an international cultural ambassador last year through the American Music Abroad program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

Hailed in bluegrass music circles for their tight vocal harmonies, The Gibson Brothers have received numerous International Bluegrass Music Awards – including Entertainer of the Year (2012 and 2013) and Vocal Group of the Year (2011 and 2013). Although guitar-playing brothers Eric and Leigh Gibson perform a lot of original material with band-mates Mike Barber (bass), Jesse Brock (mandolin) and Clayton Campbell (fiddle), their set was heavily sprinkled with renditions of songs by such other notable brother acts as The Everly Brothers, The Louvin Brothers (whom Leigh calls “kind of the gold standard of brother acts in terms of country music”) and the Monroe brothers. The Gibson Brothers signed to Rounder Records last summer and their first release for the label, Brotherhood, due out in February, pays homage to the brother acts that have inspired them since growing up on a diary farm in upstate New York.

Tim O’Brien has been a key player on the American roots music scene for years. An acclaimed singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, the Grammy Award-winner and two-time IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year also has had his songs recorded by numerous other artists. But this was his night to shine, and so he did – primarily on guitar and vocals. Noted mandolinist, clarinetist and composer Andy Statman joined him for a few songs from a new Superstring Theory album featuring The Andy Statman Trio with O’Brien and fiddler Michael Cleveland. A lightning-fast-paced number featuring dueling mandolins was among the set’s highlights.

The Travelin’ McCourys – featuring the sons of Del McCoury and their band-mates – closed out the evening with a varied set of music that ranged from songs with four-part harmonies and a high & lonesome sound to more straight-ahead bluegrass and break-neck speed instrumentals during which each player was afforded an opportunity to lead. Enhancing the sound throughout the set was Bryan Sutton on guitar, while all of the evening’s artists were invited on stage to close out the night with a little pickin’ party.

Celebrating the music of the late instrumental virtuoso Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson, the “traditional-plus” music festival features sounds of the Appalachian region and beyond — ranging from bluegrass and Americana to old-time, country and roots music. It takes place April 29 – May 2 on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Among the more than 100 acts performing on 15 stages during the festival — in addition to Doc Watson and his son Richard — are The Avett Brothers, Bearfoot, The Belleville Outfit, Diercks Bentley, Roy Book Binder, Brave Combo, Sam Bush Band, Elvis Costello and The Sugarcanes, Dailey and Vincent, Donna The Buffalo, The Duhks, Great Big Sea, The Greencards, John Hammond, David Holt, Jeni and Billy, Si Kahn, The Lovell Sisters, Taj Mahal, Harry Manx, Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, The Travelin’ McCourys, Nashville Bluegrass Band, Missy Raines and The New Hip, Red Molly, The Tony Rice Unit, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, The Steeldrivers, Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, and The Waybacks.

Unique musical collaborations and spontaneous jam sessions have been highlights of MerleFest since its inception 23 years ago. The festival also features the finals of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, instrument contests, a Friday night songwriter showcase coffeehouse and open mic, heritage crafts by regional artisans, children’s activities, and plenty of pickin’ opportunities.

Old Settler’s may not draw as many people or as much attention as this week’s SXSW, or the Austin City Limits and Kerrville music festivals, but it certainly does draw its share of stellar performers. Among those on the 2010 lineup are Texas’ own Patty Griffin (with special guest Buddy Miller), The Joe Ely Band, Alejandro Escovedo, Ruthie Foster and Brave Combo; Canadian singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith; Allison Brown with Joe Craven; Long Island native Mindy Smith; and Celtic artists Solas. For bluegrass and newgrass fans, the lineup also includes Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Alaskan up-and-comers Bearfoot, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, Blue Highway, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Travelin’ McCourys, Green Mountain Grass and The Special Consensus.

In addition to concerts on several stages, there will be Saturday afternoon performance workshops, arts and crafts, a youth talent competition and children’s activities, and lots of tasty barbecue.
Discounted admission wristbands ranging from $25 (for Sunday only) to $170 (for four-days with camping) are available online through April 12. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.oldsettlersmusicfest.org.

McCoury, 70, a guitarist and vocalist, currently marking 50 years of making music, teamed with High Sierra Music in 2008 to create a family-friendly music festival celebrating his family’s musical legacy, fostering opportunities for top-notch musical collaborations, and showcasing new talent.

Early-bird weekend passes for the festival, priced at $110 for four days and $99 for three days, are available through January 11. To order tickets and for more information on the festival and a three-day Music Academy hosted by The Travelin’ McCourys that will precede it, visit www.delfest.com.