The awards show – hosted by artists Ronnie Bowman and Dan Tyminki – was a highlight of the IBMA’s week-long World of Bluegrass. The show took place at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh North Carolina and also was broadcast on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction and streamed via Facebook Live (as was the July 26 awards nominees announcement that was previously reported on by AcousticMusicScene.com.).

A Lansing. Michigan-born and Nashville, Tennessee-based genre-bending flatpicker and singer, Billy Strings received the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album (Home) last year and was named 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.

[Here’s a link to view the official video for Billy Strings’ recording of “Red Daisy”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmqr0GqnQoE.]

Billy Strings beat out Del McCoury Band, Po’ Ramblin Boys, Sister Sadie, and Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway for the coveted Entertainer of the Year award. Like him, McCoury, a Bluegrass Hall of Fame member, and Sister Sadie are previous recipients of the award. McCoury was named Male Vocalist of the Year, while Tuttle was honored as Female Vocalist of the Year.

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

A complete list of award winners appears below, along with brief information about three Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees.

Entertainer of the Year: Billy Strings
Vocal Group of the Year: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Instrumental Group of the Year: Béla Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart
New Artist of the Year: Rick Faris
Song of the Year: “Red Daisy”
Artist: Billy Strings, Songwriters: Jarrod Walker/Christian Ward
Label: Rounder Records, Producers: Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings
Album of the Year: My Bluegrass Heart, Artist: Béla Fleck
Label: Renew Records, Producer: Béla Fleck
Gospel Recording of the Year: “In the Sweet By and By”
Artist: Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley
Songwriters: S. Fillmore Bennett/Joseph Webster, Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Jerry Salley
Instrumental Recording of the Year: “Vertigo”
Artist: Béla Fleck featuring Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Bryan Sutton
Songwriter: Béla Fleck, Label: Renew Records, Producer: Béla Fleck
Collaborative Recording of the Year: “In the Sweet By and By”
Artist: Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley
Songwriters: S. Fillmore Bennett/Joseph Webster, Label: Billy Blue Records, Producer: Jerry Salley
Male Vocalist of the Year: Del McCoury
Female Vocalist of the Year: Molly Tuttle
Banjo Player of the Year: Béla FleckBass Player of the Year: Jason Moore
Fiddle Player of the Year: Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year: Justin Moses
Guitar Player of the Year: Cody Kilby
Mandolin Player of the Year: Sierra Hull

Norman Blake, the late Paul “Moon” Mullins, and Peter Rowan were inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame during the awards show. Blake is a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist and a Grammy and Country Music Association Album of the Year award–winner whose prolific music career spans more than six decades. Paul “Moon” Mullins was a broadcast pioneer and recording artist whose work brought bluegrass music to tens of thousands in Ohio and beyond. Peter Rowan is a Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and renaissance musician who has been performing for nearly 60 years.

The IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show is the centerpiece of World of Bluegrass Week that extends through October 1 in North Carolina’s capital city. IBMA World of Bluegrass also featured a September 27-29 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 official showcases in downtown Raleigh and the Raleigh Convention Center), and the two-day IBMA Bluegrass Live! festival, September 30-October 1, that draws throngs of music lovers to downtown Raleigh to enjoy more than 100 acts on different stages set up along Fayetteville Street –- from the state capitol to the Duke Performing Arts Center.

Considered the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. IBMA’s annual World of Bluegrass week has taken place in Raleigh since 2013 – apart from 2020 when the trade and professional association for the global bluegrass community shifted to online presentation of its professional development seminars, artist showcases and awards in light of concerns surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), a nonprofit professional music organization that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide. Award recipients will be named during the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show on Thursday night, September 29, 2022 at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina. The awards show — a highlight of the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass — will also be broadcast on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction and streamed via Facebook Live (as was the July 26 awards nominees announcement).

A complete list of nominees appears below, along with information about three Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees, five Distinguished Achievement Awards recipient, and the first recipient of the IBMA International Band Performance Grant.

Entertainer of the Year: Billy Strings, The Del McCoury Band. Po Ramblin’ Boys, Sister Sadie, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Vocal Group of the Year: Balsam Range, Blue Highway, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver,
Del McCoury Band, Sister Sadie

Instrumental Group of the Year: Billy Strings, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper,
Béla Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart, The Travelin’ McCourys, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

New Artist of the Year: Rick Faris, Fireside Collective, Laura Orshaw, Jaelee Roberts,
Tray Wellington

Song of the Year:

“Blink of an Eye”
Artist: Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass
Songwriter: Robert Amos
Label: Pinecastle Records
Producers: Bobby Lundy/Danny Paisley/Ryan Paisley/Wes Easter

“Deep River”
Artist: Rick Faris
Songwriter: Rick Faris/Brink Brinkman
Label: Dark Shadow Recording
Producer: Stephen Mougin

“I’ll Take the Lonesome Every Time”
Artist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Songwriters: Glen Duncan/Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Doyle Lawson

“Red Daisy”
Artist: Billy Strings
Songwriters: Jarrod Walker/Christian Ward
Label: Rounder Records
Producers: Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings

“Riding the Chief”
Artist: Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
Songwriter: Chris Jones/Thomm Jutz
Label: Mountain Home
Producer: Chris Jones

Album of the Year:

Bluegrass Troubadour
Artist: Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass
Label: Pinecastle Records
Producer: Wes Easter

Crooked Tree
Artist: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Label: Nonesuch Records
Producers: Molly Tuttle/Jerry Douglas

My Bluegrass Heart
Artist: Béla Fleck
Label: Renew Records
Producer: Béla Fleck

Never Slow Down
Artist: Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Label: Smithsonian Folkways
Producers: Po’ Ramblin’ Boys/Dave Maggard

Renewal
Artist: Billy Strings
Label: Rounder Records
Producers: Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings

Gospel Recording of the Year:

“A Little More Faith in Jesus”
Artist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Songwriters: Jerry Cole/Doyle Lawson
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Doyle Lawson

“He’s Gettin’ Me Ready”
Artist: Darin & Brooke Aldridge with The Oak Ridge Boys
Songwriter: Jimmy Fortune
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producers: Darin Aldridge/Mark Fain

“In the End”
Artist: Dale Ann Bradley
Songwriter: Jill Gilliam
Label: Pinecastle Records
Producer: Dale Ann Bradley

“In the Sweet By and By”
Artist: Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley
Songwriters: S. Fillmore Bennett/Joseph Webster
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Jerry Salley

“See You on the Other Side”
Artist: Rick Faris featuring Sam Bush
Songwriter: Rick Faris/Rick Lang
Label: Dark Shadow Recording
Producer: Stephen Mougin

“Traveling the Highway Home”
Artist: The Grascals
Songwriters: Frankie Bailes/Walter Bailes
Label: Mountain Home
Producer: The Rascals

Instrumental Recording of the Year:

“EMD”
Artist: Scott Vestal – Bluegrass 2022
Songwriter: David Grisman
Label: Pinecastle Records
Producer: Scott Vestal

“Happy Go Lucky”
Artist: Doyle Lawson & Alan Bibey
Songwriter: Doyle Lawson
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Doyle Lawson

“Ice Bridges”
Artist: Billy Strings
Songwriter: William Apostol
Label: Rounder Records
Producer: Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings

“Orange Blossom Breakdown”
Artist: Mike Compton
Songwriter: Bill Monroe
Label: Taterbug Records
Producer: Mark Howard

“Vertigo”
Artist: Béla Fleck featuring Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Bryan Sutton
Songwriter: Béla Fleck
Label: Renew Records
Producer: Béla Fleck

Collaborative Recording of the Year:

“Blackbird”
Artist: Special Consensus with Amanda Smith, Dale Ann Bradley, Rob Ickes, and Alison Brown
Songwriter: J.P. Cormier
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Alison Brown

“East Bound and Down”
Artist: Po’ Ramblin’ Boys featuring Jason Carter & Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Songwriters: Jerry Reed/Dick Feller
Label: Sound Biscuit Productions
Producer: The Po’ Rambling’ Boys/Dave Haggard

“Honky Tonk Nights”
Artist: Del McCoury Band featuring Vince Gill
Songwriter: Mike O’Reilly
Label: McCoury Music
Producer: Del McCoury/Ronnie McCoy

“In the Sweet By and By”
Artist: Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley
Songwriters: S. Fillmore Bennett/Joseph Webster
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Jerry Salley

“One By One”
Artist: Dale Ann Bradley with Danny Paisley
Songwriter: Jim Anglin/Jack Anglin/Johnny Wright
Label: Pinecastle Records
Producer: Dale Ann Bradley

Male Vocalist of the Year: Greg Blake, Rick Faris, Del McCoury, Danny Paisley, Larry Sparks

Female Vocalist of the Year: Brooke Aldridge, Dale Ann Bradley, Sierra Hull, Molly Tuttle, Rhonda Vincent

Banjo Player of the Year: Gena Britt, Bela Fleck, Rob McCoury, Kristin Scott Benson, Scott Vestal

Bass Player of the Year: Mike Bub, Jason Moore, Missy Raines, Mark Schatz, Vickie Vaughn

Fiddle Player of the Year: Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland, Stuart Duncan, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes. Beanie Richardson

Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year: Jerry Douglas, Andy Hall, Rob Ickes, Phil Leadbetter, Justin Moses

Guitar Player of the Year: Billy Strings, Trey Hensley, Cody Kilby, Bryan Sutton, Molly Tuttle

Mandolin Player of the Year: Alan Bibey, Jesse Brock, Sam Bush, Sierra Hull, Ronnie McCoury

Inductions into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame are also set to take place during the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show. Slated for induction are multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Norman Blake, a Grammy and Country Music Association Album of the Year award –winner whose prolific music career spans more than six decades; Paul “Moon” Mullins, a broadcast pioneer and recording artist whose work brought bluegrass music to tens of thousands in Ohio and beyond; and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and renaissance musician Peter Rowan who has been performing for nearly 60 years.

Five Distinguished Achievement Awards Will Also Be Presented

2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the release of the seminal album – Will the Circle be Unbroken.[/caption]Five organizations and individuals will receive Distinguished Achievement Awards in recognition of their significant contributions to the genre. The five, who will be recognized and presented with plaques during a luncheon at the IBMA business conference, are flatpicking innovator Dan Crary, cutting-edge roots music organization Freshgrass Foundation, revered banjo creator and musician Steve Huber, the legendary Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the landmark Will the Circle Be Unbroken album, and online education leaders Peghead Nation.

The IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show is the centerpiece of World of Bluegrass Week that is slated for September 27-October 1 in North Carolina’s capital city. IBMA World of Bluegrass also features a September 27-29 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 official showcases in downtown Raleigh and the Raleigh Convention Center), and the two-day IBMA Bluegrass Live! festival, September 30-October 1, that draws throngs of music lovers to downtown Raleigh to enjoy more than 100 acts on different stages set up along Fayetteville Street –- from the state capitol to the Duke Performing Arts Center.
Considered the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. IBMA’s annual World of Bluegrass week has taken place in Raleigh since 2013 – apart from 2020 when the trade and professional association for the global bluegrass community shifted to online presentation of its professional development seminars, artist showcases and awards in light of concerns surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic.

Estonian Group Curly Strings Awarded IBMA’s First International Band Performance Grant

New for 2022, IBMA recently named the first recipient of its International Band Performance Grant. Curly Strings, an Estonia-based four-piece ensemble, was selected via a competitive process and will be featured as a part of this year’s IBMA World of Bluegrass. The band achieved mainstream recognition and success in its home country — winning national music awards and being the top selling artists in music stores for more than a year. Combining the familiar with the unfamiliar, Curly Strings its unique Baltic take to the acoustic music world.

IBMA (ibma.org) seeks to facilitate the growth and development of the bluegrass community – for professionals and enthusiasts who share a passion for the music.

Earlier this month, AcousticMusicScene.com published an article entitled Bluegrass Ramble and Songwriter Showcase Artists Chosen for IBMA World of Bluegrass.

Official Showcases are considered the prime platform for introducing talent and new music to the bluegrass community during the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. Selected for official showcases during the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble at six venues throughout downtown Raleigh are Carley Arrowood, Breakin’ Strings, Cedar Hill, Chicken Wire Empire, Kristy Cox, Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, Damn Tall Buildings, Echo Valley, Rick Faris, The Foreign Landers, Frog Holler, Full Cord, Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra, Jig Jam, The Kody Norris Show, Jake Leg, Lonesome Ace Stringband, Lover’s Leap, Mile Twelve, Missy Raines & Allegheny, My Brother’s Keeper, Nefesh Mountain, Nick Chandler & Delivered, Nick Dumas & Branchline, Caroline Owens, Clint Roberts, The Slocan Ramblers, Songs From The Road Band, Williamson Branch, and Zoe & Cloyd.

They were chosen through a juried selection process that took into consideration the applicant’s entertainment value, level of professionalism, potential appeal, quality of work, and potential to benefit from the opportunity. Selected Official Showcase acts will have at least two performance opportunities — typically once during the IBMA Business Conference and a longer set at an IBMA Bluegrass Ramble venue. They also will receive full conference registration, complimentary exhibit hall booth space during the business conference, up to three individual IBMA memberships, and various pre-event promotional opportunities.

Ten talented songwriters/songwriting teams will perform their songs during the IBMA Songwriter Showcase at the Raleigh Convention Center on Thursday afternoon, September 29. This showcase is part of the songwriter track during the annual IBMA Business Conference, September 27-29. Songwriters selected for this coveted opportunity include Aaron Bibelhause (“Long Hill to Climb”], Valerie Smith & Ashley Lewis (“A Dollar Looked Mighty Good”), Ashlee Watkins & Andrew Small (“Finish What You Started”), Carley Arrowood (“Moondancer”), Timothy Scott Williams & Sarah Williams (“Big Table”), Michelle Rivers (“Gone”), Theo MacMillan (“Getting Over”), Lizzy Ross of Violet Bell (I Can’t Say Nothing”), J.M. Clifford (“Slow Rolling Train”), and Buddy Guido & Paul Kelly (“John Dear”).

These songwriters were chosen through a juried selection process based on the applicants’ quality of work and appeal to bluegrass audiences. Songwriters could submit one song per entry and were limited to two entries. Besides showcasing, these songwriters and others participating in the conference’s songwriter track will be provided with resources to help cultivate their craft, develop solid business practices, network, engage in one-on-one mentoring sessions, and pitch material to bluegrass artists and producers.

A Bit About IBMA Word of Bluegrass and the Organization Behind It

The IBMA’s annual World of Bluegrass week has taken place in Raleigh since 2013 – apart from 2020 when the trade and professional association for the global bluegrass community shifted to online presentation of its professional development seminars, artist showcases and awards. In addition to Bluegrass Ramble official showcases and the IBMA Songwriter Showcase, IBMA’s World of Bluegrass generally features a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums; sponsored artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions, plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities; the International Bluegrass Music Awards Show; and the IBMA Bluegrass Live! festival.

Registration is now open to attend the 2022 World of Bluegrass conference, while tickets are available for the IBMA Awards Show on September 29 and ticketed Bluegrass Live! festival performances over the weekend at the Red Hat Ampitheater. A two-day free street festival, September 30-October 1, marks the culmination of IBMA World of Bluegrass and draws throngs of music lovers to downtown Raleigh to enjoy more than 100 acts on different stages set up along Fayetteville Street — from the state capitol to the Duke Performing Arts Center. The StreetFest also includes an arts market, exhibit hall, master workshops, youth performances, food and beverage vendors, and more. The NC Whole Hog Barbecue Championship also takes place downtown that weekend.

IBMA (ibma.org) seeks to facilitate the growth and development of the bluegrass community – for professionals and enthusiasts who share a passion for the music. More information about IBMA’s World of Bluegrass will be posted on AcousticMusicScene.com in coming months and may also be found on WorldofBluegrass.org.

From an anticipated 150 or more applications, up to 30 acts will be selected to showcase their talents at least twice during IBMA’s World of Bluegrass week — once on a Raleigh Convention Center stage and once at one of the nearby Bluegrass Ramble venues. Applicants will be evaluated based on entertainment value, level of professionalism, potential appeal, and quality of work. Opportunities are available for both emerging bands and established ones with new music and/or personnel. Preference will be given to those who have not been selected as official IBMA showcase acts within the last two years.

Bands can apply online at www.ibma.org/world-of-bluegrass/bluegrass-ramble. There’s a $25 showcase application fee, while selected groups must pay an additional $500 fee to offset costs of services and showcase production. Selected bands will receive full conference registration for all their members, complimentary booth space during the business conference, an organizational membership in IBMA, a featured profile in the conference program, and more.

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 will include afternoon showcases this year at its business conference from Tuesday-Thursday, these will be open only to conference registrants — 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 fifth year in Raleigh. 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.

The business conference portion of World of Bluegrass will feature a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums, a keynote speaker, artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions, an exhibit hall, and plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities. The 28th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, a centerpiece of the week, will be presented on Thursday evening, Sept. 28, while Wide Open Bluegrass, an urban bluegrass music festival featuring both ticketed main stage performances and a free street festival, closes out the week on Friday-Saturday, Sept. 29-30.

Established in 1945, IBMA is a trade association that connects and educates bluegrass professionals, empowers the bluegrass community, and encourages worldwide appreciation of bluegrass music of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

In addition to general contact information, applicants must submit bios, a high-res photo, one demo recording of the song in mp3 format only, and song lyrics (PDF only) with their online applications. Songwriters must be willing to perform the song live if chosen. They do not need to be IBMA members. Although there is no application fee, and multiple entries may be submitted, songwriters selected to showcase are required to register for the IBMA Business Conference in order to participate.

For more information and to complete the online application form, visit
https://ibma.org/world-of-bluegrass/songwriter-track/songwriter-showcase-application-information

Now in its fourth year in Raleigh, IBMA’s World of Bluegrass is bluegrass music’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. Featuring a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums, artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions, a keynote speaker (to be announced), an exhibit hall, plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities, the business conference portion will extend from Tuesday, Sept. 27 through Thursday, Sept. 29. The 25th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, a centerpiece of the week, will be presented on Thursday evening, Oct. 2, while the festival portion will take place Friday and Saturday, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

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. A bluegrass film festival also is being planned for the second consecutive year.

Registration and ticket sales for World of Bluegrass open April 5 for IBMA members and April 19 for non-members. For more information, visit www.ibma.org.

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.

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)

Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the trade association for the global bluegrass community. Results of the balloting will be revealed at the International Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday, September 26, hosted by the Steep Canyon Rangers. The Awards Show is the centerpiece of World of Bluegrass Week, slated for September 24-28, in Raleigh, North Carolina. After a long stint in Nashville, the 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 have the event in North Carolina’s capital city for the next three years.

“We are honored and humbled by the nominations we have received,” says Eric Gibson, expressing thanks “to the IBMA voters for this incredible honor and congratulations to all of the nominees.” Individually and as an ensemble, members of The Gibson Brothers received nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group, Album of the Year for They Called It Music, Song of the Year for “its title track (written by Eric Gibson and Joe Newberry), and Gospel Recorded Event for “Home on the River.” Eric Gibson was also nominated in the Bluegrass Songwriter category along with Louisa Branscomb. Gibson Brothers mandolinist Jesse Brock also earned a nomination for Mandolin Player of the Year. The Gibson Brothers record for Compass Records, whose artists received the most nominations of any label this year.

Balsam Range, a western North Carolina-based band, received nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group, Album of the Year for Papertown, and two Song of the Year nods for its title track and “Any Old Road (Will Take You There). Band member Buddy Melton was nominated in the Gospel Recorded Event and Recorded Event categories for “What’ll I Do” with Terry Baucom).

The IBMA Awards Show will be broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio (Bluegrass Junction) and syndicated to more than 300 U.S. markets and 14 foreign networks.

A complete list of nominees, this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, and Distinguished Achievement Award recipients follows.

2013 Hall of Fame Inductees

Tony Rice
Paul Warren

2013 Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients

Keith Case
The East Mountain Boys
Vic Jordan
The McLain Family Band
Charley Pennell

2013 International Bluegrass Music Award Nominations

Entertainer of the Year

Balsam Range
Blue Highway
Dailey & Vincent
The Gibson Brothers
The Del McCoury Band

Vocal Group of the Year

Balsam Range
Blue Highway
Dailey & Vincent
The Gibson Brothers
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Instrumental Group of the Year

Blue Highway
The Boxcars
Sam Bush Band
Punch Brothers
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen

Song of the Year

“Any Old Road (Will Take You There),” Balsam Range, written by Carl Jackson, Marc Pruett & Jerry Salley
“Gentle on my Mind,” Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, written by John Hartford
“Papertown,” Balsam Range, written by Milan Miller
“The Story of the Day that I Died,” Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, written by Ashby Frank
“They Called It Music,” The Gibson Brothers, written by Eric Gibson & Joe Newberry

Album of the Year

Dear Sister, Claire Lynch, produced by Garry West, Compass Records
Hammer Down, The SteelDrivers, produced by The SteelDrivers
& Luke Wooten, Rounder Records
The Old School, Peter Rowan, produced by Alison Brown, Compass Records
Papertown, Balsam Range, produced by Balsam Range, Mountain Home
They Called It Music, The Gibson Brothers, produced by Eric & Leigh Gibson and Mike Barber, Compass Records.

Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year

“Beulah Land,” Marty Raybon, written by Squire Parsons, produced by Marty Raybon, Rural Rhythm
“Home on the River,” The Gibson Brothers, written by Austin Taylor, produced by Eric & Leigh Gibson and Mike Barber, Compass Records
“Row by Row,” Balsam Range, written by Ashleigh Caudill, produced by Balsam Range, Mountain Home
“Say Hello to Heaven,” Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, written by Lewis N. Hyatt, produced by Doyle Lawson, Mountain Home
“When He Beckons Me Home,” Darin & Brooke Aldridge, written by George Shuffler, produced by Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Mountain Home.

Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year

“By the Waters of the Clinch,” Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, written by Doyle Lawson, produced by Doyle Lawson, Mountain Home
“Foggy Mountain Rock,” Tom Adams, Dan Tyminski, Ron Stewart, Dennis Crouch, Clay Hess, Randy Kohrs; written by Louise Certain, Burkett Graves & Gladys Stacey; Rounder Records.
“New Jerusalem,” Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, written by Ricky Skaggs, produced by Ricky Skaggs, Skaggs Family Records
“Newton’s Grove,” Audie Blaylock & Redline, written by Richard Underwood, produced by Audie Blaylock, Rural Rhythm
“NoraBelle,” Darrell Webb Band, written by Darrell Webb, Rural Rhythm
“Pilgrim’s Knob,” Alan Bibey & Wayne Benson, written by Bill Monroe, produced by Alan Bibey & Wayne Benson, Pinecastle

Recorded Event of the Year

“Another Night,” Alan Bibey, Wayne Benson and Russell Moore, produced by Alan Bibey & Wayne Benson, Pinecastle
“Golden Ring,” Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out with Sonya Isaacs, produced by Barry Bales, Cracker Barrel
“On the Edge of Letting Go,” Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen with Tim O’Brien and Rob Ickes, produced by Frank Solivan & Brent Truitt, Compass Records
“This Old Guitar and Me,” Grasstowne with Ronnie Bowman, produced by Ronnie Bowman & Grasstowne, Mountain Fever Records
“What’ll I Do;” Terry Baucom with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Wyatt Rice, Steve Bryant & Buddy Melton; produced by Terry Baucom, Cindy Baucom and Ed Lowe; John Boy & Billy label

Emerging Artist of the Year

Della Mae
Flatt Lonesome
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
The Spinney Brothers
The Darrell Webb Band

Male Vocalist of the Year

Jamie Dailey
Russell Moore
Tim O’Brien
Marty Raybon
Junior Sisk

Female Vocalist of the Year

Dale Ann Bradley
Sonya Isaacs
Claire Lynch
Amanda Smith
Rhonda Vincent

Instrumental Performers of the Year

Banjo:

J.D. Crowe
Mike Munford
Sammy Shelor
Ron Stewart
Scott Vestal

Bass:

Barry Bales
Mike Bub
Missy Raines
Mark Schatz
Marshall Wilborn

Fiddle:

Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan
Bobby Hicks
Ron Stewart

Dobro:

Mike Auldridge
Jerry Douglas
Rob Ickes
Randy Kohrs
Phil Leadbetter

Guitar:

Jim Hurst
Tony Rice
Kenny Smith
Bryan Sutton
Josh Williams

Mandolin:

Wayne Benson
Jesse Brock
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Adam Steffey

Special Award Nominations

Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year

Joe Mullins, WBZI, Xenia, Ohio
Ronnie Reno, Reno’s Old Time Music Festival, BlueHighways TV and RFD
Wayne Rice, KSON, San Diego, California
David Smith, North Dakota’s Prairie Public Radio
Tim White, Song of the Mountains, PBS

Bluegrass Event of the Year

The 2013 Bluegrass First Class, Asheville, North Carolina
The 2012 Father’s Day Festival, Grass Valley, California
The 2012 Huck Finn Jubilee, Ontario, California
The 2012 Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival, Tunbridge, Vermont
Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival, Bean Blossom, Indiana

Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project

Dak Alley, Carl Jackson & Jimmy Metts (designers); Grace Notes; Carl Jackson; Voxhall Records
Erick Anderson (designer), Music To My Ears, Ricky Skaggs,
Skaggs Family Records
Sue Meyer (designer), Doctor’s Orders, Don Rigsby, Rebel Records
Pharis Romero (designer), In Good Company, Bill Evans,
Native & Fine Records.
Tom Rozum, Catherine Manning & Dave Weiland (designers); Chicken on a Rocketship; Chad Manning; Manning Music and Arts label

Best Liner Notes for a Recorded Project

Tom Adams; Foggy Mountain Special; Tom Adams, Ron Block, J.D. Crowe, Charlie Cushman, Kenny Ingram, Jim Mills, Joe Mullins, Larry Perkins, Craig Smith, Ron Stewart, David Talbot & Tony Trischka; Rounder Records
Fred Bartenstein, They’re Playing My Song, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Rebel Records
Jamie Lynn Brinkman, God Didn’t Choose Sides, Various Artists,
Rural Rhythm Records
Carl Jackson, Grace Notes, Carl Jackson, Voxhall Records
Don Rigsby, Doctor’s Orders, Don Rigsby, Rebel Records.

Bluegrass Print/Media Person of the Year

Fred Bartenstein, editor, Bluegrass Bluesman:
A Memoir by Uncle Josh Graves (book)
Derek Halsey, writer for the Herald Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia and Bluegrass Unlimited magazine
Chris Jones, writer for Bluegrass Today
Ted Lehman, blogger for Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books & Brainstorms
Amy Reitnouer, editor of The Bluegrass Situation

Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year

Louisa Branscomb
Paula Breedlove
Mark “Brink” Brinkman
Eric Gibson
Donna Ulisse

Momentum Awards

Industry, New Professional:

Danny Clark, The Bluegrass Bus & LeRoy Troy PR
Martha Dantzic, Quicksilver Productions
Amy Reitnouer, The Bluegrass Situation

Industry, New Festival or Venue:

Bluegrass on the Plains, Auburn, AL
The Festy, Roseland, VA
The Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival, Roanoke Island, NC

Industry, Mentor:

Stephen Mougin
Denise Stiff
Jon Weisberger

Performance, Vocalist:

Amber Collins, Amber Collins & Turning Point
Robert Greer, Town Mountain
Sarah Harris, Trinity River Band
Isaac Moore, The Moore Brothers
Celia Woodsmith, Della Mae

Performance, Band:

The Bankesters
Cumberland River
Front Country
Snyder Family Band
Town Mountain

Performance, Instrumentalist:

Bobby Britt, Town Mountain
Kimber Ludiker, Della Mae
Chris Luquette, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Bryan McDowell, Claire Lynch Band
Zeb Snyder, Snyder Family Band

Special Awards and Distinguished Achievement Awards will be presented at a luncheon on Thursday, September 26 from 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. at the World of Bluegrass Business Conference in Raleigh, NC. The Momentum Awards will be presented during a Showcase Luncheon on Wednesday, September 25.

More information about the International Bluegrass Music Awards and World of Bluegrass 2013 may be found online at www.ibma.org.

Featuring a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums, a keynote speaker to be announced, artists 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 2013 will extend from Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 24-26. The annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, a centerpiece of the week, are slated to be presented on Thursday evening, Sept. 26, while the festival portion of World of Bluegrass 2013 will take place Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27-28 – affording 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, youth activities and the North Carolina Whole Hog Barbecue State Championship.

Most World of Bluegrass 2013 events will take place at the Greater Raleigh Convention Center, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Red Hat Amphitheater – all within easy walking distance of each other. The convention center and various venues around town will play host to the evening showcases.

IBMA is partnering this year 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 fans in the Carolinas. Besides opening ticket sales early, IBMA also has managed to offer lower ticket prices and hotel rates than it has in recent years.

Visit www.worldofbluegrass.org or call 1-888-GET-IBMA for more information and to register and/or purchase tickets for World of Bluegrass 2013 or any of its individual events.