Group Sister Sadie Takes Top Honors At 31st Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards

Sister Sadie – Tina Adair, Dale Ann Bradley, Gena Britt and Deanie Richardson – won the coveted Entertainer of the Year Award at the 31st Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards presented by Count On Me NC. The group was also named Vocal Group of the Year during the show, which was hosted by Sierra Hull, Joe Newberry, Tim O’Brien and Rhonda Vincent.

The IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards show was streamed online last night (Oct. 1) as part of this week’s IBMA Virtual World of Bluegrass. Awards were voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association, and other winners included Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper who won Instrumental Group of the Year, Brooke Aldridge, who was named Female Vocalist of the Year, and Mile Twelve, who took home New Artist Of the Year honors during the awards.

The recipients of the 2020 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR: Sister Sadie

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: Sister Sadie 

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper 

SONG OF THE YEAR: “Chicago Barn Dance” – Special Consensus with Michael Cleveland & Becky Buller (artists), Becky Buller/Missy Raines/Alison Brown (writers), Alison Brown (producer), Compass Records (label)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Live in Prague, Czech Republic – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artist), Doyle Lawson and Rosta Capek (producers), Billy Blue Records (label)

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “Gonna Rise and Shine” – Alan Bibey & Grasstowne (artist), Mark Hodges (producer), Mountain Fever Records (label)

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “Tall Fiddler” – Michael Cleveland with Tommy Emmanuel (artists), Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, Sean Sullivan (producers), Compass Records (label)

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Mile Twelve

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “The Barber’s Fiddle” – Becky Buller with Shawn Camp, Jason Carter, Laurie Lewis, Kati Penn, Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Johnny Warren, Stuart Duncan, Deanie Richardson, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Jason Barie, Fred Carpenter, Tyler Andal, Nate Lee, Dan Boner, Brian Christianson, and Laura Orshaw (artists), Stephen Mougin (producer), Dark Shadow Recording (label)

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Brooke Aldridge

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Danny Paisley 

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Scott Vestal

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Missy Raines

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Justin Moses

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Deanie Richardson 

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jake Workman 

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Alan Bibey 

Previously announced inductees into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame – owner of Nashville’s iconic Station Inn, J.T. Gray; hardcore bluegrass traditionalists The Johnson Mountain Boys; and one of the premier contemporary/progressive bluegrass bands of the 1970s and ’80s, New Grass Revival – were honored during this evening’s Awards show.