Billy Strings, Del McCoury Band Among IBMA Awards Nominees

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Billy Strings. Photo: Christopher Morley

The 34th annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards nominees were announced this week in a live event at the SiriusXM studios in Nashville.

IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Entertainer of the Year nominees include first-time nominees Appalachian Road Show, reigning recipient Billy Strings, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame member and nine-time Entertainer of the Year Del McCoury Band, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys.

Mandolinist Sam Bush, bluegrass and country artist Wilma Lee Cooper and genre-bending mandolin player David Grisman were announced as the 2023 inductees into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.

Five organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to bluegrass were named as 2023 recipients of the IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award, including the  online media source The Bluegrass Situation, musician and “The Duke of Drive” Terry Baucom, musician and writer Tom Ewing, longtime presenter and festival director Carl Goldstein and the Italy-based international pioneering group Red Wine.

Winners will be revealed at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards on Sept. 28 at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina. Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the professional nonprofit association for the bluegrass industry.

Full list of nominees:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Appalachian Road Show
Billy Strings
Del McCoury Band
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Authentic Unlimited
Balsam Range
Blue Highway
Del McCoury Band
Sister Sadie

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
The Infamous Stringdusters
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
The Travelin’ McCourys

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Blue Ridge Mountain Baby”
Artist: Appalachian Road Show
Songwriters: Barry Abernathy/Jim VanCleve
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Appalachian Road Show

“Crooked Tree”
Artist: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Songwriters: Molly Tuttle/Melody Walker
Label: Nonesuch Records
Producers: Jerry Douglas and Molly Tuttle

“Diane”
Artist: Sister Sadie
Songwriters: Jeffrey Nath Bhasker/Samuel Tyler Johnson/Cameron Marvel Ochs
Label: Mountain Home
Producer: Sister Sadie

“Heyday”
Artist: Lonesome River Band
Songwriters: Barry Huchens/Will Huchens
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
Producer: Lonesome River Band

“Power of Love”
Artist: Rick Faris
Songwriters: Johnny Colla/Huey Lewis/Christopher Hayes
Label: Dark Shadow Recording
Producer: Stephen Mougin

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Crooked Tree
Artist: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Label: Nonesuch Records
Producer: Jerry Douglas and Molly Tuttle

Lovin’ of the Game
Artist: Michael Cleveland
Label: Compass Records
Producers: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan

Lowdown Hoedown
Artist: Jason Carter
Label: Fiddle Man Records
Producers: Jason Carter and Brent Truitt

Me/And/Dad
Artist: Billy Strings and Terry Barber
Label: Rounder Records
Producers: Billy Strings and Gary Paczosa

Radio John: The Songs of John Hartford
Artist: Sam Bush
Label: Smithsonian Folkways
Producer: Sam Bush

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“The Glory Road”
Artist: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Songwriters: Paul Martin/Harry Stinson/Marty Stuart
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producers: Joe Mullins and Adam McIntosh

“Jordan”
Artist: Darin & Brooke Aldridge with Ricky Skaggs, Mo Pitney and Mark Fain
Songwriter: Fred Rich
Label: Billy Blue Records
Producer: Darin Aldridge and Mark Fain

“The Scarlet Red Lines”
Artist: Larry Sparks
Songwriter: Daniel Crabtree
Label: Rebel Records
Producer: Larry Sparks

“Take a Little Time for Jesus”
Artist: Junior Sisk
Songwriter: David Marshall
Label: Mountain Fever Records
Producers: Junior Sisk and Aaron Ramsey

“Tell Me the Story of Jesus”
Artist: Becky Buller with Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs
Songwriter: Fanny Crosby, arrangement by Becky Buller
Label: Dark Shadow Recording
Producer: Stephen Mougin

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Contact”
Artist: Michael Cleveland with Cody Kilby, Barry Bales, and Béla Fleck
Songwriter: Michael Cleveland
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan

“Foggy Morning Breaking”
Artist: Alison Brown with Steve Martin
Songwriters: Alison Brown/Steve Martin
Label: Compass Records
Producers: Alison Brown and Garry West

“Gold Rush”
Artist: Scott Vestal’s Bluegrass 2022
Songwriter: Bill Monroe
Label: Pinecastle Records
Producer: Scott Vestal

“Kissimmee Kid”
Artist: Jason Carter
Songwriter: Vassar Clements
Label: Fiddle Man Records
Producers: Jason Carter and Brent Truitt

“Scorchin’ the Gravy”
Artist: Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Songwriter: Frank Solivan
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Frank Solivan

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Authentic Unlimited
East Nash Grass
Henhouse Prowlers
The Tennessee Bluegrass Band
Tray Wellington

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Alberta Bound”
Artist: Special Consensus with Ray Legere, John Reischman, Tisha Gagnon, Claire Lynch, Pharis & Jason Romero
Songwriter: Gordon Lightfoot
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Alison Brown

“Big Mon”
Artist: Andy Leftwich with Sierra Hull
Songwriter: Bill Monroe
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
Producer: Andy Leftwich

“Foggy Morning Breaking”
Artist: Alison Brown with Steve Martin
Songwriter: Alison Brown/Steve Martin
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Alison Brown and Garry West

“For Your Love”
Artist: Michael Cleveland with Billy Strings and Jeff White
Songwriter: Joe Ely
Label: Compass Records
Producer: Jeff White, Michael Cleveland, and Sean Sullivan

“From My Mountain (Calling You)”
Artist: Peter Rowan with Molly Tuttle and Lindsay Lou
Songwriter: Peter Rowan
Label: Rebel Records
Producer: Peter Rowan

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Greg Blake
Del McCoury
Danny Paisley
Larry Sparks
Dan Tyminski

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Brooke Aldridge
Dale Ann Bradley
Jaelee Roberts
Molly Tuttle
Rhonda Vincent

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kristin Scott Benson
Alison Brown
Béla Fleck
Ned Luberecki
Scott Vestal

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mike Bub
Todd Phillips
Missy Raines
Mark Schatz
Vickie Vaughn

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Deanie Richardson

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jerry Douglas
Andy Hall
Rob Ickes
Matt Leadbetter
Justin Moses

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Chris Eldridge
Trey Hensley
Billy Strings
Bryan Sutton
Molly Tuttle

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alan Bibey
Jesse Brock
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Ronnie McCoury

Lorie Hollabaugh
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