IBMA ANNOUNCES BLUEGRASS MUSIC AWARD NOMINEES

The International Bluegrass Music Association announced the nominations, Hall of Fame inductees and Distinguished Achievement Award recipients for the 32nd Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards presented by Yamaha. The five nominees for Entertainer of the Year are Balsam Range, Billy Strings, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, the Del McCoury Band and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys. The Del McCoury Band is a member of the Hall of Fame and will be performing at the 2021 Bloomin' Bluegrass Festival in Farmers Branch, October 15-16.

IBMA issued this press release on July 20, 2021:

Nominees for the 32nd Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards presented by Yamaha were announced today in Nashville, Tennessee. The five nominees for “Entertainer of the Year” are Balsam Range, Billy Strings, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Del McCoury Band, and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys. The five nominees for this year’s top award include two Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame members (Del McCoury, Doyle Lawson), past winners of “Entertainer of the Year” (Balsam Range, Del McCoury), the second “Entertainer of the Year” nomination for Billy Strings, and the first EoY nomination for The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys.

Results of the balloting will be revealed at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday, September 30, at the Duke Energy 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 music industry.

2021 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Nominees:

Entertainer Of The Year Balsam Range Billy Strings Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver The Del McCoury Band The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

Vocal Group of the Year Darin & Brooke Aldridge Balsam Range Blue Highway Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver Sister Sadie

Instrumental Group of the Year Appalachian Road Show Billy Strings Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper The Infamous Stringdusters The Travelin’ McCourys

New Artist of the Year sponsored by Ron & Nancy McFarlane Appalachian Road Show Carolina Blue Gina Furtado Project High Fidelity Merle Monroe

Song of the Year “Banjo Player’s Blues” by High Fidelity “Hitchhiking to California” by Alan Bibey & Grasstowne “Just Load the Wagon” by Junior Sisk “Leaving on Her Mind” by Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver “Richest Man” by Balsam Range

Album of the Year Bluegrass 2020 – Scott Vestal, Patrick McAvinue, Cody Kilby, Dominick Leslie, Curtis Vestal Distance and Time – Becky Buller Fall Like Rain – Justin Moses Industrial Strength Bluegrass: Southwestern Ohio’s Musical Legacy – Various Artists Load the Wagon – Junior Sisk Still Here – Steve Gulley & Tim Stafford

Gospel Recording of the Year “After Awhile” by Dale Ann Bradley “Grit and Grace” by Balsam Range “Hear Jerusalem Calling” by Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers “In the Resurrection Morning” by Sacred Reunion featuring Doyle Lawson, Vince Gill, Barry Abernathy, Tim Stafford, Mark Wheeler, Jim VanCleve, Phil Leadbetter, Jason Moore “When He Calls My Name” by Alan Bibey & Grasstowne

Instrumental Recording of the Year “The Appalachian Road” by Appalachian Road Show “Foggy Mountain Chimes” by Scott Vestal, Patrick McAvinue, Cody Kilby, Dominick Leslie, Curtis Vestal “Ground Speed” by Kristin Scott Benson, Skip Cherryholmes, Jeremy Garrett, Kevin Kehrberg, Darren Nicholson “Mountain Strings” by Sierra Hull “Taxland” by Justin Moses with Sierra Hull

Collaborative Recording of the Year “Birmingham Jail” by Barry Abernathy with Vince Gill “In the Resurrection Morning” by Sacred Reunion featuring Doyle Lawson, Vince Gill, Barry Abernathy, Tim Stafford, Mark Wheeler, Jim VanCleve, Phil Leadbetter, Jason “My Baby’s Gone” by Justin Moses with Del McCoury “Tears of Regret” by High Fidelity with Jesse McReynolds “White Line Fever” by Bobby Osborne with Tim O’Brien, Trey Hensley, Sierra Hull

Male Vocalist of the Year Ronnie Bowman Del McCoury Danny Paisley Junior Sisk 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 Gina Furtado Rob McCoury Kristin Scott Benson Scott Vestal

Bass Player of the Year Mike Bub Todd Phillips Missy Raines Mark Schatz Marshall Wilborn

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 Phil Leadbetter Justin Moses

Guitar Player of the Year sponsored by Yamaha Trey Hensley Billy Strings Bryan Sutton Molly Tuttle Jake Workman

Mandolin Player of the Year Jesse Brock Sam Bush Sierra Hull Ronnie McCoury Tristan Scroggins