Award Recipient

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Earl Scruggs

One of the creators of bluegrass music, North Carolina native Earl Scruggs perfected the three finger roll on the five string banjo and introduced it to the Grand Ole Opry around Christmas of 1945 upon joining the “Blue Grass Boys.” From 1948 until 1969 Scruggs and his partner Lester Flatt were a major force in introducing bluegrass music to America through national television and at major universities and coliseums, in addition to appearances at rural schoolhouses and in small towns. Earl composed and recorded one of bluegrass music’s most famous instrumental, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” used in the soundtrack for the motion picture production of Bonnie & Clyde. In 1969 he established an innovative solo career with his three sons as “The Earl Scruggs Revue.” Earl Scruggs is one of the most important musicians in America. No other instrumentalist has had such a profound impact on bluegrass music nor influenced so many.

Awards

  • Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year

    • "Ground Speed" (2021)

      Kristin Scott Benson, Skip Cherryholmes, Jeremy Garrett, Kevin Kehrberg, Darren Nicholson (artists), Earl Scruggs (songwriter), Jon Weisberger (producer), Mountain Home Music (label)

  • Hall of Fame Inductees

    • Earl Scruggs (1991)

  • Distinguished Achievement Award

    • Earl Scruggs (1988)

  • Collaborative Recording of the Year (formerly Recorded Event of the Year)

    • Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular (2007)

      Tony Trischka with Earl Scruggs, Kenny Ingram, Tom Adams, Bela Fleck, Noam Pikelny, Alison Brown, Scott Vestal, Steve Martin & Bill Emerson (arists), Tony Trischka, Bela Fleck & Ronnie Freeland (producers), Rounder Records (label)

    • Will The Circle Be Unbroken Vol. III (2003)

      Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Matraca Berg, Sam Bush, June Carter Cash, Johnny Cash, Vassar Clements, Iris Dement, Rodney Dillard, Jerry Douglas, Glen Duncan, Vince Gill, Josh Graves, Jamie Hanna, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Jimmy Martin, Del McCoury, Robbie McCoury, Ronnie McCoury, Jonathan McEuen, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Willie Nelson, Tom Petty, Tony Rice, Earl Scruggs, Randy Scruggs, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, Richard Watson, Glenn Worf & Dwight Yoakam (artists); Randy Scruggs & The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (producers); on Capitol Records

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