We’re sharing the list of candidates who appeared on the 2018 IBMA Music Awards Second Round Ballot. All candidates who received 10 or more votes on the first round write-in ballot appear on the second ballot.
The top five vote-getters in each category on the second ballot become the finalists on the final ballot. Awards recipients are announced at the IBMA Awards Show in Raleigh, NC during World of Bluegrass.
Categories with fewer candidates may reflect fewer votes overall or, alternately, a marked concentration of votes on particular candidates.
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Becky Buller Band
Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Billy Droze
Billy Strings
Blue Highway
Bobby Osborne
Carolina Blue
Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
ClayBank
Dailey & Vincent
Dale Ann Bradley
Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Dave Adkins
Del McCoury Band
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Feller & Hill
Flatt Lonesome
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Front Country
Gibson Brothers
Hot Rize
Infamous Stringdusters
Jeff Scroggins & Colorado
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
Lonesome River Band
Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Mile Twelve
Molly Tuttle
Nothin’ Fancy
Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
Ronnie Reno & The Reno Tradition
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Sam Bush Band
Sideline
Sierra Hull
Sister Sadie
Special Consensus
Steep Canyon Rangers
Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle
Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers
Summer Brooke & Mountain Faith
Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive
The Earls of Leicester
The Grascals
Volume Five
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Becky Buller Band
Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie
Blue Highway
Carolina Blue
ClayBank
Dailey & Vincent
Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Del McCoury Band
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Feller & Hill
Flatt Lonesome
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Front Country
Gibson Brothers
I’m With Her
Infamous Stringdusters
Jeff Scroggins & Colorado
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
Lonely Heartstring Band
Lonesome River Band
Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road
Mile Twelve
Nothin’ Fancy
Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Price Sisters
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
Ronnie Reno & The Reno Tradition
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Seldom Scene
Sideline
Sister Sadie
Special Consensus
Steep Canyon Rangers
Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle
Summer Brooke & Mountain Faith
Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive
The Earls of Leicester
The Grascals
The Isaacs
Volume Five
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Becky Buller Band
Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn
Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie
Billy Strings
Blue Highway
Carolina Blue
Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
ClayBank
Dailey & Vincent
Del McCoury Band
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Feller & Hill
Flatt Lonesome
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Front Country
Gibson Brothers
Hammertowne
Infamous Stringdusters
Jeff Scroggins & Colorado
Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Kruger Brothers
Lonely Heartstring Band
Lonesome River Band
Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Mile Twelve
Molly Tuttle
Price Sisters
Punch Brothers
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Sam Bush Band
Sideline
Special Consensus
Steep Canyon Rangers
Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle
Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive
The Earls of Leicester
The Family Sowell
The Grascals
The Travelin’ McCourys
Volume Five
SONG OF THE YEAR
A Heart Never Knows
A Little Past Lonely
All Grassed Up
All My Life
Better With Time
Blood Feud (The Hatfields & McCoys)
Bonnie Goodbye
Calamity Jane
Derailed
Don’t Point Your Finger
Drowned in Sorrow
Hillbilly Heroes
I’ll Just Go Away
If I’d Have Wrote That Song
Kentucky Blue
Life to My Days
Mayhayley’s House
No End in Sight
Now That’s a Song
Queen of Carolina
Sleepin’ With the Reaper
Speakin’ to That Mountain
Swept Away
The Bugler
The Night Flatt & Scruggs Played Carnegie Hal
They Call the Wind Maria
Thunder Dan
Way Down the River Road
Where Do You Go
Wrong Road Again
You Didn’t Call My Name
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
A Heart Never Knows
All Grassed Up
Before Breakfast
Breakin’ Easy
Brothers and Heroes
Crepe Paper Heart
Dale Ann Bradley
Deep Water
Echo in the Valley
Front Porch Philosophy
Hillbilly Heroes
Life Is a Story
Mayhayley’s House
Milestones
Onwards
Other Love Songs
Out in the Open
Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys
Right or Wrong
Rise
Rivers & Roads
See You Around
Silence in These Walls
Small Town Life
Sounds of Kentucky Grass
The Long‐Awaited Album
The Story We Tell
Time Won’t Wait
To Whom It May Concern
True Colors
GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Blood Stained Bible
Come to Jesus
Draw Me Near
Even Somebody Like Me
Get on the Main Highway
God Holds Tomorrow
House of Gold
I Can Only Imagine
I’m Going Under
I’ve Been Redeemed
Little Girl
My Father’s Son
Safe in His Arms
Speakin’ to That Mountain
The Lamb, the Lion, and the King
Travelin’ Shoes
When God’s in It
Written in the Back of the Book
INSTRUMENTAL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Cair Paravel
Dust Can Wait
G‐Force
Jerry’s Breakdown
Jerusalem Ridge
Lynchburg Chicken Run
Medley ‐ Sally in the Garden/Big Country/Molly Put the Kettle On
Saylor’s Creek
Sirens
Sometimes It Does
Squirrel Hunters
T.H.A.T.S.
Wickwire
EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Amanda Cook
Billy Droze
Billy Strings
Cane Mill Road
ClayBank
Deer Creek Boys
Fireside Collective
Front Country
Garrett Newton Band
Gina Clowes
High Fidelity
I’m With Her
Jeff Scroggins & Colorado
Lonely Heartstring Band
Mile Twelve
Molly Tuttle
Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Price Sisters
Sister Sadie
Stuart Wyrick
The Family Sowell
Unspoken Tradition
RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR
She Took the Tennessee River
I’ll Just Go Away
Swept Away
Calamity Jane
The Rebel and the Rose
Written in the Back of the Book
Blood Feud (The Hatfields & McCoys)
Duncan and Brady
All Grassed Up
Rain Won’t Quit
Chill in the Room
Love Is a Stranger
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Billy Droze
Billy Strings
Bobby Osborne
Brandon Rickman
Buddy Melton
Buddy Robertson
Chris Hill
Chris Jones
Danny Paisley
Dave Adkins
Del McCoury
Don Rigsby
Duane Sparks
Dudley Connell
Dustin Pyrtle
Eli Johnston
Eric Gibson
Evan Murphy
Frank Solivan
George Clements
Glen Harrell
Greg Blake
Jamie Dailey
Jeremy Garrett
Jerry Salley
Joe Mullins
John Bryan
Josh Williams
Junior Sisk
Larry Sparks
Larry Stephenson
Leigh Gibson
Peter Rowan
Rick Faris
Ricky Skaggs
Russell Moore
Sam Bush
Shawn Camp
Shawn Lane
Steve Gulley
Terry Eldredge
Tim O’Brien
Tom Feller
Travis Book
Trey Hensley
Woody Platt
Zach Alvis
Zack Arnold
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Abigail Sowell
Abigail Washburn
Alison Krauss
Amanda Cook
Amanda Smith
Aoife O’Donovan
Becky Buller
Brooke Aldridge
Celia Woodsmith
Charli Robertson
Claire Lynch
Dale Ann Bradley
Debbie Gulley
Donna Ulisse
Gina Clowes
Kati Penn Williams
Kelsi Harrigill
Kim Robins
Kristy Cox
Lauren Price
Laurie Lewis
Leanna Price
Lorraine Jordan
Melody Walker
Missy Raines
Molly Tuttle
Rhonda Vincent
Sarah Jarosz
Sierra Hull
Sonya Isaacs
Summer Brooke
Tina Adair
BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Aaron McDaris
Abigail Washburn
Alison Brown
BB Bowness
Bela Fleck
Ben Greene
Bill Emerson
Brent Pack
Charlie Cushman
Chris Hill
Chris Pandolfi
Eric Gibson
Gabe Hirshfeld
Garrett Newton
Gena Britt
Gina Clowes
Graham Sharp
Greg Cahill
Jacob Sowell
Jason Burleson
Jason Davis
Jeff Scroggins
Jens Kruger
Jessie Baker
Joe Dean
Joe Mullins
Kristin Scott Benson
Marc Pruett
Mark Delaney
Matt Cruby
Mike Scott
Ned Luberecki
Noam Pikelny
Patton Wages
Paul Harrigill
Rob McCoury
Ron Block
Ron Stewart
Russ Carson
Sammy Shelor
Scott Vestal
Steve Dilling
Stuart Wyrick
Terry Baucom
Wes Corbett
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alan Bartram
Barry Bales
Barry Reed
Beth Lawrence
Bryan Turner
Curt Chapman
Dan Eubanks
Dennis Crouch
Dominic Illingsworth
Edgar Loudermilk
Ethan Jodziewicz
Heath Van Winkle
Jason Moore
Jeremy Middleton
John Cowan
Jon Weisberger
Mark Schatz
Marshall Wilborn
Mickey Harris
Mike Barber
Mike Bub
Missy Raines
Naomi Sowell
Nate Sabat
Paul Kowert
Randy Barnes
Ruth McLain
Steve Gulley
Terry Smith
Tim Surrett
Todd Parks
Todd Phillips
Tom Gray
Travis Book
Tyler Griffith
Wayne Taylor
Zak McLamb
FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Adam Haynes
Aynsley Porchak
Becky Buller
Bobby Hicks
Bronwyn Keith‐Hynes
Buddy Melton
Carley Arrowood
Charli Robertson
Chris Sexton
Clayton Campbell
Deanie Richardson
Ellie Hakanson
Glen Harrell
Hunter Berry
Jamie Harper
Jason Barie
Jason Carter
Jeremy Garrett
John‐Mark Sowell
Johnny Warren
Josh Goforth
Kati Penn Williams
Kimber Ludiker
Laura Orshaw
Matt Hooper
Michael Cleveland
Mike Barnett
Mike Hartgrove
Nathan Aldridge
Nicky Sanders
Patrick M’Gonigle
Patrick McAvinue
Ron Stewart
Samantha Snyder
Stephen Burwell
Steve Day
Stuart Duncan
Tim Crouch
DOBRO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Andy Dunnigan
Andy Hall
Brad Hudson
Brent Burke
Fred Travers
Gary Hultman
Gaven Largent
Jerry Douglas
Josh Swift
Justin Moses
Kim Gardner
Matt Leadbetter
Michael Stockton
Mike Witcher
Phil Leadbetter
Randy Kohrs
Rob Ickes
Tim Graves
Tim Surrett
Travis Tucker
GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Andy Falco
Billy Droze
Billy Strings
Brandon Rickman
Bryan Sutton
Buddy Robertson
Caleb Smith
Chris Eldridge
Chris Luquette
Clay Hess
Cody Kilby
Colby Laney
Courtney Hartman
Dan Boner
Darin Aldridge
David Grier
Del McCoury
Greg Blake
Jacob Greer
Jake Workman
Jeff Autry
Jim Hurst
Josh Williams
Joshua Sowell
Kenny Smith
Larry Sparks
Leigh Gibson
Molly Tuttle
Rick Faris
Russell Moore
Skip Cherryholmes
Stephen Mougin
Steve Gulley
Tim Stafford
Trey Hensley
Will Jones
Woody Platt
Zeb Snyder
MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Adam Steffey
Alan Bibey
Bobby Osborne
Casey Campbell
Chris Thile
CJ Lewandowski
Danny Roberts
Darren Nicholson
David Benedict
Doyle Lawson
Frank Solivan
Gary Robinson, Jr.
Jacob Burleson
Jenni Lyn Gardner
Jesse Brock
Jesse Smathers
Jonathan Dillon
Kelsi Harrigill
Lauren Price
Lorraine Jordan
Mike Compton
Mike Guggino
Mike Terry
Nate Lee
Nathan Livers
Nick Dumas
Ricky Skaggs
Ronnie McCoury
Ronnie Reno
Ryan Paisley
Sam Bush
Shawn Lane
Sierra Hull
Tim O’Brien
Timmy Jones
Tina Adair
Tom Feller
Tristan Scroggins
Troy Boone
Wayne Benson
Zack Arnold
