Balsam Range, Billy Strings, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver,
Del McCoury Band, and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys are
the “Entertainer of the Year” nominees
Nashville, TN, 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.
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”
Artist: High Fidelity
Songwriter: Charlie Monroe
Producers: Jeremy Stephens, Corrina Rose Logston, Brad Benge
Label: Rebel Records
“Hitchhiking to California”
Artist: Alan Bibey & Grasstowne
Songwriters: Wes Golding/Alan Bibey/Jerry Salley
Producers: Jerry Salley, Ron Stewart
Executive Producer: Dottie Leonard Miller
Label: Billy Blue Records
“Just Load the Wagon”
Artist: Junior Sisk
Songwriter: J.R. Satterwhite
Producers: Amanda Cook, Junior Sisk, Mark Hodges
Label: Mountain Fever Records
“Leaving on Her Mind”
Artist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Songwriter: Jack Clement
Producer: Rosta Capek
Label: Billy Blue Records
“Richest Man”
Artist: Balsam Range
Songwriters: Jim Beavers/Jimmy Yeary/Connie Harrington
Producer: Balsam Range
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Tie)
Bluegrass 2020
Artist: Scott Vestal, Patrick McAvinue, Cody Kilby, Dominick Leslie, Curtis Vestal
Producers: Scott Vestal, Ethan Burkhardt, Lonnie Lassiter
Label: Pinecastle Records
Distance and Time
Artist: Becky Buller
Producer: Stephen Mougin
Label: Dark Shadow Recording
Fall Like Rain
Artist: Justin Moses
Producer: Justin Moses
Label: Mountain Fever Records
Industrial Strength Bluegrass: Southwestern Ohio’s Musical Legacy
Artist: Various Artists
Producer: Joe Mullins
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Load the Wagon
Artist: Junior Sisk
Producers: Amanda Cook, Junior Sisk, Mark Hodges
Label: Mountain Fever Records
Still Here
Artist: Steve Gulley & Tim Stafford
Producers: Steve Gulley, Tim Stafford
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“After While”
Artist: Dale Ann Bradley
Songwriter: Public Domain
Producer: Dale Ann Bradley
Label: Pinecastle Records
“Grit and Grace”
Artist: Balsam Range
Songwriters: Ann Melton/Milan Miller/Beth Husband
Producer: Balsam Range
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
“Hear Jerusalem Calling”
Artist: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Songwriters: Marty Stuart/Jerry Sullivan
Producer: Joe Mullins
Executive Producer: Dottie Leonard Miller
Label: Billy Blue Records
“In the Resurrection Morning”
Artists: Sacred Reunion featuring Doyle Lawson, Vince Gill, Barry Abernathy, Tim Stafford, Mark Wheeler, Jim VanCleve, Phil Leadbetter, Jason Moore
Songwriter: Mark Wheeler
Producers: Barry Abernathy, Jim VanCleve
Label: Billy Blue Records
“When He Calls My Name”
Artist: Alan Bibey & Grasstowne
Songwriters: Alan Bibey/Ronnie Bowman
Producers: Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, Ron Stewart, Jerry Salley
Executive Producer: Dottie Leonard Miller
Label: Billy Blue Records
INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“The Appalachian Road”
Artist: Appalachian Road Show
Songwriter: Jim VanCleve
Producers: Jim VanCleve, Barry Abernathy, Appalachian Road Show
Executive Producer: Dottie Leonard Miller
Label: Billy Blue Records
“Foggy Mountain Chimes”
Artists: Scott Vestal, Patrick McAvinue, Cody Kilby, Dominick Leslie, Curtis Vestal
Songwriter: Earl Scruggs
Producer: Scott Vestal
Label: Pinecastle Records
“Ground Speed”
Artists: Kristin Scott Benson, Skip Cherryholmes, Jeremy Garrett, Kevin Kehrberg, Darren Nicholson
Songwriter: Earl Scruggs
Producer: Jon Weisberger
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
“Mountain Strings”
Artist: Sierra Hull
Songwriters: Frank Wakefield/Red Allen
Producer: Joe Mullins
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
“Taxland”
Artist: Justin Moses with Sierra Hull
Songwriter: Justin Moses
Producer: Justin Moses
Label: Mountain Fever Records
COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Birmingham Jail”
Artists: Barry Abernathy with Vince Gill
Songwriter: Public Domain
Producers: Barry Abernathy, Jim VanCleve
Executive Producer: Dottie Leonard Miller
Label: Billy Blue Records
“In the Resurrection Morning”
Artists: Sacred Reunion featuring Doyle Lawson, Vince Gill, Barry Abernathy, Tim Stafford, Mark Wheeler, Jim VanCleve, Phil Leadbetter, Jason Moore
Songwriter: Mark Wheeler
Producers: Barry Abernathy, Jim VanCleve
Label: Billy Blue Records
“My Baby’s Gone”
Artists: Justin Moses with Del McCoury
Songwriter: Dennis Linde
Producer: Justin Moses
Label: Mountain Fever Records
“Tears of Regret”
Artists: High Fidelity with Jesse McReynolds
Songwriters: Jesse McReynolds/Lucille Hutton
Producers: Jeremy Stephens, Corrina Rose Logston, Brad Benge
Label: Rebel Records
“White Line Fever”
Artists: Bobby Osborne with Tim O’Brien, Trey Hensley, Sierra Hull, Stuart Duncan, Todd Phillips, Alison Brown
Songwriters: Merle Haggard/Jeff Tweedy
Producers: Alison Brown, Garry West
Label: Compass Records
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
Tickets are now on sale for the 32nd Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, and for all IBMA World of Bluegrass events; visit worldofbluegrass.org for details.
The Awards show will be broadcast on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction at 7:30 p.m. EDT, streamed via Facebook Live, and will be made available for rebroadcast by radio stations worldwide. For more information on how to obtain a recording of the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show for rebroadcast, please go to www.ibma.org.
# # #
IBMA World of Bluegrass is the most important week in bluegrass! The week encompasses four events: the IBMA Business Conference, September 28-30; the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases taking place September 28-30 in downtown Raleigh and at the Raleigh Convention Center; the 32nd Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards presented by Yamaha, scheduled for Thursday evening, September 30; and IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC, October 1-2, a two-day festival. IBMA Bluegrass Live! features the best of the best in bluegrass today, benefiting the IBMA Trust Fund—a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists bluegrass professionals during financial emergencies—and introducing the music to thousands of new fans every year.
About IBMA
IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide.
About YAMAHA
Yamaha began manufacturing classical guitars in the early 1940s, expanding to steel-string acoustic guitars by 1966, the year in which they began distributing guitars internationally. The master luthiers at the Yamaha Custom Shop, located in Los Angeles, CA, also design and build some of the world’s finest acoustic guitars for Yamaha artists. Yamaha is delighted to participate in the 2021 IBMA World of Bluegrass event.
About THE DUKE ENERGY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Set amongst the backdrop of our Capitol, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts has stood as a historic and cultural focal point in Downtown Raleigh since 1932. It has played host to Broadway classics, rock legends and major political figures while maintaining an emphasis on education of the arts and artists housed within Raleigh’s community. With four separate event spaces available, the breadth and depth of events past, present and future has made this Raleigh’s Premier Arts Venue.
Press Info: Judy McDonough, Karen Campbell Media
[email protected], (615) 243-5994
General Info: Casey Campbell, IBMA
[email protected], (615) 256-3222
