Béla Fleck, Dolly Parton, Vince Gill and The Oak Ridge Boys are among the artists whose fame transcends bluegrass to receive nominations this year.
The nominees for the 33rd annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards were announced in a live event at the SiriusXM studios in Nashville on Tuesday (July 26).
Billy Strings, who won entertainer of the year for the first time at the 2021 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, is nominated again in that category this year. He faces Sister Sadie, the 2020 entertainer of the year winner; The Del McCoury Band, which won a record nine times in the category between 1994 and 2004; and two artists that have yet to win the award, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys and Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway.
This is the second entertainer of the year nomination for The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys; the first for Tuttle & Golden Highway.
Béla Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart is nominated for album of the year, along with Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass’ Bluegrass Troubadour, Tuttle & Golden Highway’s Crooked Tree, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys’ Never Slow Down and Strings’ Renewal.
Fleck isn’t the only artist whose fame transcends bluegrass to be nominated this year. Dolly Parton is nominated in two categories for “In the Sweet By and By,” a collaboration with Carl Jackson. Vince Gill is nominated for “Honky Tonk Nights,” a collab with The Del McCoury Band. The Oak Ridge Boys are nominated for “He’s Gettin’ Me Ready,” a collab with Darin & Brooke Aldridge.
Results of the balloting will be revealed at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards on Sept. 29 at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, N.C. Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the professional nonprofit association for the bluegrass music industry.
Tickets are now on sale for the 33rd annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, and for all IBMA World of Bluegrass events. Visit worldofbluegrass.org for details.
Here’s the complete list of nominations:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
The Del McCoury Band
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Sister Sadie
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Greg Blake
Rick Faris
Del McCoury
Danny Paisley
Larry Sparks
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Brooke Aldridge
Dale Ann Bradley
Sierra Hull
Molly Tuttle
Rhonda Vincent
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Blue Highway
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Del McCoury Band
Sister Sadie
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Béla Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart
The Travelin’ McCourys
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Rick Faris
Fireside Collective
Laura Orshaw
Jaelee Roberts
Tray Wellington
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Blink of an Eye,” artist: Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass; songwriter: Robert Amos; label: Pinecastle Records; producers: Bobby Lundy/Danny Paisley/Ryan Paisley/Wes Easter
“Deep River,” artist: Rick Faris; songwriter: Rick Faris/Brink Brinkman; label: Dark Shadow Recording; producer: Stephen Mougin
“I’ll Take the Lonesome Every Time,” artist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; songwriters: Glen Duncan/Jerry Salley; label: Billy Blue Records; producer: Doyle Lawson
“Red Daisy,” artist: Billy Strings; songwriters: Jarrod Walker/Christian Ward; label: Rounder Records; producers: Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings
“Riding the Chief,” artist: Chris Jones & The Night Drivers; songwriter: Chris Jones/Thomm Jutz, label: Mountain Home; producer: Chris Jones
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Bluegrass Troubadour, artist: Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass; label: Pinecastle Records; producer: Wes Easter
Crooked Tree, artist: Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, label: Nonesuch Records, producers: Molly Tuttle/Jerry Douglas
My Bluegrass Heart, artist: Béla Fleck; label: Renew Records; producer: Béla Fleck
Never Slow Down, artist: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys; label: Smithsonian Folkways, producers: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys/Dave Maggard
Renewal, artist: Billy Strings; label: Rounder Records; producers: Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings
COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Blackbird,” artist: Special Consensus with Amanda Smith, Dale Ann Bradley, Rob Ickes, and Alison Brown; songwriter: J.P. Cormier; label: Compass Records; producer: Alison Brown
“East Bound and Down,” artist: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys featuring Jason Carter & Bronwyn Keith-Hynes; songwriters: Jerry Reed/Dick Feller; label: Sound Biscuit Productions; producer: The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys/Dave Maggard
“Honky Tonk Nights,” artist: Del McCoury Band featuring Vince Gill; songwriter: Mike O’Reilly; label: McCoury Music; producer: Del McCoury/Ronnie McCoury
“In the Sweet By and By,” artist: Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley; songwriters: S. Fillmore Bennett/Joseph Webster; label: Billy Blue Records; producer: Jerry Salley
“One By One,” artist: Dale Ann Bradley with Danny Paisley; songwriter: Jim Anglin/Jack Anglin/Johnny Wright; label: Pinecastle Records; producer: Dale Ann Bradley
GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“A Little More Faith in Jesus,” artist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver; songwriters: Jerry Cole/Doyle Lawson; label: Billy Blue Records; producer: Doyle Lawson
“He’s Gettin’ Me Ready,” artist: Darin & Brooke Aldridge with The Oak Ridge Boys; songwriter: Jimmy Fortune; label: Billy Blue Records; producers: Darin Aldridge/Mark Fain
“In the End,” artist: Dale Ann Bradley; songwriter: Jill Gilliam; label: Pinecastle Records; producer: Dale Ann Bradley
“In the Sweet By and By,” artist: Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley; songwriters: S. Fillmore Bennett/Joseph Webster; label: Billy Blue Records; producer: Jerry Salley
“See You on the Other Side,” artist: Rick Faris featuring Sam Bush; songwriter: Rick Faris/Rick Lang; label: Dark Shadow Recording; producer: Stephen Mougin
“Traveling the Highway Home,” artist: The Grascals; songwriters: Frankie Bailes/Walter Bailes; label: Mountain Home; producer: The Grascals
INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“EMD,” artist: Scott Vestal – Bluegrass 2022; songwriter: David Grisman; label: Pinecastle Records, producer: Scott Vestal
“Happy Go Lucky,” artist: Doyle Lawson & Alan Bibey; songwriter: Doyle Lawson; label: Billy Blue Records, producer: Doyle Lawson
“Ice Bridges,” artist: Billy Strings; songwriter: William Apostol; label: Rounder Records; producer: Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings
“Orange Blossom Breakdown,” artist: Mike Compton; songwriter: Bill Monroe; label: Taterbug Records; producer: Mark Howard
“Vertigo,” artist: Béla Fleck featuring Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Bryan Sutton; songwriter: Béla Fleck; label: Renew Records; producer: Béla Fleck
BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gena Britt
Bela Fleck
Rob McCoury
Kristin Scott Benson
Scott Vestal
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mike Bub
Jason Moore
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
Phil Leadbetter
Justin Moses
GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
Trey Hensley
Cody Kilby
Bryan Sutton
Molly Tuttle
MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alan Bibey
Jesse Brock
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Ronnie McCoury
