IBMA Award Nominees Announced; The Boxcars Pull Ahead

The International Bluegrass Music Association brought together new and established acts Wednesday evening in Nashville as they announced the nominees for the 22nd Annual IBMA Awards.

“Our true American art form will be represented that night,” IBMA Executive Director Dan Hays said.

Among the notable categories and nominees, The Boxcars, a relatively new bluegrass super group of sorts, racked up the greatest number of nominations including Entertainer of the Year, Instrumental Group of the Year, Album of the Year, Gospel Recorded Performance, Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year, Emerging Artist of the Year and Banjo, Fiddle, and Mandolin Players of the Year.

Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, who opened the press conference with a rendition of “Sugar Foot Rag,” snagged eight nods, including Vocal Group of the Year, Album of the Year and Male Vocalist of the Year, to name a few.

Also receiving multiple nominations each were Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, the Gibson Brothers, the Lonesome River Band and Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers.

Apart from the awards themselves, IBMA will also induct Del McCoury and George Shuffler into the IBMA Hall of Fame during the ceremony, which will be held Sept. 29 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and hosted by four-time Mandolin Player of the Year, Sam Bush.

Bush said he was especially pleased given that this year marks the 100th birthday of Bill Monroe, who is widely credited as the father of Bluegrass.

“Not many forms of music can trace back to one person,” Hays said.

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BLUEGRASS MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Del McCoury

George Shuffler

IBMA DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS

Greg Cahill

Bill Knowlton

Lilly Pavlak

Geoff Stelling

Roland White

NOMINEES

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR

The Boxcars

Dailey & Vincent

The Gibson Brothers

The Grascals

Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Blue Highway

Dailey & Vincent

The Gibson Brothers

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Blue Highway

The Boxcars

Sam Bush Band

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

The Infamous Stringdusters

EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Darin & Brooke Aldridge

Balsam Range

The Boxcars

Sierra Hull & Highway 111

Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Jamie Dailey

Leigh Gibson

Russell Moore

Dan Tyminski

Josh Williams

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR

Dale Ann Bradley

Sonya Isaacs

Alison Krauss

Claire Lynch

Rhonda Vincent

SONG OF THE YEAR

“Help My Brother,” The Gibson Brothers (artists), Leigh Gibson (songwriter)

“I Am Strong;” The Grascals featuring Dolly Parton (artists); Jamie Johnson, Susanne Mumpower-Johnson, Janee Fleenor (songwriters)

“I’ll Take Love,” Dale Ann Bradley with Alison Krauss & Steve Gulley (artists), Louisa Branscomb & Dale Ann Bradley (songwriters)

“Trains I Missed;” Balsam Range (artists); Walt Wilkins, Gilles Godard, Nicole Witt (songwriters)

“Walkin’ West to Memphis,” The Gibson Brothers (artists), Chris Henry (songwriter)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

The All-Star Jam: Live At Graves Mountain; Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, The Crowe Brothers, Lonesome River Band, Mark Newton, Lou Reid & Carolina, Carl Jackson, Audie Blaylock & Redline, Carrie Hassler with Brand New Strings (artists); Mark Newton & Carl Jackson (producers); Rural Rhythm Records (label)

Almost Home, Larry Sparks (artist), Larry Sparks (producer), Rounder Records (label)

The Boxcars, The Boxcars (artists), The Boxcars (producers), Mountain Home (label)

Help My Brother, The Gibson Brothers (artists), Compass Records (label), Eric & Leigh Gibson and Mike Barber (producers)

Rare Bird Alert, Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers (artists), Tony Trischka (producer), Rounder Records (label)

Trains I Missed, Balsam Range (artists), Balsam Range (producers), Mountain Home (label)

GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

“God’s Front Porch,” Lou Reid & Carolina (artists), Dennis Duff (songwriter), Lou Reid (producer), Rural Rhythm Christian (label)

“He Can Be Found,” The Gibson Brothers (artists), Ella Barrett & Faye Cunningham (songwriters), Eric & Leigh Gibson and Mike Barber (producers), Compass Records (label)

“In God’s Hands,” The Boxcars (artists), John Benjamin Rochester (songwriter), The Boxcars (producers), Mountain Home (label)

“Prayer Bells of Heaven;” J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson & Paul Williams (artists); J.F. Lowe & H.W. Ward (songwriters); Ben Isaacs (producer); Mountain Home (label)

“Sailing On,” Russell Moore & Dale Ann Bradley (artists), Rick Lang (songwriter), Jesse Brock & John Miller (producers), Rural Rhythm Christian (label)

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

“Goin’ Up Dry Branch,” Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (artists), Buddy Spicher & Jimmy Martin (songwriters), Jeff White & Michael Cleveland (producers), Rounder Records (label)

“Ground Speed;” Rural Rhythm All-Stars: Sammy Shelor, Carl Jackson, Brandon Rickman, Wayne Benson, Mike Hartgrove, Mike Anglin (artists); Earl Scruggs (songwriter); Mark Newton & Carl Jackson (producers); Rural Rhythm Records (label)

“Jumpin’ the Track,” The Boxcars (artists), Ron Stewart (songwriter), The Boxcars (producers), Mountain Home (label)

“Pretty Little Girl,” Lonesome River Band (artists), Public Domain, Lonesome River Band (producers), Rural Rhythm Records (label)

“Rare Bird Alert,” Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers (artists), Steve Martin (songwriter), Tony Trischka (producer), Rounder Records (label)

RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR

“Graves Mountain Memories;” Rural Rhythm All-Stars featuring Carl Jackson, Mark Newton, Audie Blaylock, Lou Reid, Russell Moore, Carrie Hassler, Sammy Shelor, Mike Hartgrove, Wayne Benson, Mike Anglin (artists); Mark Newton & Carl Jackson (producers); Rural Rhythm Records (label)

“I Am Strong,” The Grascals featuring Dolly Parton (artists), The Grascals (producers), Cracker Barrel/BluGrascal Records (label)

“I’ll Take Love,” Dale Ann Bradley featuring Alison Krauss and Steve Gulley (artists), Louisa Branscomb & Missy Raines (producers), Compass Records (label)

“Lonesome River,” Lou Reid & Carolina featuring Russell Moore (artists), Mark Newton & Carl Jackson (producers), Rural Rhythm Records (label)

“Prayer Bells of Heaven;” J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson & Paul Williams (artists); Ben Isaacs (producer); Mountain Home (label)

INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR

Banjo:

Terry Baucom

Kristin Scott Benson

Ron Block

J.D. Crowe

Sammy Shelor

Ron Stewart

Bass:

Barry Bales

Mike Bub

Missy Raines

Mark Schatz

Marshall Wilborn

Fiddle:

Hunter Berry

Jason Carter

Michael Cleveland

Stuart Duncan

Ron Stewart

Dobro:

Mike Auldridge

Jerry Douglas

Rob Ickes

Randy Kohrs

Phil Leadbetter

Guitar:

Cody Kilby

Tony Rice

Kenny Smith

Bryan Sutton

Josh Williams

Mandolin:

Wayne Benson

Sam Bush

Sierra Hull

Ronnie McCoury

Adam Steffey