2015 IBMA Nominations Announcement

At a press conference aired this morning on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction, the International Bluegrass Music Association announced the final nominees for their 2015 International Bluegrass Music Awards, along with this year’s Hall Of Fame Inductees and Distinguished Achievement Award recipients.

The winners will be announced during a gala awards presentation on October 1 at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts  in Raleigh, NC.

 

2015  Hall Of Fame Inductees

• Bill Keith
• Larry Sparks

2015 Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients

• Alison Brown
• Murphy Henry
• International Bluegrass Music Museum
• “Bashful Brother” Oswald Kirby
• Steve Martin

 

2015 International Bluegrass Music Award Nominations

Entertainer Of The Year

• Balsam Range
• Hot Rize
• The Earls of Leicester
• The Gibson Brothers
• The Del McCoury Band

Vocal Group Of The Year

• Balsam Range
• Blue Highway
• Flatt Lonesome
• Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
• The Gibson Brothers

Instrumental Group Of The Year

• Blue Highway
• Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
• Punch Brothers
• Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
• The Earls of Leicester

Song Of The Year

• Big Black Train – Earls of Leicester (artist), Stanley Johnson, George Sherry (writers)
• Fiddlin’ Joe – Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (artist), Mark Brinkman (writer)
• Her Love Won’t Turn On A Dime – Lonesome River Band (artist), Bart Butler, Timothy Johnson, Shane Minor (writers)
• Moon Over Memphis – Balsam Range (artist), Mark W. Winchester (writer)
• Southern Flavor – Becky Buller (artist), Bill Monroe, Guy Stevenson, DeWayne Mize (writers)

Album Of The Year

• Brotherhood – The Gibson Brothers (artist), Eric Gibson, Leigh Gibson, Mike Barber (producers), Rounder
• Five – Balsam Range (artist), Balsam Range (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
• The Earls of Leicester – The Earls of Leicester (artist) Jerry Douglas (producer), Rounder
• Too – Flatt Lonesome (artist), Andrea Roberts, Tim Surrett (producers), Mountain Home Music Company
• When I’m Free – Hot Rize (artist), Hot Rize (producer), Ten In Hand Records

Gospel Recorded Performance Of The Year

• Holding To The Right Hand – Lonesome River Band (artist), Turn On A Dime(album), Marvin Clark (writer), Sammy Shelor (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
• Insured Beyond The Grave – J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson & Paul Williams (artist), Standing Tall and Tough (album), Ira Louvin, Charlie Louvin (writers), Doyle Lawson (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
• Stacking Up the Rocks – Balsam Range (artist), Five (album), Buddy Melton (writer), Balsam Range (producers), Mountain Home Music Company
• What a Wonderful Savior Is He – The Gibson Brothers (artist), Brotherhood(album), William G. Brewster (writer), Eric Gibson, Leigh Gibson, Mike Barber (producer), Rounder Records
• Who Will Sing for Me – The Earls of Leicester (artist), The Earls of Leicester(album), Carter Stanley, Ralph Stanley (writer), Jerry Douglas (producers), Rounder Records

Instrumental Recorded Performance Of The Year

• Backdraft (You Light It, You Fight It – Balsam Range (artist), Five (album),Buddy Metlon, Marc Pruett, Tim Surrett, Darren Nicholson, Caleb B. Smith (writer), Balsam Range (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
• Come Along Jody – Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper (artist), On Down the Line (album), Benjamin F.”Tex” Logan (writer), Jeff White, Michael Cleveland (producers), Compass Records
• Cumberland Gap – Lonesome River Band (artist), Turn On A Dime (album), Sammy Shelor (arrangement), Sammy Shelor  (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
• The Three Bells – Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (artists), The Three Bells (album), Jean Villard, Bert Reisfeld (writers), Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (producer), Rounder Records
• Yeah Man – Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen (artist), Cold Spell (album), Michael Munford (writer), Frank Solivan (producer), Compass Records

Recorded Event Of The Year

• Against The Grain– Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, featuring Garth Brooks (artists), Larry Cordle (producer), MightyCord Records
• Blue Memories – J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson & Paul Williams (artists), Doyle Lawson  (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
• For Buddy – Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (artists), Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (producers), Rounder Records
• Test of Time – Steep Canyon Rangers & Edie Brickell (artists), Carl Jackson (producer)
• The Three Bells – Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (artists), Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (producers) Rounder Records
• Southern Flavor – Becky Buller, with Peter Rowan, Michael Feagan, Buddy Spicher, Ernie Sykes, Roland White and Blake Williams (artists), Stephen Mougin (producer) Dark Shadow Recording

Emerging Artist Of The Year

• Adkins & Loudermilk
• Band of Ruhks
• Becky Buller
• Mountain Faith
• Snyder Family Band
• The Earls of Leicester
• Volume Five

Male Vocalist Of The Year

• Shawn Camp
• Del McCoury
• Buddy Melton
• Russell Moore
• Tim O’Brien

Female Vocalist Of The Year

• Dale Ann Bradley
• Becky Buller
• Claire Lynch
• Amanda Smith
• Rhonda Vincent

Instrumental Performers Of The Year

 

 

Banjo

• Kristin Scott Benson
• Rob McCoury
• Noam Pikelny
• Sammy Shelor
• Ron Stewart

Bass

• Barry Bales
• Mike Bub
• Missy Raines
• Mark Schatz
• Tim Surrett

Fiddle

• Becky Buller
• Jason Carter
• Michael Cleveland
• Stuart Duncan
• Ron Stewart

Dobro

• Mike Auldridge
• Jerry Douglas
• Andy Hall
• Rob Ickes
• Phil Leadbetter

Guitar

• Jim Hurst
• Kenny Smith
• Tim Stafford
• Bryan Sutton
• Josh Williams

Mandolin

• Jesse Brock
• Sam Bush
• Sierra Hull
• Ronnie McCoury
• Adam Steffey

 

Special Awards

Bluegrass Broadcaster Of The Year

• Cindy Baucom, Knee-Deep In Bluegrass (syndicated)
• Becky Buller, Bluegrass Crossroads, WMSR
• Kyle Cantrell, Bluegrass Junction, Sirius XM
• Chris Jones, Bluegrass Junction, Sirius XM
• Ronnie Reno, Reno’s Old Time Music, RFD-TV

Bluegrass Event Of The Year

• La Roche Bluegrass Festival 2014, La Roche sur Foron, France
• A Lester Flatt Celebration 2014, Sparta, Tennessee
• Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival 2014, Richmond, Minnesota
• Park Slope Bluegrass & Old-Time Jamboree 2014, Brooklyn, New York
• 42^nd RockyGrass Festival, Lyons, Colorado

Best Graphic Design For A Recorded Project

• Evan Gaffney (designer), The Phosphorescent Blues, Punch Brothers, Nonesuch
• Michael Gerstenberger (designer), Complete Recordings 1936-55, Chuck Wagon Gang, Bear Family Productions
• Jimmy Hole (designer), Della Mae, Della Mae, Rounder
• Deano Martin (designer), Trouble Follows Me, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, Rebel Records
• Carrie Smith (designer), The Lonesome Trio, The Lonesome Trio, Sugar Hill

 Best Liner Notes For A Recorded Project

• Frank Godby, If Only You Knew: The Best of Larry Rice, Larry Rice, Rebel Records
• Phil Leadbetter, Next Move, Phil Leadbetter, Pinecastle Records
• Randy Pitts, Laurie & Kathy Sing Songs of Vern & Ray, Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick, Spruce and Maple Music
• Ted Olson, Old Time Bluegrass from the Great Smoky Mountains (1956 & 1959), Carroll Best & the White Oak String Band, Great Smokey Mountains Association
• Eddie Stubbs and Bill Malone, Complete Recordings 1936-55, Chuck Wagon Gang, Bear Family Productions

Bluegrass Print/Media Person Of The Year

• Fred Bartenstein, The Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductee Biographies 1991-2014
• Derek Halsey, writer for the Herald Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia,Bluegrass Unlimited magazine, and The Bluegrass Situation. 
• John Lawless, editor for Bluegrass Today
• Ted Lehmann, blogger for Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books & Brainstorms
• Gary Reid, author, The Music of the Stanley Brothers and The Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductee Biographies 1991-2014

Bluegrass Songwriter Of The Year

• Mark ‘Brink’ Brinkman
• Becky Buller
• Bill Castle
• Shawn Lane
• Donna Ulisse

 

Momentum Award Nominees

Performance Award nominees, Instrumentalists (final committee will select 3)

• Annie Staninec (fiddle)
• Casey Campbell (mandolin, fiddle)
• Molly Tuttle (guitar, banjo)
• Nate Lee (fiddle, mandolin)
• Paul Kowert (bass)
• Patrick McAvinue (fiddle)
• John Mailander (fiddle, mandolin)
• Bryan McDowell (fiddle, guitar)

Performance Award nominees, Vocalist (final committee to select 1)

• Savannah Church (The Church Sisters)
• Alysha Bankester (The Bankesters)
• Kim Robins (Kim Robins and 40 Years Late)
• Louise Holden (I Draw Slow)
• Summer McMahan (Mountain Faith)

Performance Award nominees, Band (final committee to select 1)

• I Draw Slow
• Lonely Heartstring Band
• Twisted Pine
• Haas, Kowert, Tice

Industry Involvement Award nominees, Media/Artisan/Business/General

• Alan Tompkins (promoter, radio broadcaster, association leader)
• Casey Freeland (association executive director)
• Daniel Mullins (journalist, radio broadcaster)
• Erin Scholze (publicist)

Nominees for Festival/Event/Venue

• HoustonFest – Galax, VA
• Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival – Manteo, NC
• ISIS Restaurant and Music Hall – Asheville, NC
• PineCone Youth Camp – Cary, NC
• Christmas in the Smokies – Pidgeon Forge, TN

Mentor Award (given to a bluegrass professional who has made a significant impact on the lives and careers of newcomers to the bluegrass industry):

• Alan Tompkins (promoter, radio broadcaster, association leader)
• Andrea Roberts (Andrea Roberts Agency)
• Daniel Boner (director, Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies at ETSU)
• Ken Irwin (Rounder Records)
• Woody Platt (Steep Canyon Rangers)

Congratulations and best of luck to all the nominees!