2021 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards nominees announced

Earlier today in Nashville, the International Bluegrass Music Association announced the final nominees for their 32nd annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards. Also announced were the 2021 inductees into the Bluegrass Music Hall Of Fame, and recipients of the organization’s Distinguished Achievement Awards. 

Prior to the balloting for the Hall of Fame this year, a document was prepared and circulated among the members of the elite voting class for this high honor, suggesting women in bluegrass deserving of induction. It seems that this proposal was well received, as all three honorees are female, or female centered.

These award nominees are selected in a three part process by the professional membership of the IBMA, consisting of artists, songwriters, label personnel, radio hosts, event producers, managers and agents, publicists, studio engineers, associations, manufacturers, retailers, and others who work in the bluegrass industry. These same voters will choose the actual winners as well.

 

2021 Hall Of Fame Inductees

  • Alison Krauss
  • Lynn Morris
  • The Stoneman Family

2021 Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients

  • Nancy Cardwell Webster
  • Lee Michael Demsey
  • Jaroslav Prucha
  • Cliff Waldron
  • Stan Zdonik

 

2021 IBMA Bluegrass Music Award Nominations

Entertainer Of The Year (tie)

  • Balsam Range
  • Billy Strings
  • Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
  • 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

  • Appalachian Road Show
  • Carolina Blue
  • Gina Furtado Project
  • High Fidelity
  • Merle Monroe

Song Of The Year

  • Banjo Player’s Blues – High Fidelity (artist), Charlie Monroe (writer), Jeremy Stephens, Brand Benge (producers), Rebel Records
  • Hitchhiking to California – Alan Bibey & Grasstowne (artist), Wes Golding/Alan Bibey/Jerry Salley (writers), Jerry Salley, Ron Stewart, Dottie Leonard Miller (producers), Billy Blue Records
  • Just Load The Wagon – Junior Sisk (artist), J.R. Satterwhite (writer), Amanda Cook, Junior Sisk, Mark Hodges  (producers), Mountain Fever Records
  • Leaving on Her Mind – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artist), Jack Clement (writer), Rosta Capek  (producer), Billy Blue Records
  • Richest Man – Balsam Range (artist), Jim Beavers/Jimmy Yeary/Connie Harrington  (writers), Balsam Range (producers), Mountain Home Music Company

Album Of The Year (tie)

  • Bluegrass 2020 – Scott Vestal, Patrick McAvinue, Cody Kilby, Dominick Leslie, Curtis Vestal  (artists), Scott Vestal, Ethan Burkhardt, Lonnie Lassiter  (producers), Pinecastle Records
  • Distance and Time – Becky Buller (artist), Stephen Mougin (producer), Dark Shadow Recording
  • Fall Like Rain – Justin Moses (artist), Justin Moses (producer), Mountain Fever Records
  • Industrial Strength Bluegrass: Southwestern Ohio’s Musical Legacy – Various artists (artist), Joe Mullins (producer), Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
  • Load The Wagon – Junior Sisk (artist), Amanda Cook, Junior Sisk, Mark Hodges  (producers), Mountain Fever Records
  • Still Here – Steve Gully & Tim Stafford (artists), Steve Gulley/Tim Stafford (producer), Mountain Home Music Company

Gospel Recording Of The Year

  • After Awhile – Dale Ann Bradley (artist), Public Domain (writer), Dale Ann Bradley (producer), Pinecastle records (label)
  • Grit and Grace – Balsam Range (artist), Ann Melton/Milan Miller/Beth Husband (writers),  Balsam Range (producer), Mountain Home Music Company (label)
  • Hear Jerusalem Calling – Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers  (artist), Marty Stuart/Jerry Sullivan (writers), J oe Mullins, Dottie Leonard Miller  (producers), Billy Blue Records (label)
  • In the Resurrection Morning  – Sacred Reunion featuring Doyle Lawson, Vince Gill, Barry Abernathy, Tim Stafford, Mark Wheeler, Jim VanCleve, Phil Leadbetter, Jason Moore  (artists), Barry Abernathy, Jim VanCleve, Dottie Leonard Miller  (producers), Billy Blue Records (label)
  • When He Calls My Name – Alan Bibey & Grasstowne  (artist), Alan Bibey/Ronnie Bowman (writers),  Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, Ron Stewart, Jerry Salley, Dottie Leonard Miller  (producers), Billy Blue Records (label)

Instrumental Recording Of The Year

  • The Appalachian Road – Appalachian Road Show (artist), Jim VanCleve (writer), Jim VanCleve, Barry Abernathy, Appalachian Road Show, Dottie Leonard Miller  (producers), Billy Blue Records (label)
  • Foggy Mountain Chimes – Scott Vestal, Patrick McAvinue, Cody Kilby, Dominick Leslie, Curtis Vestal  (artists), Earl Scruggs (writer), Scott Vestal (producer), Pincastle Records (label)
  • Groundspeed – Kristin Scott Benson, Skip Cherryholmes, Jeremy Garrett, Kevin Kehrberg, Darren Nicholson  (artists), Earl Scruggs (writer),  Jon Weisberger (producer), Mountain Home Music Company (label)
  • Mountain Strings – Sierra Hull (artist), Frank Wakefield/Red Allen (writers),  Joe Mullins (producer), Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (label)
  • Taxland – Justin Moses with Sierra Hull  (artists), Justin Moses (writer), Justin Moses (producer), Mountain Fever Records (label)

Collaborative Recording Of The Year

  • Birmingham Jail – Barry Abernathy with Vince Gill  (artists), Traditional (writer), Barry Abernathy, Jim VanCleve, Dottie Leonard Miller  (producers), Billy Blue Records (label)
  • In the Resurrection Morning  – Sacred Reunion featuring Doyle Lawson, Vince Gill, Barry Abernathy, Tim Stafford, Mark Wheeler, Jim VanCleve, Phil Leadbetter, Jason Moore  (artists), Barry Abernathy, Jim VanCleve, Dottie Leonard Miller  (producers), Billy Blue Records (label)
  • My Baby’s Gone – Justin Moses with Del McCoury (artist), Dennis Linde (writer), Justin Moses (producer), Mountain Fever Records (label)
  • Tears of Regret – High Fidelity with Jesse McReynolds (artists), Jesse McReynolds/Lucille Hutton (writers), Jeremy Stephens, Corrina Rose Logston, Brad Benge  (producers), Rebel Records (label)
  • White Line Fever – Bobby Osborne with Tim O’Brien, Trey Hensley, Sierra Hull, Stuart Duncan, Todd Phillips, Alison Brown (artists), Merle Haggard/Jeff Tweedy (writers),  Alison Brown, Garry West  (producers), Compass Records (label)

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

 

Instrumental Performers Of The Year

Banjo

  • Gena Britt
  • Gina Furtado
  • Rob McCoury
  • Kristin Scott Benson
  • Scott Vestal

Bass

  • Mike Bub
  • Todd Phillips
  • Missy Raines
  • Mark Schatz
  • Marshall Wilborn

Fiddle

  • Jason Carter
  • Michael Cleveland
  • Stuart Duncan
  • Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
  • Deanie Richardson

Resophonic Guitar

  • Jerry Douglas
  • Andy Hall
  • Rob Ickes
  • Phil Leadbetter
  • Justin Moses

Guitar

  • Trey Hensley
  • Billy Strings
  • Bryan Sutton
  • Molly Tuttle
  • Jake Workman

Mandolin

  • Jesse Brock
  • Sam Bush
  • Sierra Hull
  • Ronnie McCoury
  • Tristan Scroggins

Congratulations and best of luck to all the 2021 nominees!

Winners will be announced during the 32nd Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, to be held in Raleigh, NC on September 30. Tickets are available now online.

Share this:

About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.