The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced a new award, but this one isn’t for picking and singing.
The first annual IBMA Bluegrass Scholarship Prize will be awarded in 2011 to graduate students or successful MA/Ph.D. candidates whose degrees were achieved within the past 5 years. A cash award of $100 will be offered for the best paper presented at a juried academic conference between January 2010 and May 2011.
According to the guidelines…
Papers to be considered should be submitted in an accepted academic style (e.g. MLA or Chicago), with complete references and other apparatus as appropriate. Submissions will be evaluated on the basis of sound scholarship, clarity of writing, and overall contribution to the understanding of bluegrass music. The 2010-2011 committee is Erika Brady Ph.D., chair (Western Kentucky University), Michelle Kisliuk Ph.D.(University of Virginia), and Kevin Kehrberg Ph.D. (Warren Wilson College).
Please submit submissions to the committee accompanied by a 2-page vita and a letter of support from an academic colleague. Materials can be sent electronically to <erika.brady@wku.edu>, or by USPS at:
Erika Brady
Department of Folklore and Anthropology
Western Kentucky University
1906 College Heights Blvd. #61029
Bowling Green, KY 42101-1029
Submissions must be received by June 1, with a decision from the committee to be made in July.