Here are the IBMA 2005 Awards Winners, side by side with the winners of our poll.
| Award | IBMA Winner | Bluegrass Today Winner | ||
| Entertainer of the Year | Cherryholmes | Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver | ||
| Instrumental Group of the Year | Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder | Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder | ||
| Vocal Group of the Year | Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver | Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver | ||
| Male Vocalist of the Year | Larry Sparks | Russell Moore | ||
| Female Vocalist of the Year | Rhonda Vincent | Rhonda Vincent | ||
| Song of the Year | Me and John and Paul The Grascals (artists) Harley Allen (writer) | Rain Please Go Away Alison Krauss and Union Station (artists) Del McCoury (writer) | ||
| Album of the Year | 40, Larry Sparks | You Gotta Dig A Little Deeper – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver | ||
| Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year | Praise His Name, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver | Praise His Name, Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver | ||
| Instrumental Album of the Year | Slide Effects, Phil Leadbetter | Endless Line – Tim Stafford | ||
| Recorded Event of the Year | 40 – Larry Sparks | Tribute to Jimmy Martin: “The King of Bluegrass” – various | ||
| Emerging Artists of the Year | The Grascals | Cherryholmes | ||
Instrumental Performers of the Year
| Award | IBMA Winner | Bluegrass Today Winner | ||
| Banjo Player of the Year | Jim Mills | Jim Mills | ||
| Dobro Player of the Year | Phil Leadbetter | Rob Ickes | ||
| Bass Player of the Year | Mike Bub | Mike Bub | ||
| Fiddle Player of the Year | Stuart Duncan | Hunter Berry | ||
| Guitar Player of the Year | Bryan Sutton | Tony Rice | ||
| Mandolin Player of the Year | Adam Steffey | Doyle Lawson | ||
Special Awards – These are awarded by special committee
- Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year – Cindy Baucom; “Knee Deep in Bluegrass” syndicated program; Elkin, N.C.
- Bluegrass Event of the Year – WinterGrass; Tacoma, Wash.; Feb. 2005
- Bluegrass Print Media Person of the Year – Stephanie P. Ledgin, author of Homegrown Music: Discovering Bluegrass (Greenwood Publishing
Group) - Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project – Wayne Brezinka (designer),Various Artists, The Unbroken Circle: The Musical Heritage of the Carter Family, Dualtone Records
- Best Liner Notes for a Recorded Project – Jon Hartley Fox (liner notes), Red Allen, Lonesome and Blue: The Complete County Recordings, Rebel Records
