IBMA announces nominations

Wednesday, July 24, 2019 – Balsam Range, Sam Bush Band, The Earls of Leicester, Del McCoury Band and Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers will vie for the Entertainer of the Year honor at the IBMAs, it was announced Wednesday.

Three inductees into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame were named: Dobro player Mike Auldridge, banjo player Bill Emerson, and band The Kentucky Colonels. Five Distinguished Achievement Award honorees include broadcaster Katy Daley, label founder Mickey Gamble, former Executive Director of IBMA Dan Hays, musician Allen Mills and Japanese bluegrass magazine Moonshiner.

The awards will be handed out Sept. 26 in Raleigh, N.C.

Nominees were:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Sam Bush Band
The Earls of Leicester
Del McCoury Band
Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
I'm With Her
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Sister Sadie

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Sam Bush Band
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
The Earls of Leicester
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
The Travelin' McCourys

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Appalachian Road Show
Carolina Blue
High Fidelity
Mile Twelve
Billy Strings

SONG OF THE YEAR (7 nominees, due to a tie)
"Dance, Dance, Dance"
Artist: Appalachian Road Show
Writers: Brenda Cooper/Joseph Cooper/Steve Miller
Producers: Barry Abernathy, Darrell Webb, Ben Isaacs
Executive Producer: Dottie Leonard Miller
Label: Billy Blue Records
"The Girl Who Invented the Wheel"
Artist: Balsam Range
Writers: Adam Wright/Shannon Wright
Producer: Balsam Range
Executive Producer: Mickey Gamble
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
"The Guitar Song"
Artist: Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers with Del McCoury
Writers: Bill Anderson/Jamey Johnson/Vicky McGehee
Producer: Joe Mullins
Associate Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records
"The Light in Carter Stanley's Eyes"
Artist: Peter Rowan
Writer: Peter Rowan
Producer: Peter Rowan
Associate Producer: Tim O'Brien
Label: Rebel Records
"Next Train South"
Artist: The Po' Ramblin' Boys
Writer: Mac Patterson
Producers: The Po' Ramblin' Boys, Dave Maggard, Ken Irwin
Label: Rounder Records
"Take the Journey"
Artist: Molly Tuttle
Writers: Molly Tuttle/Sarah Siskind
Producer: Ryan Hewitt
Label: Compass Records
"Thunder Dan" Artist: Sideline

Writer: Josh Manning
Producer: Tim Surrett
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
City on a Hill
Artist: Mile Twelve
Producer: Bryan Sutton
Label: Independent
Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass
Artist: Del McCoury Band
Producers: Del and Ronnie McCoury
Label: McCoury Music
For the Record
Artist: Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers
Producer: Joe Mullins
Associate Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records
I Hear Bluegrass Calling Me
Artist: Carolina Blue
Producers: Bobby Powell, Tim and Lakin Jones
Executive Producers: Lonnie Lassiter and Ethan Burkhardt
Label: Pinecastle Records
Sister Sadie II
Artist: Sister Sadie
Producer: Sister Sadie
Label: Pinecastle Records

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR "Acres of Diamonds"
Artist: Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers
Producer: Joe Mullins
Associate Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records
"Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout"
Artist: Claire Lynch
Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records
"I Am a Pilgrim"
Artist: Roland White and Friends
Producers: Ty Gilpin, Jon Weisberger
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
"I See God"
Artist: Marty Raybon
Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records
"Let My Life Be a Light"
Artist: Balsam Range
Producer: Balsam Range
Executive Producer: Mickey Gamble
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
"Cotton Eyed Joe"
Artist: Sideline
Producer: Tim Surrett
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
"Darlin' Pal(s) of Mine"
Artist: Missy Raines with Alison Brown, Mike Bub, and Todd Phillips
Producer: Alison Brown
Label: Compass Records
"Earl's Breakdown" Artist: The Earls of Leicester
Producer: Jerry Douglas
Label: Rounder Records
"Fried Taters and Onions"
Artist: Carolina Blue
Producers: Bobby Powell, Tim and Lakin Jones
Executive Producers: Lonnie Lassiter and Ethan Burkhardt
Label: Pinecastle Records
"Sunrise"
Artist: Sam Bush & Bela Fleck
Producers: Akira Otsuka, Ronnie Freeland
Label: Smithsonian Folkways Records

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
"Burning Georgia Down"
Artist: Balsam Range with Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble
Producer: Balsam Range
Label: Mountain Home Music Company
"Darlin' Pal(s) of Mine"
Artist: Missy Raines with Alison Brown, Mike Bub, and Todd Phillips
Producer: Alison Brown
Label: Compass Records
"The Guitar Song"
Artist: Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers with Del McCoury
Producer: Joe Mullins, Associate Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records
"Please"
Artist: Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton
Producers: Dave Cobb, John Leventhal, Frank Liddell

Label: MCA Nashville
"Soldier's Joy/Ragtime Annie"
Artist: Roland White with Justin Hiltner, Jon Weisberger, Patrick McAvinue, and Molly Tuttle
Producers: Ty Gilpin, Jon Weisberger
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Shawn Camp
Del McCoury
Russell Moore
Tim O'Brien
Danny Paisley

FEMALE VOCALIST
Brooke Aldridge
Dale Ann Bradley
Sierra Hull
Molly Tuttle
Rhonda Vincent

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gina Furtado
Mike Munford
Noam Pikelny
Kristin Scott Benson
Scott Vestal

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Barry Bales
Mike Bub
Beth Lawrence
Missy Raines
Mark Schatz

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Hunter Berry
Becky Buller
Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jerry Douglas
Andy Hall Rob Ickes

Phil Leadbetter
Justin Moses

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kenny Smith
Billy Strings
Bryan Sutton
Molly Tuttle
Josh Williams

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alan Bibey
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Ronnie McCoury
Frank Solivan