IBMA announces nominations: Strings, Tuttle dominate

The five nominees for "Entertainer of the Year" are Billy Strings, Del McCoury Band, The Po' Ramblin' Boys, Sister Sadie, and Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway . The five nominees for this year's top award include a Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame member (McCoury), past winners of "Entertainer of the Year" (Strings, McCoury, Sister Sadie), the second "Entertainer of the Year" nomination for The Po' Ramblin' Boys, and the first "Entertainer of the Year" nomination for Molly Tuttle.

The 2022 inductees into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame will include Norman Blake, Paul "Moon" Mullins and Peter Rowan.

Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients will be Dan Crary, FreshGrass Foundation Steve Huber, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Peghead Nation.

Nominees are:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
The Del McCoury Band
The Po' Ramblin' Boys
Sister Sadie
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Blue Highway
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Del McCoury Band
Sister Sadie

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Béla Fleck's My Bluegrass Heart
The Travelin' McCourys
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Rick Faris
Fireside Collective
Laura Orshaw
Jaelee Roberts
Tray Wellington

SONG OF THE YEAR
"Blink of an Eye" Artist: Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass. Songwriter: Robert Amos. Label: Pinecastle Records. Producers: Bobby Lundy/Danny Paisley/Ryan Paisley/Wes Easter
"Deep River"- Artist: Rick Faris. Songwriter: Rick Faris/Brink Brinkman. Label: Dark Shadow Recording. Producer: Stephen Mougin
"I'll Take the Lonesome Every Time" - Artist: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver. Songwriters: Glen Duncan/Jerry Salley. Label: Billy Blue Records. Producer: Doyle Lawson.
"Red Daisy" - Artist: Billy Strings. Songwriters: Jarrod Walker/Christian Ward. Label: Rounder Records. Producers: Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings.
"Riding the Chief" - Artist: Chris Jones & The Night Drivers. Songwriter: Chris Jones/Thomm Jutz. Label: Mountain Home. Producer: Chris Jones.

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Bluegrass Troubadour - Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass (Pinecastle Records). Producer: Wes Easter
Crooked Tree - Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway (Nonesuch Records) Producers: Molly Tuttle/Jerry Douglas
My Bluegrass Heart - Béla Fleck (Renew). Producer: Béla Fleck
Never Slow Down - The Po' Ramblin' Boys (Smithsonian Folkways). Producers: The Po' Ramblin' Boys/Dave Maggard
Renewal - Billy Strings (Rounder). Producers: Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
"A Little More Faith in Jesus" - Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (Billy Blue Records). Songwriters: Jerry Cole/Doyle Lawson. Producer: Doyle Lawson.
"He's Gettin' Me Ready" - Artist: Darin & Brooke Aldridge with The Oak Ridge Boys (Billy Blue Records). Songwriter: Jimmy Fortune. Producers: Darin Aldridge/Mark Fain.
"In the End" - Dale Ann Bradley (Pinecastle Records). Songwriter: Jill Gilliam. Producer: Dale Ann Bradley
"In the Sweet By and By" - Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley (Billy Blue Records). Songwriters: S. Fillmore Bennett/Joseph Webster. Producer: Jerry Salley
"See You on the Other Side" - Rick Faris featuring Sam Bush (Dark Shadow Recording). Songwriter: Rick Faris/Rick Lang. Producer: Stephen Mougin
"Traveling the Highway Home" - The Grascals (Mountain Home). Songwriters: Frankie Bailes/Walter Bailes. Producer: The Grascals

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
"EMD" - Scott Vestal – Bluegrass 2022 (Pinecastle Records). Songwriter: David Grisman. Producer: Scott Vestal
"Happy Go Lucky" - Doyle Lawson & Alan Bibey (Billy Blue Records). Songwriter: Doyle Lawson. Producer: Doyle Lawson
"Ice Bridges" - Billy Strings (Rounder Records). Songwriter: William Apostol. Producer: Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings
"Orange Blossom Breakdown" - Mike Compton (Taterbug Records). Songwriter: Bill Monroe. Producer: Mark Howard
"Vertigo" - Béla Fleck featuring Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Bryan Sutton (Renew Records). Songwriter: Béla Fleck. Producer: Béla Fleck

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
"Blackbird" - Special Consensus with Amanda Smith, Dale Ann Bradley, Rob Ickes, and Alison Brown (Compass Records). Songwriter: J.P. Cormier. Producer: Alison Brown
"East Bound and Down" - The Po' Ramblin' Boys featuring Jason Carter and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (Sound Biscuit Productions). Songwriters: Jerry Reed/Dick Feller. Producer: The Po' Ramblin' Boys/Dave Maggard
"Honky Tonk Nights" - Del McCoury Band featuring Vince Gill (McCoury Music). Songwriter: Mike O'Reilly. Producer: Del McCoury/Ronnie McCoury
"In the Sweet By and By" - Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley (Billy Blue Records). Songwriters: S. Fillmore Bennett/Joseph Webster. Producer: Jerry Salley
"One By One"- Dale Ann Bradley with Danny Paisley (Pinecastle Records). Songwriter: Jim Anglin/Jack Anglin/Johnny Wright. Producer: Dale Ann Bradley

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Greg Blake
Rick Faris
Del McCoury
Danny Paisley
Larry Sparks

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

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gena Britt
Bela Fleck
Rob McCoury
Kristin Scott Benson
Scott Vestal

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mike Bub
Jason Moore
Missy Raines
Mark Schatz
Vickie Vaughn

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Deanie Richardson

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jerry Douglas
Andy Hall
Rob Ickes
Phil Leadbetter
Justin Moses

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
Trey Hensley
Cody Kilby
Bryan Sutton
Molly Tuttle

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Alan Bibey
Jesse Brock
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Ronnie McCoury

Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the professional nonprofit association for the bluegrass music industry.

Winners will be announced at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards on Sept. 29, at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, N.C.