Alison Krauss band members lead IBMAs with nine nominations

Union Station members Dan Tyminski, Barry Bales and Ron Stewart and alumn Adam Steffey had nine nominations between them. In addition to Entertainer of the Year, Instrumental Group, Album of the Year, Song of the Year for the title cut, and Male Vocalist nods, band members Stewart, Bales and Steffey are nominated for their individual instrumental skills, with Stewart earning nods in both the Banjo and Fiddle Player categories.

Dailey & Vincent, who received seven awards in 2008, including Entertainer of the Yea, took seven new IBMA nominations.

Steve Martin, who released his first bluegrass CD this year, took home six nominations as did Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper have been recognized with six nominations, while The Grascals took five.

Four each went to Blue Highway, The Isaacs, Danny Paisley, The Del McCoury Band, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice and Rhonda Vincent & the Rage.

The bluegrass industry's highest honors of the year go to the new members of the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. This year's inductees are The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, the string band formed in 1937 by Ezra, Ray and Ned Cline in West Virginia; and The Dillards, the influential band from Salem, Mo.,, known for their popular appearances on The Andy Griffith Show who blazed a trail on the West Coast in the 1960s for progressive bluegrass bands and were instrumental in laying the foundation for the "country rock" music genre.

IBMA's Distinguished Achievement Award is an honor which recognizes individuals, groups and businesses for ground-breaking work and fostering the music's image and accessibility. This year's recipients are early bluegrass pioneer Hylo Brown; long-time event producer from Maine, Pati Crooker; veteran performer and radio announcer Jody Rainwater; author, musicology and radio broadcaster Dick Spottswood; and the National Council for the Traditional Art's Joe Wilson.

Voting is close this year, as evidenced by ties in two categories, leading to six finalists for Entertainer and Dobro Player of the Year, instead of the customary five.

Nominees are:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Dailey & Vincent
The Grascals
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
The Del McCoury Band
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Dan Tyminski Band

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Blue Highway
Dailey & Vincent
The Isaacs
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Blue Highway
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
The Infamous Stringdusters
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
Dan Tyminski Band

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Jamie Dailey
Russell Moore
Danny Paisley
Junior Sisk
Dan Tyminski

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dale Ann Bradley
Sonya Isaacs
Claire Lynch
Alecia Nugent
Rhonda Vincent

ALBUM OF THE YEAR (Recording Title, Artist(s), Producer(s), Label)
Blue Side Of The Blue Ridge, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice (artist), Ronnie Bowman (producer), Rebel Records
Brothers From Different Mothers, Dailey & Vincent (artist), Jamie Dailey & Darrin Vincent (producers), Rounder Records
Keep On Walkin', The Grascals (artist/producers), Rounder Records
The Room Over Mine, Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass (artist), Ken Irwin & Danny Paisley (producers), Rounder Records
Wheels, Dan Tyminski, (artist/producer), Rounder Records

SONG OF THE YEAR (Song Title, Artist(s), Songwriter(s))
"Don't Throw Mama's Flowers Away," Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass (artist), Chris Stuart & Ivan Rosenberg (writers)
"Iron & Diamonds," The Gibson Brothers (artist), Leigh & Eric Gibson (writers)
"Leaving Baker County," Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice (artist), Tom T. & Dixie Hall (writers)
"Moneyland," Del McCoury Band (artist), John Herald (writer)
"Wheels," Dan Tyminski (artist), Patrick McDougal (writer)

RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR (Song Title, Featured Artists, Producer(s), Label)
"After The Fire Is Gone;" Bobby Osborne, Rhonda Vincent & Darrin Vincent (artists); Glen Duncan & Bobby Osborne (producers); Rounder Records
"The Crow," Steve Martin with Tony Trischka (artists), John McEuen (producer), 40 Share Productions
"Daddy Played The Banjo;" Steve Martin with Tim O'Brien & Earl Scruggs (artists), John McEuen (producer), 40 Share Productions
"Proud To Be A Daughter of Bluegrass;" Daughters of Bluegrass featuring Dale Ann Bradley, Heather Berry, Lisa Martin, Gloria Belle, Sierra Hull, Rhonda Vincent, Lisa Ray, Linda Lay, Sally Jones, Jeanie Stanley, Carol Lee Cooper, Sonya Isaacs, Becky Isaacs Bowman, Michelle Nixon, Jeanette Williams, Sophie Haislip, Louise Tomberlain, Mindy Rakestraw, Lizzy Long, Frances Mooney, Lorraine Jordan, Annette Kelley, Lily Lieux, Dixie Hall, Judi Marshall, Melissa Lawrence, Beth Lawrence, Rebecca Frazier, Donica Christensen, Lisa Manning & Jenni Lyn Gardner (artists); Dixie Hall, Paula Wolak & Frances Mooney (producers); Blue Circle Records
"Sad Wind Sighs," The Grascals with Vince Gill (artists), The Grascals (producers), Rounder Records

GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR (Song Title, Artist(s), Songwriter(s), Producer, Label)
"Darkness Wept," Lonesome River Band (artist/producers), Dee Gaskin & Rebecca Bowman (writers), Rural Rhythm Records
"On The Other Side;" Dailey & Vincent (artist); Jimmy Fortune, Kevin Denney & Tom Botkin (writers); Jamie Dailey & Darrin Vincent (producers); Rounder Records
"What A Journey," Paul Williams & The Victory Trio (artist), Bret Bronson & Louise Gorman (writers), Paul Williams (producer), Rebel Records
"When The Last Of Our Days Shall Come," Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artist), Chris Stuart (writer), Doyle Lawson (producer), Rounder Records
"Who'll Sing for Me?" Audie Blaylock & Redline (artist), Thomas J. Farris (writer), Audie Blaylock (producer), Rural Rhythm Records

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR (Tune Title, Artist(s), Songwriter, Producer(s), Label)
"Angeline The Baker," Rob Ickes & Andy Leftwich (artists), public domain, Rob Haines (producer), Mel Bay Music
"The Crow," Steve Martin (artist/writer), John McEuen (producer), 40 Share Productions
"Don't Tread On Me," Kristin Scott Benson (artist/writer/producer), Pinecastle Records
"Jerusalem Ridge," Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (artist), Bill Monroe (writer), Jeff White & Michael Cleveland (producers), Rounder Records
"Struttin' To Ferrum," Lonesome River Band (artist/producer), arrangement by Gene Parker, Rural Rhythm Records

EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Sierra Hull & Highway 111
Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass
Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice
The SteelDrivers
Josh Williams Band

INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR

BANJO
Kristin Scott Benson
J.D. Crowe
Steve Martin
Sammy Shelor
Ron Stewart

BASS
Barry Bales
Mike Bub
Missy Raines
Darrin Vincent
Marshall Wilborn

FIDDLE
Hunter Berry
Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan
Ron Stewart

DOBRO
Mike Auldridge
Jerry Douglas
Andy Hall
Rob Ickes
Randy Kohrs
Phil Leadbetter

GUITAR
Jim Hurst
Tony Rice
Kenny Smith
Bryan Sutton
Josh Williams

MANDOLIN
Jesse Brock
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Ronnie McCoury
Adam Steffey

BLUEGRASS EVENT OF THE YEAR
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival; Oak Hill, New York; July 2008
33rd Annual Tri-State Bluegrass Festival; Kendallville, Indiana; May 2008
2008 World Cultural Fusion Festival; Kawaguchi City, Japan; July 2008

BLUEGRASS BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR
Kyle Cantrell; Sirius XM Satellite Radio; Nashville, Tennessee
Katy Daly; HD Radio WAMU 88.5 Channel 2, 105.5 FM & www.bluegrasscountry.org; Washington, D.C.
Ned Luberecki; Sirius XM Satellite Radio; Nashville, Tennessee

PRINT MEDIA PERSON OF THE YEAR
Tom Adams, Banjo Newsletter
Dan Miller, Flatpicking Guitar
Roger Siminoff; Siminoff's Luthiers Glossary, Banjo Newsletter and Bluegrass Breakdown

LINER NOTES FOR RECORDED PROJECT Writers, Album, Artists, Label
Charlie Cushman, Marty Stuart, Eddie Stubbs & Johnny Warren (writers); A Tribute to Fiddlin' Paul Warren; Johnny Warren & Charlie Cushman (artists); no label
Eddie Dean (writer); Old-Time Pickin': A Clawhammer Banjo Collection, Ralph Stanley (artist), Rebel Records
Steve Martin (writer), The Crow, Steve Martin (artist), 40 Share Productions

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR RECORDED PROJECT (Designer, Album, Artists, Label)
G. Carr & Salli Ratts (designers), The Crow, Steve Martin (artist), 40 Share Productions, Stumptown Printers (designer)
Uncle Charlie Osborne: The June Appal Recordings, Uncle Charlie Osborne (artist), June Appal Recordings Loren Witcher (designer),
Inside Out, Missy Raines & the New Hip (artist), Compass Records

HALL OF HONOR INDUCTEES: The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers, The Dillards

DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS: Hylo Brown, Pati Crooker, Jody Rainwater, Dick Spottswood, Joe Wilson

The 20th annual awards will be held Oct. 1 in Nashville.