IBMA Announces 2024 Annual Inductees to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame
Five Bluegrass Industry Innovators Announced
as Recipients of the Distinguished Achievement Award
Nashville, TN – Nominees for the 35th annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards were announced today in a live event at the SiriusXM studios in Nashville, Tennessee. The five nominees for “Entertainer of the Year” are Billy Strings (reigning recipient), Del McCoury Band (Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame member, and nine-time Entertainer of the Year), Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway (third nomination), Sister Sadie, and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys (fourth nomination).
Also announced today were three inductees into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame: Alan Munde, Jerry Douglas, and Katy Daley. Additionally, the following were named as recipients of the IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award: Cindy Baucom, Laurie Lewis, Richard Hurst, ArtistWorks, and Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival.
Results of the balloting will be revealed at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday, September 26, at the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the professional nonprofit association for the bluegrass music industry.
The complete list of nominations:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Del McCoury Band
Sister Sadie
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Authentic Unlimited
Sister Sadie
Blue Highway
Del McCoury Band
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Travelin’ McCourys
East Nash Grass
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Fall in Tennessee” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriters: John Meador/Bob Minner
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records
“Willow” – Sister Sadie
Songwriter: Ashley McBryde
Producer: Sister Sadie
Label: Mountain Home
“Too Lonely, Way Too Long” – Rick Faris with Del McCoury
Songwriter: Rick Faris
Producer: Stephen Mougin
Label: Dark Shadow Recording
“Forever Young” – Daniel Grindstaff with Paul Brewster & Dolly Parton
Songwriters: Jim Cregan/Kevin Savigar/Bob Dylan/Rod Stewart
Producer: Daniel Grindstaff
Label: Bonfire Music Group
“Kentucky Gold” – Dale Ann Bradley with Sam Bush
Songwriters: Wayne Carson/Ronnie Reno
Producer: Dale Ann Bradley
Label: Pinecastle
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
City of Gold – Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Producers: Jerry Douglas/Molly Tuttle
Label: Nonesuch
Last Chance to Win – East Nash Grass
Producer: East Nash Grass
Label: Mountain Fever
Jubilation – Appalachian Road Show
Producer: Appalachian Road Show
Label: Billy Blue Records
No Fear – Sister Sadie
Producer: Sister Sadie
Label: Mountain Home
So Much for Forever – Authentic Unlimited
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records
GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“When I Get There” – Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Songwriter: Michael Feagan
Producer: Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Label: Independent
“Thank You Lord for Grace” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriter: Jerry Cole
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records
“Just Beyond” – Barry Abernathy with John Meador, Tim Raybon, Bradley Walker
Songwriters: Rick Lang/Mike Richards/Windi Robinson
Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records
“God Already Has” – Dale Ann Bradley
Songwriter: Mark “Brink” Brinkman/David Stewart
Producer: Dale Ann Bradley
Label: Pinecastle
“Memories of Home” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriter: Jerry Cole
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records
INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Rhapsody in Blue(grass)” – Béla Fleck
Songwriter: George Gershwin arr. Ferde Grofé/Béla Fleck
Producer: Béla Fleck
Label: Béla Fleck Productions/Thirty Tigers
“Knee Deep in Bluegrass” – Ashby Frank
Songwriter: Terry Baucom
Producer: Ashby Frank
Label: Mountain Home
“Panhandle Country” – Missy Raines & Allegheny
Songwriter: Bill Monroe
Producer: Alison Brown
Label: Compass Records
“Lloyd’s of Lubbock” – Alan Munde
Songwriter: Alan Munde
Producer: Billy Bright
Label: Patuxent
“Behind the 8 Ball” – Andy Leftwich
Songwriter: Andy Leftwich
Producer: Andy Leftwich
Label: Mountain Home
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
East Nash Grass
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Wyatt Ellis
The Kody Norris Show
COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Brown’s Ferry Blues” – Tony Trischka featuring Billy Strings
Songwriters: Alton Delmore/Rabon Delmore
Producer: Béla Fleck
Label: Down the Road
“Fall in Tennessee” – Authentic Unlimited with Jerry Douglas
Songwriters: John Meador/Bob Minner
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records
“Forever Young” – Daniel Grindstaff with Paul Brewster, Dolly Parton
Songwriters: Jim Cregan/Kevin Savigar/Bob Dylan/Rod Stewart
Producer: Daniel Grindstaff
Label: Bonfire Music Group
“Bluegrass Radio” – Alison Brown and Steve Martin
Songwriters: Steve Martin/Alison Brown
Producers: Alison Brown/Garry West
Label: Compass Records
“Too Old to Die Young” – Bobby Osborne and CJ Lewandowski
Songwriters: Scott Dooley/John Hadley/Kevin Welch
Producer: CJ Lewandowski
Label: Turnberry Records
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dan Tyminski
Greg Blake
Del McCoury
Danny Paisley
Russell Moore
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Molly Tuttle
Jaelee Roberts
Dale Ann Bradley
AJ Lee
Rhonda Vincent
BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kristin Scott Benson
Gena Britt
Alison Brown
Béla Fleck
Rob McCoury
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Missy Raines
Mike Bub
Vickie Vaughn
Todd Phillips
Mark Schatz
FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jason Carter
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan
Deanie Richardson
RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justin Moses
Rob Ickes
Jerry Douglas
Andy Hall
Gaven Largent
GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
Molly Tuttle
Trey Hensley
Bryan Sutton
Cody Kilby
MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sierra Hull
Sam Bush
Ronnie McCoury
Jesse Brock
Alan Bibey
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“Willow” – Sister Sadie
Label: Mountain Home
“Fall in Tennessee” – Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records
“The City of New Orleans” – Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
Label: Upper Management Music
“I Call Her Sunshine” – The Kody Norris Show
Label: Rebel Records
“Alberta Bound” – Special Consensus with Ray Legere, John Reischman, Patrick Sauber, Trisha Gagnon, Pharis & Jason Romero, and Claire Lynch
Label: Compass Records
2024 Inductees to International Bluegrass Music Association Hall of Fame:
Alan Munde has been at the forefront of bluegrass music as a banjo player, bandleader, and educator for over five decades. Hailing from Norman, Oklahoma, he played in his first band, The Stone Mountain Boys, in 1965. A subsequent jam session with Byron Berline, Sam Bush, and Wayne Stewart led to the recording of the highly acclaimed instrumental album Poor Richard’s Almanac. Starting in 1970, Munde began a two-year hitch with the King of Bluegrass, Jimmy Martin. From there, it was off to California and the country-rock group, the Flying Burrito Brothers. Munde scored a 20-year run with the progressive West Coast group Country Gazette. One of the Gazette’s seminal early releases was A Traitor in Our Midst. Other career highlights include Munde’s teaching bluegrass at South Plains College in Texas, serving as a columnist for Banjo Newsletter, and sitting as member of the IBMA board of directors. He was a 2008 recipient of an IBMA Distinguished Achievement award.
Jerry Douglas has reigned as bluegrass music’s preeminent Dobro player ever since the middle 1970s when he started with the Country Gentlemen. His fascination with the instrument began at age six when he saw Dobro legend Josh Graves perform on a Flatt & Scruggs show. Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, Douglas rotated through a series of bands including J. D. Crowe’s New South, Boone Creek, and The Whites. This same period found Douglas becoming an in-demand session player, for both bluegrass and country music albums. In time, he amassed credits on literally thousands of recording sessions. In 1998, he was asked to join Alison Krauss’s Union Station and in 2014 he launched the award-winning Flatt & Scruggs tribute band, the Earls of Leister. Douglas has earned numerous IBMA Awards, including ten for Dobro Player of the Year. He also won fourteen Grammy Awards, and was selected the CMA’s Musician of the Year in 2002, 2005, and 2007. He is also a former vice president of IBMA’s board of directors.
Katy Daley (Patricia Cole Meloon Brown) made her mark as a bluegrass broadcaster in the Washington, D.C., metro area, starting in the early 1970s. Her entry to bluegrass radio came in a circuitous way. She jokingly told WAMU-FM broadcaster Gary Henderson that listening to his program was part of her work assignment at the CIA! A short time later, she signed on at WAMU, preparing and announcing a weekly “Who’s Playing Where” segment. This was followed by a weeknight disc jockey spot from 10:00 to midnight. In November 1978, Daley collaborated on a 13- part series which traced the development of the music: Bluegrass Anthology. In 1980, Daley joined WMZQ, a 24-hour country station in Washington, where her broadcast work included hosting a bluegrass program for three years. Eventually, Daley returned to WAMU’s offshoot, bluegrasscountry.org, and served as a morning air personality. She received two IBMA awards for Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year and one for Distinguished Achievement. As part of her giving back to the community, she established the Katy Daley Broadcast Media/Sound Engineering Scholarship which is presented each year by the IBMA Foundation.
2024 IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients
Cindy Baucom – Cindy Brooks Baucom rates as one of the most widely heard radio presenters of bluegrass of the last 30 years. Her syndicated program, Knee Deep in Bluegrass, is broadcast each week on more than 60 radio outlets and a dozen internet stations. Each program is an artful mix of bluegrass, old and new, and insightful artist interviews. Cindy began her full-time journey in broadcasting fresh out of high school in the early 1980s. A series of moves to several regional North Carolina radio stations eventually brought her to the attention of the John Boy & Billy network; an offer came shortly afterwards to syndicate the program. Cindy’s other credits include 30-plus years as a master of ceremonies at MerleFest, a past two-term member of the IBMA’s board of directors, and induction to the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame.
Laurie Lewis – Laurie Lewis is a bluegrass triple-threat: superb fiddler, expressive vocalist, and engaging songwriter. A native of California, she honed her early talents by performing with others in the San Francisco Bay area. Lewis has been at the forefront of numerous groups including the Grant Street String Band, her own Laurie Lewis and Grant Street, the Bluegrass Pals, and the Right Hands. She launched her solo career in the middle 1980s with a series of excellent releases on the Flying Fish label. Her efforts netted her two IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year awards and her recording of “Who Will Watch the Home Place” won Song of the Year. She is also the recipient of two Grammy nominations. As a performer who gives back to her community, Lewis is a frequent instructor at various music camps.
Richard Hurst – Richard Hurst was the driving force behind the long-running Appalachian and Bluegrass Music Festival that is held each year in Omagh, County Tyrone, in Northern Ireland. The event was first staged in 1992 and is heralded for fostering interest in bluegrass throughout all of Ireland. In time, the event grew to attract 10,000 attendees. The festival, which was recently re-named Bluegrass Omagh, features a mix of entertainers from the United States, from Europe, and from Ireland. Hurst used the festival as a vehicle to educate attendees about bluegrass with lectures by North Carolina columnist Jack Bernhardt and Omagh native and collector Rodney McElrea. Hurst was a 2008 graduate of Leadership Bluegrass and was a past chairman of the European Bluegrass Music Association.
ArtistWorks – Since 2008, ArtistWorks has been making it possible for anyone with an internet connection to learn to play music. The company’s stated mission is to “Teach the World Music.” They have done this by building a massive inventory of 50,000 instructional videos that are taught by a team of 47 master musician instructors. A key feature of the system is that it allows students, through their own video uploads, to have their work critiqued by an instructor. Additionally, student uploads – over 100,000 of them – are also made available for other aspiring pickers to learn from. Of particular interest to bluegrass pickers are lessons from Alison Brown, Noam Pikelny, Tony Trischka, Sierra Hull, Mike Marshall, Chris Eldridge, Darol Anger, Alex Hargreaves, and Missy Raines.
Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival – The Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival is an annual event that takes place in an area not generally thought of as a bluegrass hot-spot: Dallas/Ft. Worth. Within the last five years, the festival has garnered three IBMA nominations for Bluegrass Event of the Year. The event is co-sponsored by the city of Farmers Branch, Texas, and the Dallas-based Bluegrass Heritage Foundation. It takes place in Farmers Branch Historical Park and features a stellar line-up of top-tier performers. Adding to the ambiance is a wide variety of festival food, including tasty Tex-Mex offerings. A robust merchandise area, and a well-oiled staff and volunteers complete the picture. It all comes together to make for one of the premier bluegrass festivals in, not only Texas, but the entire USA.
Tickets are now on sale for the 35th annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, and for all IBMA World of Bluegrass events; visit worldofbluegrass.org for details.