IBMA announces nominees for October show in Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — IBMA is proud to announce the nominees for the 19TH Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, to be hosted by Del McCoury on Thursday, October 2, 2008, at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

The list of nominees continues a trend of elevating a new wave of stars, as well as honoring the ongoing contributions of the genre’s legends. 

The explosion of relatively new acts on the national bluegrass scene is highlighted by multiple nominations for The Grascals, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, The Infamous Stringdusters and The Steep Canyon Rangers, along with first-time nominees Dailey & Vincent, Grasstowne, The SteelDrivers and Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass. Voting colleagues also continue to recognize pioneering talent making highly relevant contributions, as evidenced by nominations for no less than five Hall of Fame members--Earl Scruggs, Mac Wiseman, Everett Lilly, J.D. Crowe and The Lewis Family.

  Dailey & Vincent burst onto the scene just last year.  The group’s leaders (Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent) apprenticed under Doyle Lawson and Ricky Skaggs and find themselves with the most nominations (10), including Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group, Male Vocalist (Jamie), Emerging Artist, Bass Player (Darrin) and Album of the Year for their self-titled debut on Rounder Records. The duo picked up two Song of the Year nominations for “By the Mark” and “More Than a Name on a Wall,” along with a Gospel Recorded Performance nomination for “By the Mark” and a nod for Recorded Event of the Year for Vincent’s work on the Everett Lilly & Everybody and Their Brother project (Swift River Music).

Supergroups Blue Highway, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder and The Dan Tyminski Band will each vie for six IBMA awards.

A star who has made indelible marks in multiple genres of music, as well as being one of the premier ambassadors for bluegrass, Ricky Skaggs and members of his band Kentucky Thunder cut a wide path among the nominees.  In addition to nods for Instrumental Group of the Year, they are finalists for Album of the Year for their Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass – Tribute to 1946 and 1947 (Skaggs Family Records) and for Gospel Recorded Performance and Recorded Event of the Year for Salt of the Earth (Skaggs Family), which is Skaggs’ first full-length recorded collaboration with his wife’s award-winning group, The Whites.  Banjo player Jim Mills and guitarist Cody Kilby are nominated for excellence in their respective Instrumentalist of the Year categories.  This is Kilby’s first such nomination, while Mills owns six trophies for his banjo work.

 Blue Highway took the producer and primary songwriting reins for their latest album, Through the Window of a Train, earning nods for both Album of the Year and Song of the Year for the title track, co-written by band member Tim Stafford and Grasstowne's Steve Gulley.  The band also earned nominations for Vocal Group, Instrumental Group, Guitar (Tim Stafford) and Dobro (Rob Ickes).  Ickes is the most awarded instrumentalist (nine trophies) in the history of the IBMA Awards.

  Dan Tyminski, the singing voice of George Clooney in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? and longtime guitarist with Alison Krauss & Union Station, stretches out on his own with six nominations including Male Vocalist, an award he received in 2001, 2002 and 2003. The virtuosity of his band earns an Instrumental Group nomination, and members are individually highlighted:  Barry Bales for Bass, Adam Steffey for Mandolin and Ron Stewart with a rare set of nominations for Banjo and Fiddle.

Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Del McCoury Band and Grasstowne all received four award nominations each.

The highest honors of the year go to the new members of the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.  This year’s inductees will be Bill Clifton, a pioneering artist, songwriter and international ambassador for bluegrass music, and the late author and historian, Charles K. Wolfe.  (For complete information on this year’s inductees, please visit http://www.ibma.org/ibma.awards/currentpress/HOFPress.asp.)

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 artist Bill Harrell, The Banjo Newsletter, The Ernest Tubb Record Shop, association leader and event producer Art Menius and Joe Carr & Alan Munde, known for their contributions to the genre as artists and educators.  (For complete information on this year’s recipients, please visit http://www.ibma.org/ibma.awards/currentpress/distachieve.asp.)

 Ticket information for the 19th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, bluegrass music’s biggest night of the year, is available by calling 888-438-4262, (615) 256-3222 or online at www.ibma.org.

The awards show will be broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio (“Bluegrass Junction” Channel 14) and syndicated to more than 300 U.S. markets and 14 foreign networks, thanks to the sponsorship of Martha White, MerleFest, GAC-TV, GHS Strings, Pinecastle Records and Deering Banjos. Program directors and station managers may contact IBMA for affiliate information at the numbers listed above.

The International Bluegrass Music Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), which serves as the trade association for the bluegrass music industry. The IBMA Awards Show is the centerpiece of the World of Bluegrass week, including the industry’s Business Conference and Bluegrass Fan Fest, slated for September 29 – October 5 in Nashville. 

THE NOMINEES for the 2008 INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC AWARDS

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Dailey & Vincent
The Grascals
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
The Del McCoury Band
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR

Blue Highway
Dailey & Vincent
The Grascals
The Isaacs
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass

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

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Jamie Dailey
Russell Moore
Tim O’Brien
Danny Paisley
Dan Tyminski 

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dale Ann Bradley
Sonya Isaacs
Alison Krauss
Claire Lynch
Rhonda Vincent 

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Dailey & Vincent, Dailey & Vincent (artists), Jamie Dailey & Darrin Vincent (producers), Rounder Records                
Honoring The Fathers of Bluegrass -Tribute to 1946 and 1947, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder (artists), Ricky Skaggs (producer), Skaggs Family Records
Lovin’ Pretty Women, Steep Canyon Rangers (artists), Ronnie Bowman (producer), Rebel Records
The SteelDrivers, The SteelDrivers (artists), Luke Wooten & The SteelDrivers (producers), Rounder Records                       
Through The Window Of A Train, Blue Highway (artists & producers), Rounder Records 

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Alison’s Band,” Charlie Sizemore Band (artists), Charlie Sizemore & Buddy Cannon (songwriters)
“By The Mark,” Dailey & Vincent (artists), David Rawlings & Gillian Welch (songwriters)
“Drinkin’ Dark Whiskey,” The SteelDrivers (artists), Mike Henderson & Chris Stapleton (songwriters)
“More Than A Name On A Wall,” Dailey & Vincent (artists), Jimmy Fortune & John Rimel (songwriters)
“Through The Window Of A Train,” Blue Highway (artists), Tim Stafford & Steve Gulley (songwriters) 

GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
“Be Still Moses,” Steep Canyon Rangers (artists), Ronnie Bowman (producer), Rebel Records
“By The Mark,” Dailey & Vincent (artists), Jamie Dailey & Darrin Vincent (producers), Rounder Records
Help Is On The Way, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artists), Doyle Lawson (producer), Horizon Records
Salt Of The Earth, Ricky Skaggs & The Whites (artists & producers), Skaggs Family Records
Where No One Stands Alone, Paul Williams & The Victory Trio (artists), Paul Williams (producer), Rebel Records            

INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Live At The Linda, David Grier (artist & producer), Dreadnought Records
Sound of the Slide Guitar, Andy Hall (artist & producer), Sugar Hill Records
Stepping Out, Jason Davis (artist), Jason Davis & Greg Luck (producers), Pinecastle Records
The Past Is Present, Jason Barie (artist & producer), Pinecastle Records
When At Last, Russ Barenberg (artist & producer), Compass Records 

RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR
Christmas Grass, Vol. 3;  Featuring 3 Fox Drive, Sonya Isaacs, John Cowan, Sarah Jarosz, Larry Sparks, Russell Moore and Charlie Daniels (artists); Greg Cole, Chuck Rhodes & 3 Fox Drive (producers); KOCH Records
Everett Lilly & Everybody and Their Brother;  Featuring Everett Lilly, Bea Lilly, Charles Lilly, Daniel Lilly, Mark Lilly, Marty Stuart, Rhonda Vincent, Billy Walker, Ronnie McCoury, Rob McCoury, David Ball, Charlie Cushman, Larry Stephenson, Joe Spivey, Eddie Stubbs, Jason Carter, Dickey Lee, Freddy Weller, Mike Bub, Rad Lewis, Andy May, Darrin Vincent, Marcia Campbell, Clay Rigdon, Eric Blankenship and Bill Wolfenbarger (artists); Charles Lilly & Bill Wolfenbarger (producers); Swift River Music
Salt of the Earth, Ricky Skaggs & The Whites (artists & producers), Skaggs Family Records
Standard Songs for Average People, John Prine & Mac Wiseman (artists), John Prine & David Ferguson (producers), Oh Boy Records     
We Are Family; Jeff & Sheri Easter, The Lewis Family & The Easter Brothers (artists); Jeff & Sheri Easter (producers); Daywind Records

EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Cadillac Sky
Dailey & Vincent
Grasstowne
Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass
The SteelDrivers 

INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR

 BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kristin Scott Benson
J.D. Crowe
Jim Mills
Earl Scruggs
Ron Stewart 

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Barry Bales
Mike Bub
Missy Raines
Darrin Vincent
Marshall Wilborn

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Hunter Berry
Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan
Ron Stewart 

DOBRO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mike Auldridge
Jerry Douglas
Rob Ickes
Randy Kohrs
Phil Leadbetter 

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Cody Kilby
Tony Rice
Tim Stafford
Bryan Sutton
Josh Williams 

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Doyle Lawson
Ronnie McCoury
Adam Steffey                    
 
BLUEGRASS BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR
Kyle Cantrell; Bluegrass Junction, XM Satellite Radio
Katy Daley, WAMU’s bluegrasscountry.org
Terry Herd; Into the Blue, Bluegrass Radio Network 

BLUEGRASS EVENT OF THE YEAR
The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival; Ancramdale, New York; July 2007
The River City Bluegrass Festival; Portland, Oregon; January 2008
29th Annual Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival; Thomas Point Beach, Maine; Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2007  

PRINT MEDIA PERSON OF THE YEAR
Stephanie P. Ledgin, freelance writer & author
Craig Shelburne, CMT.com & freelance writer/reviewer
Chris Stuart, freelance writer for Bluegrass Unlimited 

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR RECORDED PROJECT
G. Carr & S. Holman, What The, Pete Wernick & Flexigrass, Niwot Records
Smay Vision Graphic Design, The Stanley Brothers: The Definitive Collection (1947-1966), The Stanley Brothers, Time Life
Loren Witcher, Punch, The Punch Brothers, Nonesuch 

BEST LINER NOTES FOR RECORDED PROJECT
Frank & Marty Godbey, Bluegrass Holiday, J.D. Crowe, Rebel Records
Gary Reid, The Stanley Brothers: The Definitive Collection (1947-1966), The Stanley Brothers, Time Life
Ron Thomason, Good News, The Charlie Sizemore Band, Rounder Records