IBMA Announces 2015 International Bluegrass Music Awards Nominations
The nominees for the 2015 International Bluegrass Music Awards were announced Wednesday morning (8-12) with the supergroup The Earls of Leicester (Jerry Douglas, Shawn Camp, Barry Bales, Tim O’Brien, Charlie Cushman and Johnny Warren) grabbing the most nominations, Billy Keith and Larry Sparks receiving Hall of Fame inductions, and comedian turned banjo ambassador Steve Martin receiving a Distinguished Achievement Award.
The nominees were announced in the Sirius XM Theater at the Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville with the famed Ryman Auditorium in the background. The awards ceremony will occur Thursday, October 1st in Raleigh, NC, and will be hosted by The Gibson Brothers during the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass conference. It will also be broadcast live on SiriusXM Satellite Radio (Bluegrass Junction) and syndicated to more than 300 U.S. markets and 14 foreign networks.
The conference and awards will be the first after the organization faced significant turmoil shortly after the annual event in 2014. The not-for-profit showed signs of problems when the board gave their Executive Director Nancy Cardwell a vote of “NO Confidence” and moved to replace her the very week after what appeared to be a very successful 2014 IBMA Awards and World of Bluegrass gathering in Raleigh. This was followed by multiple resignations from the Board, and many open letters back and forth to and from IBMA members.
Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the trade association for the bluegrass music industry.
Find the full list of nominees below:
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2015 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Bill Keith
Larry Sparks
2015 DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
Alison Brown
Murphy Henry
International Bluegrass Music Museum
“Bashful Brother” Oswald Kirby
Steve Martin
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Hot Rize
The Earls of Leicester
The Gibson Brothers
The Del McCoury Band
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Blue Highway
Flatt Lonesome
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
The Gibson Brothers
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Blue Highway
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Punch Brothers
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
The Earls of Leicester
SONG OF THE YEAR
“Big Black Train” Earls of Leicester (artist), Stanley Johnson, George Sherry (writers)
“Fiddlin’ Joe” Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (artist), Mark Brinkman (writer)
“Her Love Won’t Turn On A Dime” Lonesome River Band (artist), Bart Butler, Timothy Johnson, Shane Minor (writers)
“Moon Over Memphis” Balsam Range (artist), Mark W. Winchester (writer)
“Southern Flavor” Becky Buller (artist), Bill Monroe, Guy Stevenson, DeWayne Mize (writers)
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Brotherhood The Gibson Brothers (artist), Eric Gibson, Leigh Gibson, Mike Barber (producers), Rounder
Five Balsam Range (artist), Balsam Range (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
The Earls of Leicester The Earls of Leicester (artist) Jerry Douglas (producer), Rounder
Too Flatt Lonesome (artist), Andrea Roberts, Tim Surrett (producers), Mountain Home Music Company
When I’m Free Hot Rize (artist), Hot Rize (producer), Ten In Hand Records
GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
“Holding To The Right Hand” Lonesome River Band (artist), Turn On A Dime (album), Marvin Clark (writer), Sammy Shelor (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
“Insured Beyond The Grave” J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson & Paul Williams (artist), Standing Tall and Tough (album), Ira Louvin, Charlie Louvin (writers), Doyle Lawson (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
“Stacking Up the Rocks” Balsam Range (artist), Five (album), Buddy Melton (writer), Balsam Range (producers), Mountain Home Music Company
“What a Wonderful Savior Is He” The Gibson Brothers (artist), Brotherhood (album), William G. Brewster (writer), Eric Gibson, Leigh Gibson, Mike Barber (producer), Rounder Records
“Who Will Sing for Me” The Earls of Leicester (artist), The Earls of Leicester (album), Carter Stanley, Ralph Stanley (writer), Jerry Douglas (producers), Rounder Records
INSTRUMENTAL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
“Backdraft (You Light It, You Fight It” Balsam Range (artist), Five (album), Buddy Metlon, Marc Pruett, Tim Surrett, Darren Nicholson, Caleb B. Smith (writer), Balsam Range (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
“Come Along Jody” Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper (artist), On Down the Line (album), Benjamin F.”Tex” Logan (writer), Jeff White, Michael Cleveland (producers), Compass Records
“Cumberland Gap” Lonesome River Band (artist), Turn On A Dime (album), Sammy Shelor (arrangement), Sammy Shelor (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
“The Three Bells” – Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (artists), The Three Bells (album), Jean Villard, Bert Reisfeld (writers), Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (producer), Rounder Records
“Yeah Man” Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen (artist), Cold Spell (album), Michael Munford (writer), Frank Solivan (producer), Compass Records
RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR
“Against The Grain”- Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, featuring Garth Brooks (artists), Larry Cordle (producer), MightyCord Records
“Blue Memories” J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson & Paul Williams (artists), Doyle Lawson (producer), Mountain Home Music Company
“For Buddy” Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (artists), Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (producers), Rounder Records
“Test of Time” Steep Canyon Rangers & Edie Brickell (artists), Carl Jackson (producer)
“TheThree Bells” Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (artists), Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas and Rob Ickes (producers) Rounder Records
“Southern Flavor” Becky Buller, with Peter Rowan, Michael Feagan, Buddy Spicher, Ernie Sykes, Roland White and Blake Williams (artists), Stephen Mougin (producer) Dark Shadow Recording
EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Adkins & Loudermilk
Band of Ruhks
Becky Buller
Mountain Faith
Snyder Family Band
The Earls of Leicester
Volume Five
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Shawn Camp
Del McCoury
Buddy Melton
Russell Moore
Tim O’Brien
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dale Ann Bradley
Becky Buller
Claire Lynch
Amanda Smith
Rhonda Vincent
BLUEGRASS SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Mark ‘Brink’ Brinkman
Becky Buller
Bill Castle
Shawn Lane
Donna Ulisse
August 12, 2015 @ 11:35 am
Our very good friends The Cox Family will be performing at this year’s IBMA’s. They also just finished a project they started 17 years ago, shelved when Asylum’s country label folded. “Gone Like The Cotton” is produced by Alison Krauss and is due out this fall. Hey, Trigger, how about a review?
August 12, 2015 @ 11:43 am
Yes, I read about this yesterday. We’ll give it a good listen and see what’s in store closer to the release.
August 12, 2015 @ 1:44 pm
Got to love the variety….It’s like they stuck the same six names in a hat and pulled out five for every award. Also no mention of orthophonic joy from them (and if I recall no mention or review of it from you either). How could they ignore something like that? I know it’s about the birthplace of “country” music, but the set list belies that title at this point in the musical landscape. A song like Bury me beneath the willow may have been country back then, but it’s pretty firmly in the bluegrass genre now.
August 12, 2015 @ 1:51 pm
IBMA is a trade organization, just like the Americana Music Association, meaning they’re most likely going to support artists within that trade organization. I wouldn’t call “Orthophonic Joy” a bluegrass album. This is a narrowly-focused org that is not going to go much out of their bounds.
Unfortunately I can’t write about every single album, but I did write about “Orthophonic Joy” and the new Bristol Museum:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/bristols-birthplace-of-country-music-museum-set-for-grand-opening
August 12, 2015 @ 6:32 pm
I have a question. Some one like old crow are they Americana or bluegrass in terms of awards?
I know Grammy says folk so that’s closest too??
August 12, 2015 @ 8:50 pm
Yeah, they kind of fit nowhere and everywhere, but I wouldn’t ever expect them to be recognized by the IBMA unless it was some sort of special recognition. They are definitely more in the Americana realm.
August 12, 2015 @ 6:05 pm
Orthophonic Joy has a release date after the March 31 cutoff.
August 12, 2015 @ 7:03 pm
Do you have a personal favorite bluegrass artist, Trigger?
August 12, 2015 @ 8:52 pm
I don’t like to talk about “favorites” because that has a history of coming back to bite me. I like pretty much anyone who would be featured by something like the IBMA. We’re talking about the maestros of the discipline. But I like my bluegrass a little offbeat. My favorite of all time was Bill Monroe, but I really love John Hartford too. Bands like .357 String Band and The Dinosaur Truckers really do it for me as far as newer bands.
August 13, 2015 @ 5:52 am
Man do I miss the .357 String Band.
August 12, 2015 @ 7:56 pm
I’ve seen Flamekeeper twice, they are one of the best bands in the business.