IBMA Announces 2015 International Bluegrass Music Awards Nominations

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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

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