IBMA Announces 2017 International Bluegrass Music Awards Nominations

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Nominees for the 28th Annual, 2017 International Bluegrass Music Awards were announced Wednesday in Nashville, with The Earls of Leicester and Balsam Range leading all nominees with eight nominations each, and Entertainer of the Year noms for both. Flatt Lonesome also picks up big nominations for Entertainer and Vocal Group of the Year.

The IBMA’s made a little bit of history this year by nominating its first woman for Guitar Player of the Year in the person of Molly Tuttle, who is also up for Female Vocalist of the Year, and Emerging Artist of the Year. Her debut EP Rise has been one of the most critically-lauded albums in bluegrass in the last year.

Along with the nominees, frequent collaborators Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard were announced as Hall of Fame inductees, fiddle player Bobby Hicks who is most famous for recording with Bill Monroe will also be inducted, as will Roland White, who was a founding member of The Kentucky Colonels with his brothers Clarence and Eric.

Bluegrass power couple BĂ©la Fleck and Abigail Washburn will host the awards on September 28th in Raleigh, North Carolina. See the full list of nominees below.

Entertainer of the Year
• Balsam Range
• Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
• The Earls of Leicester
• Flatt Lonesome
• The Gibson Brothers

Vocal Group of the Year
• Balsam Range
• Blue Highway
• Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
• Flatt Lonesome
• The Gibson Brothers 

Instrumental Group of the Year
• Balsam Range
• The Earls of Leicester
• Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
• Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
• Punch Brothers 

Song of the Year
• “Blue Collar Dreams,” Balsam Range (artist), Aaron Bibelhauser (writer)
• “Going Back to Bristol,” Shawn Camp (artist), Mac Wiseman/Thomm Jutz/Peter Cooper (writers)
• “I Am a Drifter,” Volume Five (artist), Donna Ulisse/Marc Rossi (writers)
• “Someday Soon,” Darin & Brooke Aldridge (artist), Ian Tyson (writer)
• “The Train That Carried My Girl from Town,” The Earls of Leicester (artist), Frank Hutchison (writer)

Album of the Year
• “Fiddler’s Dream,” Michael Cleveland (artist), Jeff White and Michael Cleveland (producers), Compass Records (label)
• “In the Ground,” The Gibson Brothers (artist), Eric Gibson, Leigh Gibson and Mike Barber (producers), Rounder Records (label)
• “Mountain Voodoo,” Balsam Range (artist), Balsam Range (producer), Mountain Home Records (label)
• “Original,” Bobby Osborne (artist), Alison Brown (producer), Compass Records (label)
• “Rattle & Roar,” The Earls of Leicester (artist), Jerry Douglas (producer), Rounder Records (label)

Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year 
• “Give Me Jesus,” Larry Cordle (artist), Traditional/Larry Cordle (writer), “Give Me Jesus” (album), Larry Cordle (producer), Mighty Cord Records (label)
• “Hallelujah,” Blue Highway (artist), Public Domain arranged by Blue Highway (writer), “Original Traditional” (album), Blue Highway (producer), Rounder Records (label)
• “I Found a Church Today,” The Gibson Brothers (artist), Eric Gibson/Leigh Gibson (writers), “In the Ground” (album), Eric Gibson, Leigh Gibson and Mike Barber (producers), Rounder Records (label)
• “Sacred Memories,” Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers with Ricky Skaggs and Sharon White Skaggs (artist), Dolly Parton (writer), “Sacred Memories” (album), Joe Mullins (producer), Rebel Records (label)
• “Wish You Were Here,” Balsam Range (artist), James Stover/Michael Williams (writers), “Mountain Voodoo” (album), Balsam Range (producer), Mountain Home Records (label)

Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year 
• “Fiddler’s Dream,” Michael Cleveland (artist), Arthur Smith (writer), “Fiddler’s Dream” (album), Jeff White and Michael Cleveland (producers), Compass Records (label)
• “Great Waterton,” Kristin Scott Benson (artist), Kristin Scott Benson (writer), “Stringworks” (album), Kristin Scott Benson (producer), Mountain Home Records (label)
• “Greenbrier,” Sam Bush (artist), Sam Bush/Scott Vestal (writers), “Storyman” (album), Sugar Hill Records (label)
• “Little Liza Jane,” Adam Steffey (artist), Tommy Duncan/James Robert Wills (writers), “Here to Stay” (album), Adam Steffey (producer), Mountain Home Records (label)
• “Flint Hill Special,” The Earls of Leicester (artist), Earl Scruggs (writer), “Rattle & Roar” (album), Jerry Douglas (producer), Rounder Records (label)

Emerging Artist
• Front Country
• The Lonely Heartstring Band
• Molly Tuttle
• Sister Sadie
• Volume Five 

Recorded Event of the Year 
• “East Virginia Blues,” Ricky Wasson and Dan Tyminski (artists), “Croweology: The Study of J.D. Crowe’s Musical Legacy” (album), Rickey Wasson (producer), Truegrass Entertainment (label)
• “Going Back to Bristol,” Shawn Camp with Mac Wiseman, Peter Cooper, Thomm Jutz (artists), “I Sang the Song (Life of the Voice with a Heart)” (album), Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz (producers), Mountain Fever Records (label)
• “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You,” Bobby Osborne with Sierra Hull, Alison Brown, Rob Ickes, Stuart Duncan, Trey Hensley, Todd Phillips, Kenny Malone, Claire Lynch and Bryan McDowell (artists), “Original” (album), Alison Brown (producer), Compass Records (label)
• “Steamboat Whistle Blues,” Michael Cleveland featuring Sam Bush (artists), “Fiddler’s Dream” (album), Jeff White and Michael Cleveland (producers), Compass Records (label)
• “’Tis Sweet to Be Remembered,” Mac Wiseman and Alison Krauss (artists), “I Sang the Song (Life of the Voice with a Heart)” (album), Peter Cooper and Thomm Jutz (producers), Mountain Fever Records (label)

Male Vocalist of the Year 
• Shawn Camp
• Eric Gibson
• Leigh Gibson
• Buddy Melton
• Russell Moore

Female Vocalist of the Year 
• Brooke Aldridge
• Dale Ann Bradley
• Sierra Hull
• Amanda Smith
• Molly Tuttle 

Banjo Player of the Year 
• Ned Luberecki
• Joe Mullins
• Noam Pikelny
• Kristin Scott Benson
• Sammy Shelor 

Bass Player of the Year 
• Barry Bales
• Alan Bartram
• Mike Bub
• Missy Raines
• Tim Surrett 

Fiddle Player of the Year
• Becky Buller
• Jason Carter
• Michael Cleveland
• Stuart Duncan
• Patrick McAvinue
• Ron Stewart 

Dobro Player of the Year 
• Jerry Douglas
• Andy Hall
• Rob Ickes
• Phil Leadbetter
• Josh Swift 

Guitar Player of the Year 
• Jim Hurst
• Kenny Smith
• Bryan Sutton
• Molly Tuttle
• Josh Williams 

Mandolin Player of the Year
• Jesse Brock
• Sam Bush
• Sierra Hull
• Frank Solivan
• Adam Steffey

Distinguished Achievement Award recipients
• Norman Blake
• BluegrassToday.com
• Fletcher Bright
• Silver Dollar City
• Louisa Branscomb

Hall of Fame inductees
• Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard
• Bobby Hicks
• Roland White

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