NOMINATIONS FOR 2015 IBMA MUSIC AWARDS

AND HERE THEY ARE

International Bluegrass music Award nominees announced!

Eric Gibson, Kyle Cantrell, Becky Buller, Leigh Gibson, and Paul Schiminger August 12, 2015 - Nashville, Tenn. - Nominees for the 26th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards were announced today at a special event in the SiriusXM Bluegrass Junction studios in Nashville, TN. The Gibson Brothers announced the nominees, along with SiriusXM's Kyle Cantrell. Balsam Range bass player and IBMA board member Tim Surrett announced the Distinguished Achievement Award recipients, and new IBMA Executive Director Paul Schiminger announced the Hall of Fame inductees for 2015. Becky Buller performed, as did The Gibson Brothers. A full list of awards nominees, including Special Awards and Momentum Awards is below. Congratulations to the nominees, and good luck! The Awards Show will be Oct. 1 at 7p.m. in Raleigh, NC. The Special Awards will be held in a luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 1, and the Momentum Awards will be held in a luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Those with business conference passes can attend the luncheons. For more information on the awards show and to get tickets, click here. Without further ado - the nominees! 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) "The Three 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 Banjo Kristin Scott Benson Rob McCoury Noam Pikelny Sammy Shelor Ron Stewart Bass Barry Bales Mike Bub Missy Raines Mark Schatz Tim Surrett Fiddle Becky Buller Jason Carter Michael Cleveland Stuart Duncan Ron Stewart Dobro Mike Auldridge Jerry Douglas Andy Hall Rob Ickes Phil Leadbetter Guitar Jim Hurst Kenny Smith Tim Stafford Bryan Sutton Josh Williams Mandolin Jesse Brock Sam Bush Sierra Hull Ronnie McCoury Adam Steffey Special Awards Bluegrass Broadcaster Of The Year Cindy Baucom, Knee-Deep In Bluegrass (syndicated) Becky Buller, Bluegrass Crossroads, WMSR Kyle Cantrell, Bluegrass Junction, Sirius XM Chris Jones, Bluegrass Junction, Sirius XM Ronnie Reno, Reno’s Old Time Music, RFD-TV Bluegrass Event Of The Year La Roche Bluegrass Festival 2014, La Roche sur Foron, France A Lester Flatt Celebration 2014, Sparta, Tennessee Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival 2014, Richmond, Minnesota Park Slope Bluegrass & Old-Time Jamboree 2014, Brooklyn, New York 42nd RockyGrass Festival, Lyons, Colorado Best Graphic Design For A Recorded Project Evan Gaffney (designer), The Phosphorescent Blues, Punch Brothers, Nonesuch Michael Gerstenberger (designer), Complete Recordings 1936-55, Chuck Wagon Gang, Bear Family Productions Jimmy Hole (designer), Della Mae, Della Mae, Rounder Deano Martin (designer), Trouble Follows Me, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, Rebel Records Carrie Smith (designer), The Lonesome Trio, The Lonesome Trio, Sugar Hill  Best Liner Notes For A Recorded Project Frank Godby, If Only You Knew: The Best of Larry Rice, Larry Rice, Rebel Records Phil Leadbetter, Next Move, Phil Leadbetter, Pinecastle Records Randy Pitts, Laurie & Kathy Sing Songs of Vern & Ray, Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick, Spruce and Maple Music Ted Olson, Old Time Bluegrass from the Great Smoky Mountains (1956 & 1959), Carroll Best & the White Oak String Band, Great Smokey Mountains Association Eddie Stubbs and Bill Malone, Complete Recordings 1936-55, Chuck Wagon Gang, Bear Family Productions Bluegrass Print/Media Person Of The Year Fred Bartenstein, The Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductee Biographies 1991-2014 Derek Halsey, writer for the Herald Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia,Bluegrass Unlimited magazine, and The Bluegrass Situation.  John Lawless, editor for Bluegrass Today Ted Lehmann, blogger for Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books & Brainstorms Gary Reid, author, The Music of the Stanley Brothers and The Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductee Biographies 1991-2014 Bluegrass Songwriter Of The Year Mark ‘Brink’ Brinkman Becky Buller Bill Castle Shawn Lane Donna Ulisse Momentum Award Nominees Performance Award nominees, Instrumentalists (final committee will select 3) Annie Staninec (fiddle) Casey Campbell (mandolin, fiddle) Molly Tuttle (guitar, banjo) Nate Lee (fiddle, mandolin) Paul Kowert (bass) Patrick McAvinue (fiddle) John Mailander (fiddle, mandolin) Bryan McDowell (fiddle, guitar) Performance Award nominees, Vocalist (final committee to select 1) Savannah Church (The Church Sisters) Alysha Bankester (The Bankesters) Kim Robins (Kim Robins and 40 Years Late) Louise Holden (I Draw Slow) Summer McMahan (Mountain Faith) Performance Award nominees, Band (final committee to select 1) I Draw Slow Lonely Heartstring Band Twisted Pine Haas, Kowert, Tice Industry Involvement Award nominees, Media/Artisan/Business/General Alan Tompkins (promoter, radio broadcaster, association leader) Casey Freeland (association executive director) Daniel Mullins (journalist, radio broadcaster) Erin Scholze (publicist) Nominees for Festival/Event/Venue HoustonFest – Galax, VA Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival – Manteo, NC ISIS Restaurant and Music Hall – Asheville, NC PineCone Youth Camp – Cary, NC Christmas in the Smokies – Pidgeon Forge, TN Mentor Award (given to a bluegrass professional who has made a significant impact on the lives and careers of newcomers to the bluegrass industry): Alan Tompkins (promoter, radio broadcaster, association leader) Andrea Roberts (Andrea Roberts Agency) Daniel Boner (director, Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies at ETSU) Ken Irwin (Rounder Records) Woody Platt (Steep Canyon Rangers)