Gibson Brothers, Balsam Range Lead IBMA Nominations

The Gibson Brothers and Balsam Range led the nominations for the 2013 International Bluegrass Music Awards, which was streamed live from the Loveless Cafe Barn in Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday evening (Aug. 14). The 2013 International Bluegrass Music Awards will be held on Sept. 26, hosted by Steep Canyon Rangers. The awards show will take place during World of Bluegrass, held Sept. 24-28 in Raleigh, N.C.

The Gibson Brothers, both individually and as a group, earned eight nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group, Album of the Year for They Called It Music, Song of the Year (“They Called It Music”) and Gospel Recorded Event. Member Eric Gibson earned two nominations including a nod as a songwriter for Song of the Year and in the Bluegrass Songwriter category. Gibson Brothers member Jesse Brock notched a nomination for Mandolin Player of the Year. The Gibson Brothers are the reigning IBMA Entertainer of the Year, and took home the Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year honor last year for “Singing As We Rise” with Ricky Skaggs.

Balsam Range was close behind with seven nominations, including nods as Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group, and two Song of the Year nominations, for “Any Old Road (Will Take You There)” and “Papertown.” They also earned nominations for Album of the Year (Papertown), Gospel Recorded Event and Recorded Event (for band member Buddy Melton’s “What’ll I Do” with Terry Baucom).

Additional nominees for the coveted Entertainer of the Year award include Blue Highway, Dailey & Vincent, and The Del McCoury Band.

Guitarist and performer Tony Rice and the late fiddler Paul Warren are set to be inducted in the IBMA Hall of Fame, while industry professional Keith Case, The East Mountain Boys, banjo player Vic Jordan, Charley Pennell and The McLain Family Band were named as recipients of the 2013 Distinguished Achievement Award.

Nominations for the 2013 International Bluegrass Music Awards include:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Blue Highway
Dailey & Vincent
The Gibson Brothers
The Del McCoury Band

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Blue Highway
Dailey & Vincent
The Gibson Brothers
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Blue Highway
The Boxcars
Sam Bush Band
Punch Brothers
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Any Old Road (Will Take You There),” Balsam Range, written by Carl Jackson, Marc Pruett & Jerry Salley
“Gentle on my Mind,” Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, written by John Hartford
“Papertown,” Balsam Range, written by Milan Miller
“The Story of the Day that I Died,” Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, written by Ashby Frank
“They Called It Music,” The Gibson Brothers, written by Eric Gibson & Joe Newberry

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Dear Sister, Claire Lynch, produced by Garry West, Compass Records
Hammer Down, The SteelDrivers, produced by The SteelDrivers & Luke Wooten, Rounder Records
The Old School, Peter Rowan, produced by Alison Brown, Compass Records
Papertown, Balsam Range, produced by Balsam Range, Mountain Home
They Called It Music, The Gibson Brothers, produced by Eric & Leigh Gibson and Mike Barber, Compass Records.

GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
“Beulah Land” Marty Raybon, written by Squire Parsons, produced by Marty Raybon, Rural Rhythm
“Home on the River,” The Gibson Brothers, written by Austin Taylor, produced by Eric & Leigh Gibson and Mike Barber, Compass Records
“Row by Row,” Balsam Range, written by Ashleigh Caudill, produced by Balsam Range, Mountain Home
“Say Hello to Heaven,” Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, written by Lewis N. Hyatt, produced by Doyle Lawson, Mountain Home
“When He Beckons Me Home,” Darin & Brooke Aldridge, written by George Shuffler, produced by Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Mountain Home.

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
“By the Waters of the Clinch,” Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, written by Doyle Lawson, produced by Doyle Lawson, Mountain Home
“Foggy Mountain Rock,” Tom Adams, Ron Block, J.D. Crowe, Charlie Cushman, Kenny Ingram, Jim Mills, Joe Mullins, Larry Perkins, Craig Smith, Ron Stewart, David Talbot & Tony Trischka, written by Louise Certain & Gladys Stacey, produced by Tim Austin, Rounder Records.
“New Jerusalem,” Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, written by Ricky Skaggs, produced by Ricky Skaggs, Skaggs Family Records
“Newton’s Grove,” Audie Blaylock & Redline, written by Richard Underwood, produced by Audie Blaylock, Rural Rhythm
“NoraBelle,” Darrell Webb Band, written by Darrell Webb, Rural Rhythm
“Pilgrim’s Knob,” Alan Bibey & Wayne Benson, written by Bill Monroe, produced by Alan Bibey & Wayne Benson, Pinecastle

RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR
“Another Night,” Alan Bibey, Wayne Benson and Russell Moore, produced by Alan Bibey & Wayne Benson, Pinecastle
“Golden Ring,” Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out with Sonya Isaacs, produced by Barry Bales, Cracker Barrel
“On the Edge of Letting Go,” Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen with Tim O’Brien and Rob Ickes, produced by Frank Solivan & Brent Truitt, Compass Records
“This Old Guitar and Me,” Grasstowne with Ronnie Bowman, produced by Ronnie Bowman & Grasstowne, Mountain Fever Records
“What’ll I Do,” Terry Baucom with Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Wyatt Rice, Steve Bryant & Buddy Melton; produced by Terry Baucom, Cindy Baucom and Ed Lowe; John Boy & Billy label

EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Della Mae
Flatt Lonesome
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
The Spinney Brothers
The Darrell Webb Band

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Jamie Dailey
Russell Moore
Tim O’Brien
Marty Raybon
Junior Sisk

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dale Ann Bradley
Sonya Isaacs
Claire Lynch
Amanda Smith
Rhonda Vincent

INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR

BANJO
J.D. Crowe
Mike Munford
Sammy Shelor
Ron Stewart
Scott Vestal

BASS
Barry Bales
Mike Bub
Missy Raines
Mark Schatz
Marshall Wilborn

FIDDLE
Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan
Bobby Hicks
Ron Stewart

DOBRO
Mike Auldridge
Jerry Douglas
Rob Ickes
Randy Kohrs
Phil Leadbetter

GUITAR
Jim Hurst
Tony Rice
Kenny Smith
Bryan Sutton
Josh Williams

MANDOLIN
Wayne Benson
Jesse Brock
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Adam Steffey

2013 International Bluegrass Music Special Award Nominations
BLUEGRASS BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR
Joe Mullins, WBZI, Xenia, Ohio
Ronnie Reno, Reno’s Old Time Music Festival, BlueHighways TV and RFD
Wayne Rice, KSON, San Diego, California
David Smith, North Dakota’s Prairie Public Radio
Tim White, Song of the Mountains, PBS

BLUEGRASS EVENT OF THE YEAR
The 2013 Bluegrass First Class, Asheville, North Carolina
The 2012 Father’s Day Festival, Grass Valley, California
The 2012 Huck Finn Jubilee, Ontario, California
The 2012 Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival, Tunbridge, Vermont
Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival, Bean Blossom, Indiana

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR A RECORDED PROJECT
Dak Alley, Carl Jackson & Jimmy Metts (designers); Grace Notes; Carl Jackson; Voxhall Records
Erick Anderson (designer), Music To My Ears, Ricky Skaggs, Skaggs Family Records
Sue Meyer (designer), Doctor’s Orders, Don Rigsby, Rebel Records
Pharis Romero (designer), In Good Company, Bill Evans, Native & Fine Records.
Tom Rozum, Catherine Manning & Dave Weiland (designers); Chicken on a Rocketship; Chad Manning; Manning Music and Arts label

BEST LINER NOTES FOR A RECORDED PROJECT
Tom Adams; Foggy Mountain Special; Tom Adams, Ron Block, J.D. Crowe, Charlie Cushman, Kenny Ingram, Jim Mills, Joe Mullins, Larry Perkins, Craig Smith, Ron Stewart, David Talbot & Tony Trischka; Rounder Records
Fred Bartenstein, They’re Playing My Song, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Rebel Records
Jamie Lynn Brinkman, God Didn’t Choose Sides, Various Artists, Rural Rhythm Records
Carl Jackson, Carl Jackson, Voxhall Records
Don Rigsby, Doctor’s Orders, Don Rigsby, Rebel Records.

BLUEGRASS PRINT/MEDIA PERSON OF THE YEAR
Fred Bartenstein, editor, Bluegrass Bluesman: A Memoir by Uncle Josh Graves (book)
Derek Halsey, writer for the Herald Dispatch in Huntington, West Virginia and Bluegrass Unlimited magazine
Chris Jones, writer for Bluegrass Today
Ted Lehman, blogger for Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books & Brainstorms
Amy Reitnouer, editor of The Bluegrass Situation

BLUEGRASS SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Louisa Branscomb
Paula Breedlove
Mark “Brink” Brinkman
Eric Gibson
Donna Ulisse

MOMENTUM AWARDS
INDUSTRY, NEW PROFESSIONAL
Danny Clark, The Bluegrass Bus & LeRoy Troy PR
Martha Dantzic, Quicksilver Productions
Amy Reitnouer, The Bluegrass Situation

INDUSTRY, NEW FESTIVAL OR VENUE
Bluegrass on the Plains, Auburn, AL
The Festy, Roseland, VA
The Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival, Roanoke Island, NC

INDUSTRY, MENTOR
Stephen Mougin
Denise Stiff
Jon Weisberger

PERFORMANCE, VOCALIST
Amber Collins, Amber Collins & Turning Point
Robert Greer, Town Mountain
Sarah Harris, Trinity River Band
Isaac Moore, The Moore Brothers
Celia Woodsmith, Della Mae

PERFORMANCE, BAND
The Bankesters
Cumberland River
Front Country
Snyder Family Band
Town Mountain

PERFORMANCE, INSTRUMENTALIST
Bobby Britt, Town Mountain
Kimber Ludiker, Della Mae
Chris Luquette, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Bryan McDowell, Claire Lynch Band
Zeb Snyder, Snyder Family Band

Special Awards and Distinguished Achievement Awards will be presented at a luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 26 from 10:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m. at the World of Bluegrass Business Conference in Raleigh, N.C. The Momentum Awards will be presented at the Showcase Luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 25.