On Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011, the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards took place at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. These awards are the most coveted honor in the bluegrass genre of music.
Entertainer of the Year
Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers were honored as the 2011 IBMA "Entertainer of the Year." This marks Martin's first win in this notable category. They were nominated among The Grascals, The Gibson Brothers, The Boxcars, and Dailey & Vincent.
Female Vocalist of the Year
Dale Ann Bradley reclaimed her throne for IBMA's "Female Vocalist of the Year." Bradley had previously won this award in 2007, 2008, and 2009. She bested out fellow songstresses Claire Lynch, Alison Krauss, Sonya Isaacs, and Rhonda Vincent.
Bradley was also nominated in three other categories for "Recorded Event of the Year" and "Song of the Year" for "I'll Take Love," which is a collaboration with Alison Krauss and Steve Gulley, as well as for "Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year" for "Sailing On," where she duets with Russell Moore.
Male Vocalist of the Year
For the second consecutive year, Russell Moore took home the "Male Vocalist of the Year" honor. It is Moore's fourth career win in this category. He was up against Josh Williams, Jamie Dailey (from the group Dailey & Vincent), Leigh Gibson (of the Gibson Brothers) and Dan Tyminski (from Alison Krauss and Union Station).
Emerging Artist of the Year
The Boxcars were named "Emerging Artist of the Year," and Adam Steffey from the band was also named "Mandolin Player of the Year."
Album and Vocal Group of the Year
The Gibson Brothers were declared "Vocal Group of the Year," and their record, Help My Brother, was named "Album of the Year."
2011 IBMA Winners in the Instrumental Categories
There was a tie for "Banjo Player of the Year," where both Kristin Scott Benson (from The Grascals) and Ron Stewart (from The Boxcars) shared the award. Bryan Sutton garnered his sixth career win as "Guitar Player of the Year," whereas Michael Cleveland won his ninth career honor for "Fiddle Player of the Year"; furthermore, Cleveland's "Goin' Up Dry Branch" won the "Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year" category.
Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductees
This year, two artists into the prestigious Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. These veterans musicians are Del McCoury, who has won the "Entertainer of the Year" IBMA award a record-breaking nine times, and acclaimed bass player George Shuffler.
For a complete list of this year's IBMA award recipients, please visit their official website.
Markos Papadatos - Markos Papadatos holds over six years journalism experience, authoring over 700 articles, many of which are feature profile interviews.
