The 2017 IBMA Award Winners

The winners of the 2017 International Bluegrass Music Awards were announced last night with Molly Tuttle becoming the first woman ever to be nominated for — and WIN — an IBMA Guitar Player of the Year Award. 

The IBMA also inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame a number of legendary artists, including Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard, Bobby Hicks, and Roland White. Congratulations to all!

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 OF THE YEAR
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 (6 candidates due to a tie vote)
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