Billy Strings collected his fifth Entertainer of the Year award at the 37th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Thursday night (October 22). Proving his enduring popularity in the bluegrass industry and among bluegrass fans, Strings previously won the title in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025. Strings also performed sold-out shows at the Tivoli Theater in downtown Chattanooga on Tuesday and Wednesday night.

Named New Artist of the Year just two years ago, East Nash Grass picked up two awards this year from the International Bluegrass Music Association: Album of the Year for All God’s Children, and Instrumental Group of the Year. The honors for Song of the Year went to Trey Hensley for “Can’t Outrun the Blues.”

Other IBMA Award recipients include Authentic Unlimited for Vocal Group of the Year, Greg Blake for Male Vocalist of the Year, Jaelee Roberts for Female Vocalist of the Year, and Mason Via for New Artist of the Year. In addition to their solo projects, Blake is a member of Special Consensus and Roberts is a member of Sister Sadie.

In other categories, winners included The Grascals and Dolly Parton’s “Broken Angels” for Collaborative Recording of the Year, Blue Highway’s “Some Day” for Gospel Recording of the Year, and Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper’s “Big Daddy Rabbit” featuring Nathan Livers for Instrumental Recording of the Year. The Music Video of the Year award went to “The Devil Went Down to Deep Gap” by Bryan Sutton with Billy Strings.

Winners in the instrumentalist categories were Kristin Scott Benson (banjo), Mike Bub (bass), Sierra Hull (mandolin), Cody Kilby (guitar), Andy Leftwich (fiddle), and Justin Moses (resophonic guitar).

The IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, co-hosted by Sam Bush and Sierra Hull, was held at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga. During the ceremony, four distinguished honorees were formally inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame: The Lost & Found, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, multi-instrumentalist Byron Berline, and Sugar Hill Records co-founder Barry Poss.

On Wednesday during the IBMA Business Conference, the Momentum Awards were presented to emerging bluegrass trailblazers, including The Creekers (Band of the Year), Lydia Hamby (Vocalist of the Year), Luciya Sullivan and Jean-Baptiste Cardineau (Instrumentalists of the Year), Pammy Davis Lassiter (Mentor of the Year), and Helen Ludé (Industry Involvement).

The full list of 2026 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards winners:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
All God’s Children
Artist: East Nash Grass
Producers: Jake Stargel/East Nash Grass
Label: Mountain Fever Records

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Can’t Outrun the Blues”
Artist: Trey Hensley
Songwriters: Trey Hensley/Bobby Starnes
Producer: Brent Maher
Label: Pinecastle Records

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Broken Angels
Artist: The Grascals and Dolly Parton
Songwriters: Dolly Parton/Jamie Johnson
Producer: Kent Wells
Label: Billy Blue Records

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Some Day”
Artist: Blue Highway
Songwriters: Olive Stockton/Tim Stafford
Producer: Blue Highway/Dan Boner
Label: Down the Road Records

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“The Devil Went Down to Deep Gap”
Artist: Bryan Sutton with Billy Strings
Animator: Pat Bradley, SpringShoe Animation
Producer: Josh Serrato

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Big Daddy Rabbit”
Artist: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (Feat. Nathan Livers)
Songwriter: Nathan Livers
Producer: Michael Cleveland
Label: Yeah, Man Records

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Greg Blake

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Jaelee Roberts

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Mason Via

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Authentic Unlimited

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
East Nash Grass

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kristin Scott Benson

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mike Bub

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Andy Leftwich

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Cody Kilby

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sierra Hull

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justin Moses

Photo Credits: Dan Schram (Billy Strings), Lindsey Hopper (Sierra Hull), Ed Rose (Mason Via)