See the Winners of the 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards

Tonight, September 18, 2025, the International Bluegrass Music Association held their 36th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tennessee – the organization’s first awards show presented in their new host city.

The IBMA Awards are designed to be peer-to-peer, voted on by the professional membership of the IBMA, performers, artists, industry professionals, broadcasters, and beyond. As a result, the show this year – which was hosted by the hilarious and talented duo of Steve Martin and Alison Brown – was an evening celebrating mutual admiration, mentorship, sharing, and the diverse ways all of this music’s creators celebrate tradition, and the innovation at its core. That phenomenon has been a hallmark of the IBMA Awards over all of their 36 years. Through the many categories there were a wide array of winners from across generations, styles, and levels of notoriety.

Bluegrass’s most prominent artist at the moment, Billy Strings, took home the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year – his fourth such trophy. Alison Krauss, who recently returned to the road with a brand new album, Arcadia, for the first time in 14 years, received her fifth Female Vocalist of the Year award, her first since 1995. Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland received three awards for their superlative debut album together and its songs including Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Collaborative Recording of the Year.

Women were represented in force across the many categories this year, remarkable given the sheer number of years where women nominees were absent entirely or merely counted in the single digits. Along with Krauss winning Female Vocalist women took home trophies in many more categories: Gospel Recording of the Year (Jaelee Roberts; writer, Kelsi Harrigill); Instrumental Recording of the Year (Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt, Alison Brown); Banjo Player of the Year (Kristin Scott Benson); Bass Player of the Year (Vickie Vaughn); Fiddle Player of the Year (Maddie Denton); and Mandolin Player of the Year (Sierra Hull).

During the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, the 2025 class of Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees were honored with speeches, plaque presentations, and incredibly special musical performances. This year’s inductees include Hot Rize, The Bluegrass Cardinals, and Arnold Schultz, the first Black person to ever be elected to the hall, the association’s highest honor, since it was begun in 1991.

IBMA’s World of Bluegrass business conference and IBMA Bluegrass Live! festival continue in Chattanooga through Saturday, September 20. Get more information on the event and purchase tickets for Bluegrass Live! here. Below, check out all of the winners at this year’s 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards.

(Winners denoted in bold.)

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR 

Alison Krauss & Union Station
Appalachian Road Show
Billy Strings
East Nash Grass
The Del McCoury Band

SONG OF THE YEAR 

“5 Days Out, 2 Days Back” – Alison Brown, Steve Martin, Featuring Tim O’Brien
Songwriters: Steve Martin, Alison Brown
Producers: Alison Brown, Garry West
Label: Compass Records

“Big Wheels” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriter: Jerry Cole
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Coal Dust Kisses” – The Grascals
Songwriters: Susanne Mumpower, Jerry Salley
Producer: The Grascals
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“My Favorite Picture of You” – Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Songwriters: Darin Aldridge, Brooke Aldridge, Dennis Duff
Producers: Darin Aldridge, Mark Fain
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Outrun the Rain” – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Songwriters: Terry Herd, Jimmy Yeary
Producers: Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland
Label: Fiddle Man Records

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

Arcadia – Alison Krauss & Union Station
Producer: Alison Krauss & Union Station
Label: Down the Road Records

Carter & Cleveland – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Producers: Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland
Label: Fiddle Man Records

Earl Jam – Tony Trischka
Producers: Tony Trischka, Lawson White
Label: Down the Road Records

Highway Prayers – Billy Strings
Producers: Billy Strings, Jon Brion
Label: Reprise Records

I Built a World – Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Producers: Brent Truitt, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Label: Sugar Petunia Records

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR 

Alison Krauss & Union Station
Authentic Unlimited
Blue Highway
Sister Sadie
The Del McCoury Band

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR 

Billy Strings
East Nash Grass
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
The Travelin’ McCourys

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR 

“Blue Collar Gospel” – Jerry Salley Featuring The Oak Ridge Boys
Songwriters: Rick Lang, Bill Whyte, Jerry Salley
Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Dear Lord” – Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Songwriter: Daniel Davis
Producers: Darin Aldridge, Mark Fain
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Even Better When You Listen” – Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Songwriters: Rick Lang, Mark BonDurant
Producer: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Label: Billy Blue Records

“He’s Gone” – Jaelee Roberts
Songwriter: Kelsi Harrigill
Producer: Byron House
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“Wings of Love” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriters: Jesse Brock, Stephen Burwell, Jerry Cole, Eli Johnston, John Meador
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR 

“Bluegrass in the Backwoods” – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Songwriter: Kenny Baker
Producers: Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland
Label: Fiddle Man Records

“The Drifter” – Danny Roberts
Songwriter: Danny Roberts
Producers: Danny Roberts, Andrea Roberts
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“A Drive at Dusk” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriter: Jesse Brock
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Kern County Breakdown” – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Songwriter: Buck Owens, Don Rich
Producers: Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland
Label: Fiddle Man Records

“Ralph’s Banjo Special” – Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt, Alison Brown
Songwriter: Ralph Stanley
Producer: Alison Brown
Label: Compass Records

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Jason Carter
Red Camel Collective
Wyatt Ellis

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR 

“5 Days Out, 2 Days Back” – Alison Brown & Steve Martin Featuring Tim O’Brien
Songwriters: Steve Martin, Alison Brown
Producer: Alison Brown, Garry West
Label: Compass Records

“A Million Memories (A Song for Byron)” – Darin & Brooke Aldridge Featuring Vince Gill
Songwriter: Vince Gill
Producers: Darin Aldridge, Mark Fain
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Cora Is Gone” – Bobby Osborne & C.J. Lewandowski Featuring Rob McCoury, Billy Strings
Songwriter: Mac Odell
Producer: C.J. Lewandowski
Label: Turnberry Records

“Outrun the Rain” – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland, Jaelee Roberts, Vince Gill
Songwriters: Terry Herd, Jimmy Yeary
Producers: Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland
Label: Fiddle Man Records

“Ralph’s Banjo Special” – Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt, Alison Brown
Songwriter: Ralph Stanley
Producer: Alison Brown
Label: Compass Records

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR 

Billy Strings
Dan Tyminski
Del McCoury
Greg Blake
Russell Moore

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR 

AJ Lee
Alison Krauss
Brooke Aldridge
Jaelee Roberts
Sierra Hull

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Alison Brown
Gena Britt
Kristin Scott Benson
Ron Block
Tony Trischka

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Barry Bales
Mike Bub
Missy Raines
Todd Phillips
Vickie Vaughn

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Jason Carter
Maddie Denton
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Andy Hall
Jerry Douglas
Justin Moses
Matt Leadbetter
Rob Ickes

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Billy Strings
Bryan Sutton
Cody Kilby
Molly Tuttle
Trey Hensley

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Alan Bibey
Jesse Brock
Ronnie McCoury
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR 

“5 Days Out, 2 Days Back” – Alison Brown & Steve Martin Featuring Tim O’Brien
Songwriters: Steve Martin, Alison Brown
Producer: Alison Brown, Garry West
Videographer: Joseph Spence
Label: Compass Records

“A Million Memories (A Song for Byron)” – Darin & Brooke Aldridge Featuring Vince Gill
Songwriter: Vince Gill
Producer: Jenny Gill
Videographer: Travis Flynn
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Big Wheels” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriter: Jerry Cole
Producers: Bryce Free, Kyle Johnson
Videographer: Bryce Free
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Gallows Pole” – Appalachian Road Show
Songwriter: Traditional, arr. Barry Abernathy, Jim VanCleve, Darrell Webb
Producer: Steve Kinney
Videographer: Steve Kinney
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Tennessee Hound Dog” – The Grascals
Songwriter: Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant
Producer: Ty Gilpin
Videographer: Nate Shuppert
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“The Auctioneer” – The Kody Norris Show
Songwriters: Leroy Van Dyke, Buddy Black
Producer: James Gilley
Videographer: Nate Wiles
Label: Rebel Records


Photo Credit: Billy Strings by Dana Trippe; Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland by Emma McCoury.

IBMA World of Bluegrass Arrives in Chattanooga

After 11 incredibly successful years of partnership with Raleigh, North Carolina, the International Bluegrass Music Association will holds its World of Bluegrass business conference and Bluegrass Live! festival for the first time in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this week. From September 16 to 20 the biggest week in bluegrass will return to Tennessee, this time nestled between the Tennessee River and the mountains, foothills, and ridgetops surrounding this lovely city rich in art, music, food, and culture. Chattanooga has a long history with bluegrass, old-time, and hillbilly music of all strains, so it’s sure to be a perfect home for World of Bluegrass.

As we like to do each year going into the week of events, music, and jamming we all colloquially refer to as “IBMA,” below you’ll find our preview of World of Bluegrass, Bluegrass Live!, the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, and the move to Chattanooga. You’ll find information on the festival lineup, official showcase artists playing the Bluegrass Ramble, the layout of the festival and conference footprint, and more. Plus, we’ll have a few tips and tricks for local attractions and must-do/must-see activities while you’re in the River City.

Not able to attend IBMA World of Bluegrass this year? Never fear! Select events and programs from the packed-full conference slate will be livestreamed. You can find info on how to tune in – and what you’ll be able to see – below.

We hope that we’ll see you in Chattanooga this week for IBMA World of Bluegrass!

The Footprint

You gotta know how to get around the new host city, right?! If, like us, you had gotten used to the layout and logistics of Raleigh over more than a decade of conferences held there, IBMA wants to give you a head start on getting around their lovely new territory in downtown Chattanooga. The convention center, awards show venue, and Bluegrass Ramble venues may be a bit more spread out than in Raleigh, but there are plenty of excellent bars, restaurants, and attractions to explore above, below, and in between so keep your eyes peeled as you stroll.

Don’t forget that the convention center itself is also a Bluegrass Ramble venue! The other handful of Bluegrass Ramble venues are just a couple of blocks away to the south. Plus, the five stages for the weekend festival, Bluegrass Live!, are just around the corner from the convention center, too, where the exhibit hall, workshop stage, and international stage will all be hoppin’ with activity.

Put on your explorer hat and your favorite step-tracking device, we’ve got ground to cover!

What To Do

The Tennessee Aquarium (Photo by Kelley Lacey).

While in Chattanooga, you simply must take advantage of the many first-rate and world-class attractions that stud the city like jewels downtown, on the outskirts, and on the mountaintops overlooking the city and Tennessee River. The Tennessee Aquarium, situated along the riverbanks just a handful of blocks from the conference and festival, is a beloved and award-winning non-profit institution that perfectly showcases the aquatic ecosystems of Appalachia, Tennessee, and the world. Their work through the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute directly benefits the habitats you can see just outside their doors – that kind of local impact is something special. From sturgeon and hellbenders that call the waters around Chattanooga home to oceanic species of fish and jellyfish to exotic birds and reptiles, the Tennessee Aquarium is certainly worth a visit while you’re enjoying a week full of bluegrass.

The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway descends from Lookout Mtn. to Chattanooga. (Photo by Kelley Lacey).

There are far too many amazing Chattanooga-area attractions to list here, but your shortlist for off-site, non-bluegrass activities for the week of World of Bluegrass certainly ought to include Lookout Mountain (especially the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway), Ruby Falls, Rock City, the Creative Discovery Museum, the Hunter Museum of American Art, the Chattanooga Choo Choo Historic District, and many, many more.

Ruby Falls, an underground waterfall, on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga.

World of Bluegrass

Now, don’t forget, IBMA World of Bluegrass is work. (Even if it doesn’t feel like it!) Don’t miss the many opportunities for networking, professional development, education, creative cross-pollination, and more during the business conference portion of World of Bluegrass, held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

The full schedule for the conference – with panels, showcases, luncheons, awards presentations, and much more – can be found here, so you can sketch out your priorities and must-sees.

A few highlights and standouts we see on the schedule that might inspire you: Jim Lauderdale himself leads Tai Chi each day, so you can start your day connecting with your body and warming yourself up after all-night jamming. On Tuesday, learn about ReString Appalachia, a non-profit program helping put instruments back in the hands of victims of Hurricane Helene. Plus, don’t miss the ever-popular Gig Fair that afternoon, too.

We’re especially excited for the keynote address on Tuesday evening, as our own podcast host and CBC broadcaster Tom Power interviews Billy Strings, with a performance by Junior Sisk to kick off the event. We’re excited to bring you the keynote conversation in the near future as a bonus episode of Toy Heart with Tom Power.

On Wednesday, up-and-comers in the IBMA scene will be honored at the Momentum Awards Luncheon, as well as mentors and industry players. It’s always an exciting and energetic event that celebrates talent, skill, and effort at all levels in bluegrass. Elsewhere in the afternoon, archivist, historian, and musician Jen Larson will dive into the legacy and impact of Bluegrass Hall of Famer Hazel Dickens with her presentation titled “Hazel Dickens, A Bluegrass Life and Legacy at 100.”

There will be town hall meetings throughout the week, as well, where IBMA members can voice their feedback, ideas, and concerns and take an active role in the organization’s future. On Wednesday, the DEI Town Hall will be held at 4:20 p.m. and on Thursday the general IBMA Town Hall will be held at 9 a.m.

Of course, Thursday is chocked full of great programming, too, but we’d be remiss if we did not point out Dom Flemons’ panel, “Rooted Rhythms: African American Contributions to Bluegrass Music.” The first panel of its sort at IBMA, there’s plenty to be learned about the true multi-ethnic origins of bluegrass at this presentation. Don’t miss the Industry Awards Luncheon, the IBMA Songwriter Showcase, and the Women’s Council Meeting on Thursday, too. And, of course, the conference all culminates Thursday night with the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards show, held just up the road at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium. Hosted this year by Steve Martin and Alison Brown, it promises to be an exciting and engaging celebration of bluegrass music and its makers yet again.

There’s so much more going on throughout the conference, so don’t forget to dive into the full schedule so you don’t miss a thing.

The Bluegrass Ramble

Now, how about some music!? On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, IBMA Official Showcasing artists and bands will descend on Chattanooga for the Bluegrass Ramble, a series of performances held around official conference venues that will highlight the depth and breadth of the bluegrass scene while spotlighting artists and musicians with new albums, new shows, and new opportunities for bookers, promoters, industry professionals – and fans, of course!

Check out the full lineup of Bluegrass Ramble artists below, but here are a few we’re excited to catch while we’re in Chattanooga: fiddler and dancer Hillary Klug, who recently toured with Cirque du Soleil’s country show, Songblazers (watch above). There’s certainly a reason she’s amassed thousands and thousands of followers online. If you haven’t caught her electric and joyful show before, now is the time.

Some of the best bluegrass being made today is actually old-time, so we’re glad to see plenty of old-time, hillbilly, and mountain music represented throughout the week of World of Bluegrass and on Bluegrass Live! – we’re especially excited to catch showcases by George Jackson & Brad Kolodner.

Mountain Grass Unit are all the rage these days and if you haven’t yet had the chance to catch them live, don’t let your Bluegrass Ramble opportunities slip by. The cutting edge of jamgrass’s second (or third?) generation, these are shredders who can and will transport you beyond the bluegrass veil and into new horizons. These guys are going places and Chattanooga is just one stop on their journey to the stratosphere.

And what about the future of bluegrass? Oh yes, it’s in good hands, as nearly everyone declares when they encounter the picking and singing of young Wyatt Ellis and his band. Maybe “prodigy” is a tired description, but it’s certainly accurate in this case. We’ve covered Wyatt quite a bit over the years and always enjoy watching him grow, mature, and find himself in his music and picking style.

There are many more acts you won’t want to miss during the Bluegrass Ramble, of course! Here’s the full list of showcasing artists, duos, musicians, and bands at this year’s World of Bluegrass: Backline, Burnett Sisters Band, Caroline Owens & New Company, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Foggy Mountain Spaceship, George Jackson & Brad Kolodner, Greenwood Rye, Hillary Klug, Jackson Hollow, Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell, Mason Via, Michael Prewitt & CrunchGrass Supreme, Mike Mitchell Band, Mountain Grass Unit, Remedy Tree, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run, Special Consensus, The Faux Paws, The Foreign Landers, The Sentimental Gentlemen, The Sullivan Sisters, The Tennessee Bluegrass Band, The Unfaithful Servants, Under the Rocks, Veranda, Vickie Vaughn, and Wyatt Ellis.

How To Livestream

Tune in from afar, if you can’t be in Chattanooga with us! You can catch several events from World of Bluegrass streamed online for free! The keynote address with Billy Strings in conversation with Tom Power, the IBMA Momentum Awards, and the IBMA Industry and Distinguished Achievement Awards will all be livestreamed on IBMA’s Facebook page and YouTube Channel. Like/follow or subscribe now so you don’t miss a single stream: IBMA Facebook; IBMA YouTube.

The IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, one of the most exciting nights of the year in bluegrass, will be carried exclusively by Volume.com. But don’t worry, livestream tickets are free! Tune in for once-in-a-lifetime performances, Hall of Fame inductions, and all of your favorite bands and instrumentalists taking home awards – as voted on by their peers and colleagues!

These livestreams are a great way to participate from afar while you plan your journey to join us in Chattanooga next year.

Bluegrass Live! 

On Friday and Saturday, September 19 and 20, IBMA Bluegrass Live! will bring the best in bluegrass, old-time, Americana, and beyond to the downtown streets of Chattanooga, superlative roots music wafting throughout the River City. Though you may be disappointed by the last minute headliner swap – Sierra Ferrell recently announced she wouldn’t be able to perform at IBMA – you should not despair, as this lineup boasts the absolute best in bluegrass from top to bottom and bottom to top. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, direct from their Americana Honors & Awards win of Duo/Group of the Year, will be stepping in to fill Sierra Ferrell’s slot – what a pair of pinch hitters! Attendees will also enjoy performances by the Wood Brothers, Sierra Hull, Alison Brown, Sister Sadie, Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter, East Nash Grass, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and so many more.

Overwhelmed by your options here, too? We don’t blame you! There’s so much you won’t want to miss, so here’s the full schedule for IBMA Bluegrass Live! to help make your plans:

Tennessee Sounds Perfect Stage, located in Miller Park – Friday, September 19

2:05PM – 3:20PM Alison Brown
4:30PM – 5:45PM Jim Lauderdale & The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
7PM – 8:15PM Sierra Hull
8:45PM – 10:15PM The Wood Brothers

Saturday, September 20

2:05PM – 3:20PM AJ Lee & Blue Summit
4:30PM – 5:45PM Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter
7PM – 8:15PM The Infamous Stringdusters
8:45PM – 10:15PM Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

Pinnacle Financial Partners Stage, located in Miller Plaza – Friday, September 19

1PM – 2PM DownRiver Collective
3:25PM – 4:25PM Mason Via
5:50PM – 6:50PM Trey Hensley

Saturday, September 20

1PM – 2PM The Often Herd
3:25PM – 4:25PM Wyatt Ellis
5:50PM – 6:50PM Mountain Grass Unit

Visit Chattanooga Stage, located in Patten Square – Friday, Saturday 19

1PM – 2PM Kids on Bluegrass
2:30PM – 3:30PM Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
4PM – 5PM Missy Raines & Allegheny
5:30PM – 6:30PM Woody Platt & The Bluegrass Gentlemen
7:15PM – 8:45PM East Nash Grass

Saturday, Saturday 20

1PM – 2PM Kids on Bluegrass
2:30PM – 3:30PM Authentic Unlimited
4PM – 5PM Unspoken Tradition
5:30PM – 6:30PM Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
7:15PM – 8:45PM Sister Sadie

Don’t have your tickets yet? It’s not too late! Click here to purchase single and two-day tickets to Bluegrass Live! The festival will also include free programming on several stages, too, so there are options to enjoy for fans and audience members at all levels.

In fact, it’s not too late to line up admission for any part of World of Bluegrass, from the conference to the Bluegrass Ramble to the awards show to Bluegrass Live! You do want to join us in Chattanooga for the first year in this brand new beautiful host city, right? Get all the info on World of Bluegrass here and make your plans to join us – the fun gets officially going tomorrow, September 16, in the Scenic City.


Photos courtesy of Chattanooga Tourism Co., photo credits as marked. Lead image: Downtown Chattanooga by Kelley Lacey.

Graphics and logos courtesy of the International Bluegrass Music Association.

See All the Nominees for the 36th Annual IBMA Awards

Today, July 16, 2025, the nominees, inductees, and recipients of the 36th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards were announced in Nashville, Tennessee at a special live event broadcast from SiriusXM’s studios co-hosted by Sierra Hull and Bluegrass Junction radio host and programmer Joey Black. The announcement broadcast also featured live on-air performances by Hull and the Travelin’ McCourys.

Alison Krauss & Union Station lead the nominations following the release of their first album in over a decade, Arcadia. Between Krauss, and Union Station’s band members, the group have amassed nine nominations, including Entertainer of the Year – for which their last win was in 1995 – Album of the Year, and Vocal Group of the Year. Billy Strings, who last took home an Entertainer of the Year trophy in 2023, received five nominations – for Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year, Instrumental Group of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Guitar Player of the Year.

Alison Brown & Steve Martin have racked up a handful of nominations between them this year, too, and Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland’s excellent new duo album – and the pair of fiddlers themselves – appear all across the nominees list, the duo collecting nine nominations together and separately.

And, for the first time in the nearly 40-year history of the IBMA, a Black person will be inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Arnold Schultz, a seminal figure in bluegrass, blues, and old-time credited with greatly influencing the Father of Bluegrass, Bill Monroe, will be the first non-white member of the genre’s hall of honor.

“Our mission is to inspire innovation by recognizing the great work done by artists this past year and to honor tradition by inducting new members into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame,” said Ken White, executive director of IBMA, via press release. “The early influence of Arnold Shultz on Bill Monroe continues to shine through in the playing of even the youngest member of Kids on Bluegrass.”

Joining Schultz in this year’s class of Hall of Fame inductees are the Bluegrass Cardinals and Hot Rize. Additionally, IBMA announced 2025 recipients of their Distinguished Achievement Award, including Alan Arthur Knoth, Penny Parsons, Ron Thomason, Sidney Austin, LLP, and Missy Raines.

IBMA’s annual conference, World of Bluegrass, the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, and the organization’s annual festival, IBMA Bluegrass Live! will take place this year in a brand new host city, Chattanooga, Tennessee. The conference will run September 16-18 at the Chattanooga Convention Center; the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble, the event’s showcase series, will also run Sept. 16-18 in local venues. The 36th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, where the winners, recipients, and inductees will be honored by their peers and fans, is scheduled for Thursday evening, Sept. 18; IBMA Bluegrass Live! will be held Sept. 19-20.

Find more information on IBMA and all of this year’s World of Bluegrass events in Chattanooga here and find the full list of nominees, recipients, and inductees below.

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR 

Alison Krauss & Union Station
Appalachian Road Show
Billy Strings
East Nash Grass
The Del McCoury Band

SONG OF THE YEAR 

“5 Days Out, 2 Days Back” – Alison Brown, Steve Martin, Featuring Tim O’Brien
Songwriters: Steve Martin, Alison Brown
Producers: Alison Brown, Garry West
Label: Compass Records

“Big Wheels” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriter: Jerry Cole
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Coal Dust Kisses” – The Grascals
Songwriters: Susanne Mumpower, Jerry Salley
Producer: The Grascals
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“My Favorite Picture of You” – Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Songwriters: Darin Aldridge, Brooke Aldridge, Dennis Duff
Producers: Darin Aldridge, Mark Fain
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Outrun the Rain” – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Songwriters: Terry Herd, Jimmy Yeary
Producers: Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland
Label: Fiddle Man Records

ALBUM OF THE YEAR 

Arcadia – Alison Krauss & Union Station
Producer: Alison Krauss & Union Station
Label: Down the Road Records

Carter & Cleveland – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Producers: Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland
Label: Fiddle Man Records

Earl Jam – Tony Trischka
Producers: Tony Trischka, Lawson White
Label: Down the Road Records

Highway Prayers – Billy Strings
Producers: Billy Strings, Jon Brion
Label: Reprise Records

I Built a World – Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Producers: Brent Truitt, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Label: Sugar Petunia Records

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR 

Alison Krauss & Union Station
Authentic Unlimited
Blue Highway
Sister Sadie
The Del McCoury Band

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR 

Billy Strings
East Nash Grass
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
The Travelin’ McCourys

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR 

“Blue Collar Gospel” – Jerry Salley Featuring The Oak Ridge Boys
Songwriters: Rick Lang, Bill Whyte, Jerry Salley
Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Dear Lord” – Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Songwriter: Daniel Davis
Producers: Darin Aldridge, Mark Fain
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Even Better When You Listen” – Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Songwriters: Rick Lang, Mark BonDurant
Producer: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
Label: Billy Blue Records

“He’s Gone” – Jaelee Roberts
Songwriter: Kelsi Harrigill
Producer: Byron House
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“Wings of Love” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriters: Jesse Brock, Stephen Burwell, Jerry Cole, Eli Johnston, John Meador
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR 

“Bluegrass in the Backwoods” – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Songwriter: Kenny Baker
Producers: Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland
Label: Fiddle Man Records

“The Drifter” – Danny Roberts
Songwriter: Danny Roberts
Producers: Danny Roberts, Andrea Roberts
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“A Drive at Dusk” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriter: Jesse Brock
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Kern County Breakdown” – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Songwriter: Buck Owens, Don Rich
Producers: Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland
Label: Fiddle Man Records

“Ralph’s Banjo Special” – Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt, Alison Brown
Songwriter: Ralph Stanley
Producer: Alison Brown
Label: Compass Records

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR 

AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Jason Carter
Red Camel Collective
Wyatt Ellis

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR 

“5 Days Out, 2 Days Back” – Alison Brown & Steve Martin Featuring Tim O’Brien
Songwriters: Steve Martin, Alison Brown
Producer: Alison Brown, Garry West
Label: Compass Records

“A Million Memories (A Song for Byron)” – Darin & Brooke Aldridge Featuring Vince Gill
Songwriter: Vince Gill
Producers: Darin Aldridge, Mark Fain
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Cora Is Gone” – Bobby Osborne & C.J. Lewandowski Featuring Rob McCoury, Billy Strings
Songwriter: Mac Odell
Producer: C.J. Lewandowski
Label: Turnberry Records

“Outrun the Rain” – Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland, Jaelee Roberts, Vince Gill
Songwriters: Terry Herd, Jimmy Yeary
Producers: Jason Carter, Michael Cleveland
Label: Fiddle Man Records

“Ralph’s Banjo Special” – Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt, Alison Brown
Songwriter: Ralph Stanley
Producer: Alison Brown
Label: Compass Records

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR 

Billy Strings
Dan Tyminski
Del McCoury
Greg Blake
Russell Moore

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR 

AJ Lee
Alison Krauss
Brooke Aldridge
Jaelee Roberts
Sierra Hull

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Alison Brown
Gena Britt
Kristin Scott Benson
Ron Block
Tony Trischka

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Barry Bales
Mike Bub
Missy Raines
Todd Phillips
Vickie Vaughn

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Jason Carter
Maddie Denton
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Andy Hall
Jerry Douglas
Justin Moses
Matt Leadbetter
Rob Ickes

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Billy Strings
Bryan Sutton
Cody Kilby
Molly Tuttle
Trey Hensley

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Alan Bibey
Jesse Brock
Ronnie McCoury
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR 

“5 Days Out, 2 Days Back” – Alison Brown & Steve Martin Featuring Tim O’Brien
Songwriters: Steve Martin, Alison Brown
Producer: Alison Brown, Garry West
Videographer: Joseph Spence
Label: Compass Records

“A Million Memories (A Song for Byron)” – Darin & Brooke Aldridge Featuring Vince Gill
Songwriter: Vince Gill
Producer: Jenny Gill
Videographer: Travis Flynn
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Big Wheels” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriter: Jerry Cole
Producers: Bryce Free, Kyle Johnson
Videographer: Bryce Free
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Gallows Pole” – Appalachian Road Show
Songwriter: Traditional, arr. Barry Abernathy, Jim VanCleve, Darrell Webb
Producer: Steve Kinney
Videographer: Steve Kinney
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Tennessee Hound Dog” – The Grascals
Songwriter: Felice Bryant, Boudleaux Bryant
Producer: Ty Gilpin
Videographer: Nate Shuppert
Label: Mountain Home Music Company

“The Auctioneer” – The Kody Norris Show
Songwriters: Leroy Van Dyke, Buddy Black
Producer: James Gilley
Videographer: Nate Wiles
Label: Rebel Records

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Hot Rize
The Bluegrass Cardinals
Arnold Schultz

DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS

Alan Arthur Knoth
Penny Parsons
Ron Thomason
Sidney Austin, LLP
Missy Raines


The 36th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards will be held September 18, 2025 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Tickets and more information here.

Photo Credit: Alison Krauss by Randee St. Nicholas; Billy Strings by Dana Trippe.

The Subtle Danger of Guitarist Sunny War and ‘Armageddon in a Summer Dress’

In 2022, punk-blues innovator Sunny War moved into her late father’s house in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and began making repairs. There was no heat that first winter and the house needed a full electrical rewiring. By winter 2023, she had the money to heat the place, but as the temperature rose each night, Sunny felt a strange impulse to patrol the house in the dark, swinging her grandfather’s machete at the ghosts inhabiting the top floor.

At the start of our Zoom call interview in January, Sunny recounts the bizarre magical realism of the weeks she spent living with an undiscovered gas leak. I ask enough follow-up questions to be reassured that my friend is not still being fumigated in her own home before I allow myself to belly laugh. “I have to fix everything,” she sighs.

Sunny goes on to explain that by the time the city discovered and fixed the problem, the mood had already been set for her forthcoming album, Armageddon in a Summer Dress. I would describe the results as psychedelic and subtly dangerous.

My friend Sunny can be a little hard to read, a fact which she mentions at one point during our call. We first met at Americanafest in 2019. It was my second year traveling from New York to Tennessee for the annual roots music conference and festival. That summer I had made up my mind to bring Black artists together during the festival for our own unofficial day party. I booked Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge, cross-referenced names on the festival poster with Google image searches, and sent out a few invitations. Sunny agreed to perform, as did Tré Burt and Milwaukee folk duo Nickel & Rose (featuring Carl Nichols, the artist soon to become Buffalo Nichols). One after another we played our songs then stepped out onto the Madison, Tennessee, porch, most of us meeting for the first time. It was the greatest number of Black people I had ever been around in a professional space since releasing my debut album in 2017.

It was clear to me even then that Sunny was a star. Carl, Tré, and I were on ascendant career arcs of our own, but Sunny was out ahead somehow. She was already well known in songwriter circles for her inimitable movements on the guitar and for her punk rock roots, but it was the intensity of her stage presence that stood out to me most on that first meeting. I watched her suck in the air and light around her as she sang, quietly commanding the audience’s attention. Songs like “Drugs Are Bad” and “Shell” became spells when sung in War’s almost-effortless, warmly breathy style. She appeared peaceful in her own creative world amidst the restless energy of the festival.

2019 was also the year that Sunny founded the downtown Los Angeles chapter of Food Not Bombs, a national network of community groups addressing hunger. In interviews about the movement she was candid about having experienced houselessness herself and how she noticed the disproportionate presence of veterans on the street. She organized weekly meetups in which volunteers made meals and shared them, potluck-style, with their unhoused neighbors on skid row. When COVID hit they switched to burritos and sack lunches. On “Deployed and Destroyed,” one of the outstanding tracks from Sunny’s 2021 album, Simple Syrup, she invites her listener to spend three minutes and 54 seconds in the shoes of a 26-year-old unhoused veteran experiencing PTSD. When I listen to her sing “I still love you/ We’re still friends” I feel like I am sitting beside her. This is what Aristotle and contemporary Marxists call “praxis.”

Sunny is fearless on stage. Six years into our friendship I remain awed by the way in which she commands attention without ever seeming contained by it. Her presence has a kinetic power that you can more easily get lost in than describe. We met up in Chicago on a winter night in early 2023 when Sunny was on tour and I was in between tours. Both of us were depressed, I think. Wide, wet snowflakes were beginning to fall outside while we caught up over drinks. We bribed the DJ into letting us jump the line for karaoke and then launched into a formally unconventional performance of Destiny’s Child’s “Jumpin’ Jumpin’.” The mostly-white crowd of beer-drinking twenty-somethings were amused at first and then bored. I gave up. Sunny stayed the course, winning the audience over with mischief in her eyes.

Later that year Sunny released Anarchist Gospel on New West Records to well-deserved, unanimous acclaim. The album featured Americana heavy hitters Allison Russell, Dave Rawlings, and Chris Pierce. She also toured with Mitski, broadening her fandom to include more indie listeners. I cheered my friend from afar, mostly on Instagram, as her star continued to rise.

When I ask about her memories of that album cycle, Sunny enthusiastically recalls the younger audiences who discovered her music. She expresses gratitude that a 14-year-old at a Mitski concert, someone who “actually is into music for the first time in their life, in the way that you are when you hate your parents and all you have is music” would become a fan. A lot of journalists described her as an “emerging” artist or a songwriter soon to be one of the most beloved in Americana. But for those of us on the fringes of the format, Sunny had been the best around for a minute and the momentum of her career spoke for itself.

Sunny’s latest album, Armageddon In A Summer Dress, comes out on February 21. I ask her to describe the new record in her own words. “Silly,” she responds. I ask if there is a genre descriptor for her music in general. She says, “No.”  I am going to follow the artist’s lead and not do her album the disservice of describing it too much. I will say that Armageddon In A Summer Dress is her seventh full-length effort and contains her most inspired vocal performances yet – and some of her finest lyrics.

There is a haze hovering in the top layers of some of these tunes. The winding guitar melodies often weave themselves into the vocal lines, but sometimes they go their own way. I ask her if audiences are reacting to the Black anarchist content of her songs differently than they did the last time she released a folk album with transparently leftist politics. “I don’t feel like people pay that much attention to my lyrics,” she responds. Her primary musical concern, she reflects, is playing the guitar. And in any case, the best way to metabolize these songs is by listening to them repeatedly.

Sunny, Carl, Tré, and I have remained loosely intertwined in the years since that first Americana kickback. We have toured together. We run into each other at festivals and in thrift shops. Tré and Sunny were roommates for a time and in the summertime can be seen riding bikes like cousins in Sunny’s recent music video for “Scornful Heart.” I interview my friends periodically.

We all continue to embody aspects of the blues tradition while resisting categorization. Sunny continues moving patiently through her own cycles of living, transforming, creating in darkness, and then telling the story. She leaps unexpectedly from now to the future and then doubles back to sample tradition, inviting you to keep up. Her lyrics are disarmingly empathetic. Like all great artists, Sunny moves in her own time, less concerned with debating the canon than she is with creating the future. She looks back on the nights she hunted ghosts with her grandfather’s machete joking, “That wasn’t me!”

There is great integrity in Sunny’s storytelling, which means that no matter how long it has been since we last spoke, she will catch me up quickly when we meet again. I ask her who the narrator of “No One Calls Me Baby” is, trying to signal that I am a feminist who recognizes women writers as authors beyond the world of autobiography. But she quickly tells me that the narrator is her and fills me in on the past few months of her life. She has been single for over a year, and has been learning to enjoy the alone time in a house she owns. We commiserate about being single, but we are both leaned back by this point, looking down on loneliness together. “No one calls me baby anymore/ I hold my own hand now…”

One of my favorite things about Sunny is that whether she’s playing a dive bar or a sold-out theater, everyone walks away dazzled. She is just as warm and entertaining sitting across from you in her home. She accompanies herself.


Find more Sunny War Artist of the Month coverage here.

Photo Credit: Joshua Black Wilkins

Artist of the Month: Sunny War

Sunny War has done it again. Her brand new album, Armageddon in a Summer Dress (out February 21 via New West Records), is yet another anarcho-punk-roots masterpiece in her already deep-and-wide catalog of superlative recordings. The project builds on the sonic and rhetorical universe of her critically acclaimed and triumphantly received 2023 release, Anarchist Gospel, further expanding her charming, down-to-earth doctrine of mutual aid, community, and truly radical ideas – musically, and otherwise – exactly when we need them most.

That fact – the apropos timing of this collection of songs and their release – feels most striking because this music wasn’t written expressly to be a response to the current critical mass of fascism, oligarchy, and attacks on human rights in our country and around the world. Instead, the messages and morals in these songs are well-placed, not as slapdash reactions to the current political discourse or as activist-branded cash grabs in a terrifying societal moment, but by focusing on the real day-to-day implications of such imperialism as evidenced within War’s own life and her own inner circle.

On Armageddon’s opening track, “One Way Train,” she sings:

When there’s no one left to use
And no police or state
And the fascists and the classists
All evaporate
Won’t you meet me on the outskirts
Of my left brain
Close your eyes and take a ride
On a one way train

This album is exactly such a refuge on par with the singer’s “left brain” – and stemming directly from it! – in “One Way Train.” Armageddon is a respite from the noise of the news cycle and the sensationalism of consumerist media that needs not deny the realities we all witness and live through in order to be a resting place. This isn’t toxic positivity or “joy” and “hope” as cudgels to smack down criticism of inequalities, corruption, and ruling classes, thereby reinforcing the status quo. The songs of Armageddon in a Summer Dress do feel hopeful– but because they acknowledge and grapple with these issues, instead of willing them away under the rug or into hiding.

The deft and artful positioning of these incisive songs is directly tied to the ways anarchy, mutual aid, and solidarity have been woven into War’s life as an artist – and as a human, since even before she picked up the guitar. These are embodied, real concepts to Sunny, not just intellectual ideas and hypotheticals.

Punk and blues, folk and grunge ooze out of songs ripe for protest and resistance, but never packaged in a pink crocheted pussy cat hat or internet-ready bumper sticker quips. Sunny War knows the violence and tyranny we all face – she has faced it her entire life – and gives it the treatment it deserves, but without ever preaching or finger-wagging. The beliefs evident in Armageddon in a Summer Dress are never contingent on which team, “red or blue,” holds the power. Rather, the hope and tenacity in these songs feels derived from an intrinsic understanding that it’s always been “the many versus the few” and “the powerless versus the powerful” where the battle lines are drawn, instead.

“Walking Contradiction” – which features punk icon Steve Ignorant – is searing in its indictment of toothless neoliberalism having landed us in this exact political and social scenario:

…While the war pigs killed more kids today
Picket signs were made 6,000 miles away
And all the lefties and the liberals were marching so you know
Just because they pay their taxes doesn’t mean that they don’t know
All the pigs and the big wigs foaming at the mouth
Look down at us laughing like we’ll never figure out
All the war outside starts here at home
If they didn’t have our money they’d be fighting it alone
Doesn’t matter what your silly little signs have to say
‘Cause the genocide is funded by the taxes that you pay

Stopping and inhabiting this song, one of the project’s singles, and its message is illuminating. Especially when you realize it was written under the prior administration, but applies to the current one as well. And, perhaps, to every other presidential administration in U.S. history.

Armageddon in a Summer Dress still feels light and rewarding, though. It’s flowing and intuitive, and decidedly charming, even with these stark messages. Because, like most of Sunny War’s creative output, it actually drives to the heart of the issues we all turn over in our minds and on our screens each day, rather than tilting at superficial, sensational windmills that end up reinforcing our oligarchic status quo.

Of course, this album is not solely political and anarchic and intellectual. In fact, it’s not attempting to be cerebral and be-monocled at all. These are songs of love, of grief, of being an individual with a collective mindset in an individualist world with collective blindness.

There are songs of introspection, of perception, of self growth, of regression. Each feels fully realized in production, lush and deep. But there, in the gaps, in the bones of each track, are War’s signature fingerstyle licks, hooks, and turns of phrase on the guitar. She plays banjo throughout the project as well, and though the referenced genres evident on the project are endlessly rootsy, the blues and folk approach that charmed much of the bluegrass, folk, and Americana worlds previously serve a more subtle purpose here. War’s personality on her instruments is still prominent, and is ultimately successful playing more of a support role to the greater whole. Above all else, you can tell creating this album and these songs must have been so much fun to make.

Tré Burt, Valerie June, and John Doe – along with Ignorant – all guest on the record, which was produced by Andrija Tokic and recorded in Nashville, just up the highway from War’s current hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Like Anarchist Gospel, seeing War’s community of collaborators grow and morph on the new project again speaks to the way this guitarist-songwriter-performer’s mission is an active, constructive one. It’s never merely a mantra hung on the wall to be admired from afar.

As we all face an ongoing apocalypse, as we each reckon with the indisputable fact that we are already living in dystopia – and have been – Armageddon in a Summer Dress is the perfect album to bring along with us. Dancing and flowing and twirling through the end of the world is certainly not a winning strategy, but dancing, marching, caring for one another, and lifting each other up despite Armageddon and imperialism might just do the trick.

She perhaps encapsulates this feeling best alongside wailing organ on “Bad Times:”

Had nothing so I had to borrow
What I owe’s gonna double tomorrow
Maybe now or in an hour or so
I’m gonna have to let everything go

So long room and board
And all the other things I can’t afford
You’re overrated anyway
I’ll be good soon as you
Bad times stay away
Bad times stay away
Bad times stay away
Bad times stay away…

This affirmation is not the end game, it is merely the beginning. If we take Sunny War’s ideals to heart, if we sing along at the top of our lungs, if we do mutual aid on a daily basis, if we take each moment, one individual second at a time– we, too, can navigate through Armageddon in a Summer Dress, emerging on the other side in a better, more just, more sunny world.

Sunny War is our Artist of the Month. Check out our exclusive interview with Sunny by her friend and peer Lizzie No here. Make sure to save our Essential Sunny War Playlist below while we gear up for the new album on February 21. Plus, follow BGS on social media as we dip back into our archives every day for all things Sunny during the entire month of February.


Photo Credit: Joshua Black Wilkins

For Indie-Folk Sensation Mon Rovîa, ‘Atonement’ is Just the Beginning

When one really digs below the surface of Mon Rovîa, there’s this intricate kaleidoscope of self, this winding path where the road to the here and now for the singer-songwriter has truly been one of restless resilience, dogged passion, and spiritual curiosity.

The rising artist has already lived this whirlwind existence of trials and tribulations, but also one of triumph and transcendence. Born in the West African country of Liberia, Mon Rovîa (taking his stage name from Liberia’s capital city) was adopted by Christian missionaries and taken from his homeland in the midst of an extremely violent and daunting civil war,

From there, Mon Rovîa bounced around the United States in a highly religious household, one where he wasn’t exposed to modern culture or the endless depths of music, either new or old. But, nonetheless, he fostered many existential questions about his unfolding life, with one main query in the forefront: Who am I?

The intricate nature of Mon Rovîa became heavy and tumultuous within his heart and soul, these deep layers of internal conflict. Being an immigrant in America. Being a Black man raised in a white family. Being adopted with no sense of his biological parents. And being filled with survivor’s guilt about leaving Liberia.

Yet, it was writing in his journals that launched the long process of healing and understanding within Mon Rovîa. Those words, thoughts and emotions soon took shape as songs, all while he began to learn to play the ukulele, guitar and other instruments. Add into that, his continued exploration of recorded music itself.

What has resulted is this unique tone, a vibrant crossroads of indie-folk, Americana, and shoegaze pop stylings, with many viewing Mon Rovîa as a talented rising voice in the Afro-Appalachian folk scene.

Fast-forward to 2025, where Mon Rovîa has become a very popular star on TikTok, yet his soothing sounds and melodies echo far across the massive social media platform. Several studio EPs have been released to wide acclaim, with the latest, Act 4: Atonement, putting a period on this chapter of his art – his eyes now aimed at the unknown horizon of his intent, head held high and optimistic.

When you’re looking out the window these days – in terms of your career, where the music’s going, and also where you’re going – what are you seeing?

Mon Rovîa: From even last year, I think things have accelerated a lot faster than I would’ve hoped in music, to be honest. It still seems really fresh though. It’s a lot of taking in the new fans and a lot of the joy that’s come with the acceptance of the music on a broader scale. At times, I wonder if I was really prepared for all of it, because a lot of these songs and a lot of the roadmap was written from a place of deep sadness and things that I was going through at the time. It’s crazy when you get to the place of living the thing you hoped for and realize that, “Oh man, there’s longevity that needs to be tied along with it now, since it’s becoming something that people are really desiring.” But, I’m very thankful. I try to be truly in tune with my energy and spirit. The world is super heavy and I tend to feel it a lot.

As things get crazier for you, expectations may shift and things change. How do you keep that piece of you that’s honest and real intact in your music?

A lot of it is, for me at least, having perspective. I know that’s easier said than done. But, being able to understand that you’re doing what you love and to be honest with whatever it is you’re presenting. Write what you know, write what you feel.

Your popularity soared through TikTok and now you’re playing more live shows. Has that been an interesting transition in being face to face with your fans that normally see you from behind a screen?

Absolutely. It’s totally different. I’m a pretty quiet, shy person. So now, transitioning to moving from the screen and having that barrier, that river that can divide, all the little things that come into play when you’re face to face? It was a little bit scary at first, especially with the first couple tours we did. With being in front of a crowd, the most important piece I think that I’ve learned now is the stories that I’m telling are the tales of my journey with each song. As I play music, that’s helped me become a lot more confident onstage, because I know what I’m speaking about and I know what the songs are about. It’s not this kind of idleness and just good music to listen to. I try to take the listener a little bit deeper, and that’s fun for me to do that. It creates a lot more fun. I’m just not someone that likes to be in front of a lot of people or be the center of attention, to be honest. I prefer writing things in silence, being in my room and contemplating.

@mon_rovia_boy To those alchemizing your traumas… this is “to watch the world spin without you” 🫂 #folkmusic #mentalhealth #derealization ♬ To Watch The World Spin Without You – Mon Rovîa

With all of this going on, you’re also on this journey of finding yourself and figuring out who you are, where you came from, and where you’re going.

I think every adopted kid eventually hits the point where they want to know so many different things about their life, their story, what their background was. And that’s what was happening to me around the time of [my 2021 album] Dark Continent. And that’s even before we were taking this route of Afro-Appalachia. But, it led me to dive deeper into music and I just happened to be [living in Chattanooga, Tennessee]. Being in this area helped me to dive deeper into where all this music kind of came from and the history [behind folk, bluegrass, and Americana]. So here I am, just a Liberian refugee, but somehow in the perfect hands of history learning from where I was, not necessarily anything else. It is a very full circle moment.

That’s got to be a lot to wrestle with as you get older and you become your own person. I mean, there’s a lot of layers there.

So many layers. But don’t forget, there’s that layer of being the Black kid in a white missionary Christian family. And then the experience of growing up Black in that private school kind of world, having no tie to the African American experience. Being exiled as well from that group, because I didn’t have the same upbringing. I was always looked at as being a white Black person, a Black person that spoke white, because I spoke pretty properly. Kids that have my experience are very lonely, you know? There’s not really a place you fit, because you don’t fit with the white kids because you’re Black in their eyes, clearly. And then the African Americans don’t accept you because you don’t know their world either.

It was a very tough upbringing. I was very quiet and I watched a lot. I learned how to be what I am in social settings, how to relate to [others] and keep things to myself a lot, just try to fit in as best as possible. It was tough. It was lonely. Music didn’t really come to me as Mon Rovîa until 2018, and that’s when I really started to take music a little bit more seriously. [Growing up], it was more of an outlet. It was just a fun thing I did with my brothers. I didn’t think of a career or me being good at it, because nobody said I was good at music or writing music. My friends did like my writing. They thought I was very clever, but I didn’t consider it for myself at that time. I just did it.

With this period of your life and career, it seems Act 4: Atonement seems like the end of the beginning of this chapter of your music and your journey.

Yeah. That’s what Atonement is. It’s the end of the beginning. Everyone is a hero in this story of life. So, everyone has their hero’s journey, whatever that is to them. Some don’t make it to becoming the hero, which is a tragic thing. And some do, but everyone has that journey in their life. For me, this atonement ending is the start of what I am now. I think it gets me to this place where I’ve gone through a lot of difficult things. Hopefully now, in my next chapters of Mon Rovîa, whatever that is, I can atone to the people – people that are hurting and going through different things. The point is, I can hopefully now be some kind of light to these people, where I can tell them things I’ve learned along the way. And hopefully it helps them through their things and through their time. That’s the important piece of what atonement is – the knowledge then turns hopefully to wisdom.

Have you been back to Liberia at all?

The last time I was there I was 10 or so. But, I’m supposed to go back next year to see my sister and brother. They still live there.

Have you tracked down your parents?

My mother passed away during the war and my father also did. I keep in contact with my sister, and that’s only recently. Growing up, these people were not in my thoughts. I tried to forget a lot of these things and just assimilate to American culture. It wasn’t until I was older that that guilt set in where I realized, “Man, I hadn’t even thought about anybody else in my country or the gift that it is to be chosen,” because it could have been my sister or brother that was chosen to come to America. I was just picked out of the group of them like, “Hey, he should go with this missionary family.” So, a lot of those things didn’t even come to my mind until I was older, to really see how much time I wasted absolutely doing nothing for anyone else but myself in this place. At that time, I was going through a lot of different vices and dealing with a lot of different bad things. I was constantly drinking and deep into my depression and lack of understanding of what my purpose was at all.

Or who you are.

I didn’t know who I was. I didn’t really know my past and history. I had glimpses of it from just some things my adopted parents had told me. But, I hadn’t dove into it until I contacted my sister and heard the real thing, the truth of it all. The goal is to go back [to Liberia] and try to get some colors from my native country and, and just, you know, spend some time with people that I haven’t seen in a long time and learn. The last time I went was really difficult. When I was there, it was in the middle of the second civil war and we ended up staying longer than expected because the child soldiers had taken over the capital city of Monrovia. It was a really scary time and that was the last memory of Liberia during the conflict. That’s a whole other cathartic piece of my journey, to [once again] step foot on that soil. I think once I step foot on that soil, I’ll probably weep. A lot of things have been bottled up and lodged into different areas of my body, [and will be] released onto the continent. But, not until I go there. My story won’t end until I go back. That’s a major piece.

You have such an interesting perspective, because I think a lot of times people in this country take things for granted, where they’ve either never traveled out of this country or they’re not from other countries. I would surmise that you probably see things that are beautiful in this country that a lot of us don’t acknowledge.

Yeah. There’s so much beauty in this country. Through all of the tirades against each other, there is still so much goodness. I mean, being able to walk out your door and be able to get anything you want at a store that’s there and not be–

Afraid to go for that walk.

Not afraid to go, yeah. Not afraid to go on that walk knowing I might not come home today, and there’s many countries like that currently. People don’t even have that freedom to go out their door and just see something and or go walk in the woods.

Or make an album.

Or make an album. It’s crazy to me that we forget so easily the good things when times are tough. And when times are tough, you think that the good won’t come back again. Man’s memory is so short and it’s really the plague.

That’s really what kills us all is that our memory is terrible. In times of famine, you never think good will come again. So, you lose hope. But, everything’s cyclical as well. Good comes back and hard times come again. And then you weathered the bad time before, but you forget that you weathered it, so you suffer. That’s us. That’s humanity.


Photo Credit: Glenn Ross

Amythyst Kiah Enjoys Challenging Assumptions

Singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah enjoys ignoring conventional wisdom and challenging notions she considers at best outdated and at worse reactionary and restrictive, regarding what music she should choose or what subjects she should address as an artist. But at the same time, she has never wanted anyone to label or pigeonhole her approach. Since 2010, Kiah has been steadily touring and recording, both solo and with other artists whose music also cuts across multiple thematic and idiomatic boundaries.

Kiah has a prominent, robust voice and is an outstanding guitarist and banjo player. A Chattanooga native and East Tennessee State University graduate, family and community ties are a major part of her life. Kiah’s father used to be her tour manager and she credits his influence (he also was a percussionist in a touring band during the ’70s) as well as that of her late mother (a vocalist in her hometown church choir) in shaping a performance style that is equal parts edgy and disciplined, adventurous but never chaotic or unruly.

After teaching herself to play guitar while attending a creative arts high school, Kiah would subsequently complete the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program at ETSU and join the school’s marquee old-time band. Her array of activities since 2010 have included releasing the LP Dig In (cut at the ETSU Recording lab in 2013); the five-song EP Chest of Glass (recorded in Johnson City in 2016); and the critically praised Wary + Strange. Wary + Strange was done in Nashville for Rounder and was finally released in 2021 after going through three different producers over a three-year period before finally settling on Tony Berg. It addressed a lot of things in Kiah’s life that were difficult, notably the loss of her mother to suicide.

Conceptually, Kiah’s growth as a vocalist and songwriter is evident from the opening moments of her brand new album, Still + Bright, to its concluding refrain. Whether it’s the extensive lyrical quest for spiritual and personal growth unveiled with vigor in “Play God and Destroy The World,” or the search for peace of mind discussed in “S P A C E,” Kiah’s powerful vocals and insightful lyrics reveal a portrait of an artist willing to acknowledge uncertainty, yet able to find a sense of belonging and salvation through taking the journey.

Musically, the production incorporates a host of sounds, everything from mandolins and fiddles to crisp, crackling guitar lines – plus memorable guest vocals like S.G. Goodman on “Play God” and Kiah’s consistently poignant, stirring lead vocals. The new album, her third solo project, was already generating lavish praise before its release. It will no doubt continue to garner critical support as well as possible mentions on numerous best-of-the-year lists for Americana, folk, and country releases.

Kiah also has her share of high profile covers and collaborations. The most notable among them include being featured vocalist on Moby’s 2021 single “Natural Blues” and doing a cover of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” in 2022. But perhaps the most celebrated was appearing along with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell in the supergroup, Our Native Daughters. Sadly, despite being a pioneering all-Black women’s group, Our Native Daughters’ music hasn’t found its way onto the airwaves at urban contemporary radio. But their LP, Songs of Our Native Daughters, was a critical and commercial hit within the Americana and roots music community. Kiah’s composition on the album, “Black Myself,” earned a 2020 GRAMMY nomination for Best American Roots Song.

All this set the stage for Still + Bright. Kiah performed some of its songs during a visit to Nashville for Americanafest 2024; she will be returning to Music City for a highly anticipated appearance on the Grand Ole Opry on December 10. She spoke at length with BGS about her new LP, the recording process, touring, and her love for science fiction, among other things.

Congratulations on the response to Still + Bright.

Amythyst Kiah: Thanks so much. I really wanted to do some different things on this album, show another side in terms of my personality. It was very important for me to say and express certain emotions on Wary + Strange and say some things that needed to be said. I did some of that with Still + Bright, but I also wanted to do some lighter things, some fun things, present other aspects of my life, and reflect more humor, more joy. I’m very happy with how it turned out and the mix of things that we covered and presented.

How was the experience recording in Nashville and how much did having Butch Walker aboard as a producer affect the recording?

Butch was and is so wonderful. Whenever I’d suggest something to him he’d just say, “OK, let’s try it and see what happens.” He was so open to everything and at the same time he knew when to step in and say, “Why don’t you try it this way?” or “Why not add this element to it?” He was so much more like a good friend and buddy than just a hired gun-type producer. When I came to town for this most recent date and asked him about playing, he not only said sure, he showed up and joined right in. It’s been such a treat working with him, a great personal and professional experience.

You describe your sound as “Southern Gothic.” Have you found that the Americana format works for you in terms of getting the necessary promotion and exposure for your music?

It’s really the ideal format, because it does fit so many different styles and types of music. One of the real problems with radio now, especially commercial radio, is that everything is rigidly categorized. If you aren’t doing a very specific thing production-wise, the content and quality don’t matter. With Americana I’ve been welcome to do and try whatever I think fits and whatever I think I want to do musically. I can’t tell you how much creative freedom that gives you as a performer. You’re not writing to fit what someone else thinks might work. You’re free to have your music unfold and develop organically, the way that you hear it.

One thing that really annoys me is that there’s a sizable audience segment out there that very well might relate to your music if they got to hear it, but for a variety of reasons they won’t. Does the restrictiveness of marketing sometimes bother you?

I want to credit the people at Rounder with doing the best job that they can in terms of getting my music out to different and diverse audiences. All I’ll say about that issue is I’ve found that when people get a chance to hear my music and songs, they’ve been universally positive. That’s all that I can do as a performer is present them to the best of my ability. Certainly I’d love to get all types of listeners; I think Rounder works on that as well.

You’ve chosen to remain in Johnson City. How would you describe the music scene there and are there any thoughts about possibly making a move to Nashville?

There’s a lot more of a music scene here than you might think and a lot of that is due to the presence of the university. But there’s an active singer-songwriter scene here. There’s a jazz and blues scene. Certainly it’s not as large as some other places, but it works well for me. I’ve been able to do a lot of playing in clubs when I’m home and also do some songwriting and collaborations with other artists around town. I’m quite satisfied with being here. That doesn’t mean at some time down the line I might not think about coming to Nashville. I really enjoy recording and playing there. Of course from what I hear about the cost of living, that’s a concern. Right now I have no plans to make that move.

One of your non-musical passions is science fiction. Who are some of your favorites?

Interesting that you bring that up. I’m a fan of H.P. Lovecraft from the standpoint of his creativity in depicting horror and fantasy. Now I’ve certainly also become aware of the problematic areas and that gets into the whole discussion of, can you effectively separate the artist and their work from things in their character that are less than desirable, to put it mildly. Clearly, there are things in the Lovecraft legacy that are totally anathema to me, in terms of my identity and all the things I espouse and believe. Do I find some value and get some joy from his writing from a technical perspective? Yes.

Octavia Butler is someone I’m just now beginning to really do a serious examination of and I’m very intrigued and delighted by what I’m seeing so far, especially in regards to how she sees the future and issues of race, class and gender. The Matrix series remains a favorite of mine as well.

You’re about to get back on the road. Does touring still remain something that’s exciting or has the thrill faded with time?

No, as a performer the interaction with the live audience is what drives you and keeps you going. Now I won’t deny that there’s a grind aspect, when you’ve been on the road for several days in a row or for months. But the chance to see new places and play your music for fresh faces and new audiences is an invigorating challenge. It’s really what you get into songwriting and singing to do, much more so than the dollars and cents of it. While no one would deny that you’ve also got to take care of business, it’s the exhilaration of performing that’s the ultimate reason for writing songs and making music. You get a reaction from audiences that you can’t get in the studio.


Photo Credit: Photography by Kevin & King

See the Winners of the 35th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards

Last night, the International Bluegrass Music Association announced the winners of their 35th Annual Bluegrass Music Awards in Raleigh, North Carolina, the final awards show held in Raleigh before IBMA’s move to Chattanooga, Tennessee next year. The star-studded, three-hour awards show was hosted by bassists John Cowan and Missy Raines and featured performances by many nominees and featured special guests and collaborations.

Billy Strings, Sister Sadie, Authentic Unlimited, and Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway lead the nominations going into the evening. Authentic Unlimited walked away with the most trophies, with the group as a whole landing three awards – including a tie for Music Video of the Year with Special Consensus. Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway took home the honor for Album of the Year, while Billy Strings’ sole win of the night was for his feature on Tony Trischka’s collaborative Earl Jam track, “Brown’s Ferry Blues.”

Also honored during the event were this year’s Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame inductees. Entered into the Hall of Fame – the highest honor awarded by IBMA and its membership – were Jerry Douglas, Katy Daley, and Alan Munde.

Find the full list of winners and recipients of this year’s IBMA Awards below. Congratulations to all of the nominees, bands, artists, labels, and industry stakeholders represented at this year’s awards.

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Del McCoury Band
Sister Sadie
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Authentic Unlimited
Sister Sadie
Blue Highway
Del McCoury Band
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
Travelin’ McCourys
East Nash Grass
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Fall in Tennessee” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriters: John Meador/Bob Minner
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Willow” – Sister Sadie
Songwriter: Ashley McBryde
Producer: Sister Sadie
Label: Mountain Home

“Too Lonely, Way Too Long” – Rick Faris with Del McCoury
Songwriter: Rick Faris
Producer: Stephen Mougin
Label: Dark Shadow Recording

“Forever Young” – Daniel Grindstaff with Paul Brewster & Dolly Parton
Songwriters: Jim Cregan/Kevin Savigar/Bob Dylan/Rod Stewart
Producer: Daniel Grindstaff
Label: Bonfire Music Group

“Kentucky Gold” – Dale Ann Bradley with Sam Bush
Songwriters: Wayne Carson/Ronnie Reno
Producer: Dale Ann Bradley
Label: Pinecastle

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
City of Gold – Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Producers: Jerry Douglas/Molly Tuttle
Label: Nonesuch

Last Chance to Win – East Nash Grass
Producer: East Nash Grass
Label: Mountain Fever

Jubilation – Appalachian Road Show
Producer: Appalachian Road Show
Label: Billy Blue Records

No Fear – Sister Sadie
Producer: Sister Sadie
Label: Mountain Home

So Much for Forever – Authentic Unlimited
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“When I Get There” – Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Songwriter: Michael Feagan
Producer: Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Label: Independent

“Thank You Lord for Grace” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriter: Jerry Cole
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Just Beyond” – Barry Abernathy with John Meador, Tim Raybon, Bradley Walker
Songwriters: Rick Lang/Mike Richards/Windi Robinson
Producer: Jerry Salley
Label: Billy Blue Records

“God Already Has” – Dale Ann Bradley
Songwriter: Mark “Brink” Brinkman/David Stewart
Producer: Dale Ann Bradley
Label: Pinecastle

“Memories of Home” – Authentic Unlimited
Songwriter: Jerry Cole
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Rhapsody in Blue(grass)” – Béla Fleck
Songwriter: George Gershwin arr. Ferde Grofé/Béla Fleck
Producer: Béla Fleck
Label: Béla Fleck Productions/Thirty Tigers

“Knee Deep in Bluegrass” – Ashby Frank
Songwriter: Terry Baucom
Producer: Ashby Frank
Label: Mountain Home

“Panhandle Country” – Missy Raines & Allegheny
Songwriter: Bill Monroe
Producer: Alison Brown
Label: Compass Records

“Lloyd’s of Lubbock” – Alan Munde
Songwriter: Alan Munde
Producer: Billy Bright
Label: Patuxent

“Behind the 8 Ball” – Andy Leftwich
Songwriter: Andy Leftwich
Producer: Andy Leftwich
Label: Mountain Home

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
East Nash Grass
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Wyatt Ellis
The Kody Norris Show

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
“Brown’s Ferry Blues” – Tony Trischka featuring Billy Strings
Songwriters: Alton Delmore/Rabon Delmore
Producer: Béla Fleck
Label: Down the Road

“Fall in Tennessee” – Authentic Unlimited with Jerry Douglas
Songwriters: John Meador/Bob Minner
Producer: Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records

“Forever Young” – Daniel Grindstaff with Paul Brewster, Dolly Parton
Songwriters: Jim Cregan/Kevin Savigar/Bob Dylan/Rod Stewart
Producer: Daniel Grindstaff
Label: Bonfire Music Group

“Bluegrass Radio” – Alison Brown and Steve Martin
Songwriters: Steve Martin/Alison Brown
Producers: Alison Brown/Garry West
Label: Compass Records

“Too Old to Die Young” – Bobby Osborne and CJ Lewandowski
Songwriters: Scott Dooley/John Hadley/Kevin Welch
Producer: CJ Lewandowski
Label: Turnberry Records

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Dan Tyminski
Greg Blake
Del McCoury
Danny Paisley
Russell Moore

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Molly Tuttle
Jaelee Roberts
Dale Ann Bradley
AJ Lee
Rhonda Vincent

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kristin Scott Benson
Gena Britt
Alison Brown
Béla Fleck
Rob McCoury

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Missy Raines
Mike Bub
Vickie Vaughn
Todd Phillips
Mark Schatz

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jason Carter
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan
Deanie Richardson

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justin Moses
Rob Ickes
Jerry Douglas
Andy Hall
Gaven Largent

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
Molly Tuttle
Trey Hensley
Bryan Sutton
Cody Kilby

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sierra Hull
Sam Bush
Ronnie McCoury
Jesse Brock
Alan Bibey

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
“Willow” – Sister Sadie
Label: Mountain Home

“Fall in Tennessee” – Authentic Unlimited
Label: Billy Blue Records (TIE)

“The City of New Orleans” – Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
Label: Upper Management Music

“I Call Her Sunshine” – The Kody Norris Show
Label: Rebel Records

“Alberta Bound” – Special Consensus with Ray Legere, John Reischman, Patrick Sauber, Trisha Gagnon, Pharis & Jason Romero, and Claire Lynch
Label: Compass Records (TIE)

BLUEGRASS MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
Alan Munde
Jerry Douglas
Katy Daley

DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS
Cindy Baucom
Laurie Lewis
Richard Hurst
ArtistWorks
Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival


Photo Credit: Authentic Unlimited with special guest Jerry Douglas perform at the IBMA Awards show. Shot by Dan Schram.

From Bristol Sessions to Bessie Smith, East Tennessee Is Rich in Musical History

The Volunteer State has long been at the center of the music world, and East Tennessee destinations like Bristol, Johnson City, Knoxville and Chattanooga all have their own unique history and stories to tell about their roles in evolving the American music experience.

To shine a light on these musical destinations sometimes overshadowed by the behemoth of Nashville to the west, we’ve gathered over a dozen attractions worth visiting from Bristol’s Burger Bar to Knoxville’s Blue Plate Special and Chattanooga’s Songbirds Vintage Guitar & Pop Culture Museum. Spanning the realms of country, bluegrass, folk, hip-hop, blues and more, each stop is guaranteed to empower, inform, inspire and excite the music fan in every one of us.

Bristol

A couple years after the Grand Ole Opry launched in 1925, Ralph Peer of the Victor Talking Machine Company ventured to Bristol in 1927 to record sessions that would later be referred to as the “Big Bang” of modern day country music. Participating artists like the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and the Stoneman Family are featured throughout the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The brand new exhibit titled I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music is on display now through 2023.

Located just on the Virginia side of the state line, the space digs into the circumstances that brought the sessions to Bristol in 1927 along with the artists included in them, how the sessions have and continue to shape country music in the present, and more. It also explores how festivals, the church, radio and Hollywood have helped to further propel country music into the mainstream way of life through displays, interactive exhibits, short films and more. With the museum having just been awarded over $1 million in grants to help fund expansion, visitors can expect even more from the space in the coming months and years.

Speaking of festivals, since 2001 the museum has also produced the popular Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival on the streets and in bars around the small mountain town. Over 30,000 music fans flock to the area every second weekend of September for the event honoring not only Bristol’s history as the “Birthplace of Country Music,” but the future artists that are helping to guide and redefine country and roots music in the present. Its 2022 gathering lived up to that and then some with performances from living legends like Tanya Tucker, Del McCoury and Rosanne Cash, and rising stars like Sierra Ferrell, 49 Winchester and Molly Tuttle.

A couple blocks away from the museum nestled on the corner of State Street and Piedmont Avenue you’ll find the renowned Burger Bar. In addition to serving up the best burgers and chili dogs in all of Bristol, the diner is best known for being the last place Hank Williams was seen alive. Williams was in the process of riding from Montgomery, Alabama, to Canton, Ohio, to play a show on New Year’s Eve 1952 when he died in the back seat of the car transporting him not long after leaving Bristol.

A short walk west down State Street will lead you to another tribute to the twin city’s claim as the Birthplace of Country Music, this time in the form of a 30 x 100 foot mural. First painted by artist, musician and radio host Tim White in 1986, the mural depicts the aforementioned Rodgers, Carters and Stonemans alongside Peer as musical notes flutter up the brick wall between them.

Less than a five minute drive from downtown Bristol you’ll stumble upon “Tennessee” Ernie Ford’s birth home. Born in Bristol in 1919, Ford went on to become a world famous singer, TV and radio star. The home, now owned by the Bristol Historical Association, is open for tours and houses countless personal items and memorabilia from the town’s most cherished son.

Johnson City

Twenty-five miles south of Bristol in Johnson City is another East Tennessee mainstay, The Down Home. Founded in 1976, the listening room style club has played host to artists like Kenny Chesney, Alison Krauss and The Dixie Chicks prior to them making it big. Bigger named acts like “Pancho and Lefty” songwriter Townes Van Zandt, bluesman Willie Dixon and A Prairie Home Companion collaborators Robin and Linda Williams have also performed there. More recently other local artists like Southwest Virginia’s 49 Winchester have continued that legacy by performing in the iconic space regularly, which hosts live music anywhere from two to four nights per week.

Knoxville

If Nashville is the center of music in Middle Tennessee, then Greater Knoxville is the center in East Tennessee, and it all begins before you even get into town. Located about 20 miles north of downtown, the Museum of Appalachia houses a pioneer village, historical relics and a Hall of Fame. The latter includes everything from Native American relics to collectibles from regional political, military and everyday figures along with musicians like Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, The Carter Family, John Hartford and Redd Stewart whose music came to define the region.

Upon arriving in Knoxille proper, I’d recommend stretching out with the Cradle of Country Music Walking Tour. Comprised of 19 locations with an estimated completion time of an hour, the self-guided tour includes stops everywhere from the Tennessee Theatre (the official state theatre of Tennessee and site of the first public performance of Roy Acuff) to the Andrew Johnson Hotel (the original home of country music variety show The Midday Merry-Go-Round and where Hank Williams spent the last night of his life), to Market Square (where Sam Morrison of Bell Sales Company helped to launch Elvis Presley’s career in the 1950s by promoting “That’s All Right, Mama” on the loudspeakers).

Along the path of the walking tour you’ll also come across the Knoxville Visitor Center and WDVX 89.9 FM. Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and on Saturday from noon to 1 p.m., the independent radio station hosts its signature program, the Blue Plate Special, in front of a live audience. Hosted by Red Hickey and Sean McCollough, the show features music and conversation from a variety of up-and-coming roots musicians. Past performers have included The Avett Brothers, Old Crow Medicine Show and Chris Stapleton. However, when we visited the featured artists were Portland-based A.C. Sapphire and Kendall Lujan, along with Sierra Leone-born, Nashville-based Senie Hunt.

Once that wraps up you can finish off your musical escapades just down Gay Street at the Museum of East Tennessee History. Operated by The East Tennessee Historical Society, the building is home of everything from the Knox County Archives to the Museum of East Tennessee History, the latter of which houses an epic collection of artifacts and music memorabilia from Dolly Parton, Billy Bowman, the Bristol Sessions and more.

Sevierville and Pigeon Forge

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention Dollywood in a story about East Tennessee. After pulling over for pancakes at family-friendly Flapjacks, start your day in the town square of Sevierville. It’s impossible to tell Dolly Parton’s life story without speaking about her reverence for the Smoky Mountains and Sevier County especially. At the courthouse, you’ll want to snap a photo with the Dolly Parton statue on the courthouse lawn, created by sculptor Jim Gray.

For years, the Chasing Rainbows Museum at Dollywood has told Parton’s rags-to-riches story — and in her case, those rags led to the famous “Coat of Many Colors.” Parton herself revealed that the museum is being reinvented as the Dolly Parton Experience, set to open in 2024. (Cue: “Here You Come Again.”) One of the best breaks in the park is maybe sharing a loaf of cinnamon break in the rocking chairs in front of the grist mill. Still hungry after that? Dolly Parton’s Stampede provides a memorable, show-stopping experience and a four-course feast, sometimes served with forks.

Chattanooga

Just over an hour and a half southwest of Knoxville you’ll find another music-friendly city in Chattanooga. Located along the Tennessee-Georgia border, the city’s roots run deep in country, blues, hip hop and more, all of which you can learn about at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center and Chattanooga African American Museum. Inside you’ll find displays highlighting all of the city’s Black history including music with displays honoring hometown heroes like Usher, Kane Brown, The Impressions and the building’s namesake, Bessie Smith.

The Tennessee Aquarium draws most of the crowds downtown, while Rock City and Ruby Falls beckon tourists to Lookout Mountain. The city also has a terrific greenway system with artistic mile markers along the river. One of them just might be a silhouette of Bill Monroe. Speaking of bluegrass, drop in for breakfast at the Bluegrass Grill in downtown Chattanooga. Just around the corner you’ll find a brewpub, a chocolate shop, a distillery, and an ice cream store, all with local ties.

After singing a few lines about the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo, located on the grounds of a historic hotel, you can trace the modern history of the guitar at the nearby Songbirds Vintage Guitar & Pop Culture Museum. Much like the Bessie Smith Center, the museum recognizes local heroes while also wielding an insane — and growing — collection of vintage guitars, amps, and pedals. Current highlights on display when I visited included guitars from Duane Allman and Merle Travis, who is also featured at the Muhlenberg Music & History Museum mentioned in our previous story on Kentucky’s top music tourism destinations.

An hour northwest of Chattanooga — and just barely inside the confines of East Tennessee for the purpose of this story — sits The Caverns. The sought after getaway takes musicians and concertgoers alike underground for an unparalleled live music experience. The gritty grotto is most notably home to PBS television series The Caverns Sessions (formerly Bluegrass Underground), which has already announced performances from Sierra Ferrell, Allison Russell, The Lil Smokies and more in 2023. Guided tours of the cave system are also available seven days a week. If the timing lines up, consider checking out the Big Mouth Bluegrass Festival (July 1-2, 2023) or CaveFest (October 6-8).

For more information on tourism destinations throughout East Tennessee, visit TNVacation.com.


Photo Credit: Tennessee Tourism/Andrew Saucier