IBMA Nominations

[C Eric Banister]

Here is a partial list (a few categories left out for the sake of brevity) of the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. Predictions?

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
* Dailey & Vincent
* The Grascals
* Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
* The Del McCoury Band
* Rhonda Vincent & The Rage

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
* Blue Highway
* Dailey & Vincent
* The Grascals
* The Isaacs
* Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
* Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
* Blue Highway
* Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
* The Infamous Stringdusters
* Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
* The Dan Tyminski Band

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
* Jamie Dailey
* Russell Moore
* Tim O'Brien
* Danny Paisley
* Dan Tyminski

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
* Dale Ann Bradley
* Sonya Isaacs
* Alison Krauss
* Claire Lynch
* Rhonda Vincent

ALBUM OF THE YEAR (album, artist, producer(s), label)
* Dailey & Vincent, Dailey & Vincent (artists), Jamie Dailey & Darrin Vincent (producers), Rounder Records
* Honoring The Fathers of Bluegrass -Tribute to 1946 and 1947, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder (artists), Ricky Skaggs (producer), Skaggs Family Records
* Lovin' Pretty Women, Steep Canyon Rangers (artists), Ronnie Bowman (producer), Rebel Records
* The SteelDrivers, The SteelDrivers (artists), Luke Wooten & The SteelDrivers (producers), Rounder Records
* Through The Window Of A Train, Blue Highway (artists & producers), Rounder Records

SONG OF THE YEAR (song, artist, songwriter(s))
* "Alison's Band," Charlie Sizemore Band (artists), Charlie Sizemore & Buddy Cannon (songwriters)
* "By The Mark," Dailey & Vincent (artists), David Rawlings & Gillian Welch (songwriters)
* "Drinkin' Dark Whiskey," The SteelDrivers (artists), Mike Henderson & Chris Stapleton (songwriters)
* "More Than A Name On A Wall," Dailey & Vincent (artists), Jimmy Fortune & John Rimel (songwriters)
* "Through The Window Of A Train," Blue Highway (artists), Tim Stafford & Steve Gulley (songwriters)

GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR("song" or album, artist(s), producer(s), label)
* "Be Still Moses," Steep Canyon Rangers (artists), Ronnie Bowman (producer), Rebel Records
* "By The Mark," Dailey & Vincent (artists), Jamie Dailey & Darrin Vincent (producers), Rounder Records
* Help Is On The Way, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artists), Doyle Lawson (producer), Horizon Records
* Salt Of The Earth, Ricky Skaggs & The Whites (artists & producers), Skaggs Family Records
* Where No One Stands Alone, Paul Williams & The Victory Trio (artists), Paul Williams (producer), Rebel Records

INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR (album, artist(s), producer(s), label)
* Live At The Linda, David Grier (artist & producer), Dreadnought Records
* Sound of the Slide Guitar, Andy Hall (artist & producer), Sugar Hill Records
* Stepping Out, Jason Davis (artist), Jason Davis & Greg Luck (producers), Pinecastle Records
* The Past Is Present, Jason Barie (artist & producer), Pinecastle Records
* When At Last, Russ Barenberg (artist & producer), Compass Records

RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR (album, featured artists, producer(s), label)
* Christmas Grass, Vol. 3; Featuring 3 Fox Drive, Sonya Isaacs, John Cowan, Sarah Jarosz, Larry Sparks, Russell Moore and Charlie Daniels (artists); Greg Cole, Chuck Rhodes & 3 Fox Drive (producers); KOCH Records
* Everett Lilly & Everybody and Their Brother; Featuring Everett Lilly, Bea Lilly, Charles Lilly, Daniel Lilly, Mark Lilly, Marty Stuart, Rhonda Vincent, Billy Walker, Ronnie McCoury, Rob McCoury, David Ball, Charlie Cushman, Larry Stephenson, Joe Spivey, Eddie Stubbs, Jason Carter, Dickey Lee, Freddy Weller, Mike Bub, Rad Lewis, Andy May, Darrin Vincent, Marcia Campbell, Clay Rigdon, Eric Blankenship and Bill Wolfenbarger (artists); Charles Lilly & Bill Wolfenbarger (producers); Swift River Music
* Salt of the Earth, Ricky Skaggs & The Whites (artists & producers), Skaggs Family Records
* Standard Songs for Average People, John Prine & Mac Wiseman (artists), John Prine & David Ferguson (producers), Oh Boy Records
* We Are Family; Jeff & Sheri Easter, The Lewis Family & The Easter Brothers (artists); Jeff & Sheri Easter (producers); Daywind Records

EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
* Cadillac Sky
* Dailey & Vincent
* Grasstowne
* Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass
* The SteelDrivers

INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
* Kristin Scott Benson
* J.D. Crowe
* Jim Mills
* Earl Scruggs
* Ron Stewart

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
* Barry Bales
* Mike Bub
* Missy Raines
* Darrin Vincent
* Marshall Wilborn

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
* Hunter Berry
* Jason Carter
* Michael Cleveland
* Stuart Duncan
* Ron Stewart

DOBRO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
* Mike Auldridge
* Jerry Douglas
* Rob Ickes
* Randy Kohrs
* Phil Leadbetter

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
* Cody Kilby
* Tony Rice
* Tim Stafford
* Bryan Sutton
* Josh Williams

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
* Sam Bush
* Sierra Hull
* Doyle Lawson
* Ronnie McCoury
* Adam Steffey

[Matt C]

Here are my knee-jerk opinions:

Entertainer: Grascals
Group: Grascals
Male: Jaimey Dailey
Female: Alison Krauss
Album: Dailey & Vincent
Song: More than a Name on the Wall
Gospel: Salt of the Earth
Event: Salt of the Earth
Emerging: Dailey & Vincent

I'm not sure if it will quite shake down that way. I'm torn on Entertainer (Rhonda Vincent is still queen but the Grascals have had a better year and are rising fast). Vincent is a favorite in the female vocalist category, but I didn't like her album much and AK has had a huge year (even though I don't consider Raising Sand a bluegrass project). The two Dailey & Vincent songs may well end up splitting the song vote in which case The Steeldrivers will probably take it home (I'm actually surprised there wasn't more The Steeldrivers love in the nominations, even though they're not one of my personal favorites).

[farmersdaughter]

I really wish Terry Eldridge was nominated for male vocalist. The IBMA nominations are always interesting in who they pick from year to year. I always frowned upon when someone who is "new" (Dailey & Vincent) gets nominated for multiple awards because they are the new "hot" thing of the moment. Not saying that I don't like them, but should they get nominated for every category?

Other things to note....

Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients
Bill Harrell
The Banjo Newsletter
The Ernest Tubb Record Shop
Art Menius
Joe Carr & Alan Munde

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Inductees:
Bill Clifton, artist and international ambassador for bluegrass music, and the late Charles K. Wolfe, renowned author and cultural historian.

[Matt C]

Good point about Daialey & Vincent. IBMAs are kind of the opposite of the CMAs in that regard.