Acclaimed bluegrass musician Billy Strings received the coveted “Entertainer of the Year” Award for the second year in a row, along with “Song of the Year” honors, at the 33rd Annual International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Bluegrass Music Awards Presented by Yamaha. Banjo was the leading musical instrument this year as well, with Béla Fleck taking home awards for “Album of the Year”, “Instrumental Group of the Year”, “Instrumental Recording of the Year”, and “Banjo Player of the Year.”
Dolly Parton’s recent recording of the gospel classic “In the Sweet By and By”, featured on the 2021 Country Faith Bluegrass album, won “Gospel Recording of the Year” and “Collaborative Recording of the Year.”
The Awards show, hosted by artists Ronnie Bowman and Dan Tyminski, was held September 29 at Raleigh, North Carolina’s Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.
Previously announced inductees into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame – beloved multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Norman Blake, broadcast pioneer and recording artist Paul “Moon” Mullins, and eclectic, influential singer-songwriter Peter Rowan – were honored during the show.
The recipients of the 2022 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards:
Entertainer of the Year
Billy Strings
Vocal Group of the Year
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Instrumental Group of the Year
Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart
Song of the Year
“Red Daisy” by Billy Strings. Written by Jarrod Walker/Christian Ward
Album of the Year
My Bluegrass Heart by Béla Fleck
Gospel Recording of the Year
“In the Sweet By and By” by Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley
Instrumental Recording of the Year
“Vertigo” by Béla Fleck featuring Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Bryan Sutton
New Artist of the Year
Rick Faris
Collaborative Recording of the Year
“In the Sweet By and By” featuring Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley
Female Vocalist of the Year
Male Vocalist of the Year
Banjo Player of the Year
Béla Fleck
Bass Player of the Year
Jason Moore
Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year
Justin Moses
Fiddle Player of the Year
Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
Guitar Player of the Year
Cody Kilby
Mandolin Player of the Year
Sierra Hull
(headline image: Billy Strings – Photo by Jesse Faatz)
More about the International Bluegrass Music Association
Author: World Music Central News Room
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