(headline image: Jaelee Roberts — Photo by Eric Ahlgrim)
Bluegrass singer Jaelee Roberts received the Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2024 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. Her emotive and engaging lead vocals appear on No Fear, the superb album by Sister Sadie that features a half-dozen of her lead vocals,
“I don’t even have words to say how it feels to win the Female Vocalist of the Year award. I am still in shock,” she says. “Just being nominated is one of the biggest honors of my life and having my name mentioned alongside Dale Ann Bradley, Rhonda Vincent, Molly Tuttle and A.J. Lee is mind-blowing. I love every one of these women so much, and I’m very influenced by their music.”
“I am truly so honored, blessed, and shocked to win this award, and I’m currently living on Cloud 9! I owe everything to God, and I am so thankful for the ability to do what I love and to live my dreams. I’m so grateful to both of my parents for always supporting me through everything and encouraging me to do what I love to do!” Roberts continues. “I thank my ladies in Sister Sadie so much for being my actual sisters that I get to travel with and play music with; we have the absolute best times and I love playing and singing with them. Thank you to Mountain Home for taking a chance on me when I was 19 years old and helping me to get the music out that I love so much. Thank you so much to the IBMA for giving me an opportunity to learn and grow through attending World of Bluegrass for my entire life, and thank you to the members that voted for me…this just doesn’t even feel like real life right now! Thank you to everyone who supports my music, to all the DJs who play my music, and everyone who cares about what I do. I can’t even express how much I appreciate it! This award means everything to me, and I am so honored and thankful.”
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central