Billy Strings Named “Entertainer of the Year” for Third Consecutive Year
Molly Tuttle takes “Album of the Year” Honor
Nashville, Tennessee — Billy Strings received the coveted “Entertainer of the Year” Award for the third year in a row at the 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Presented by Yamaha. The Awards show, hosted by artists Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle, was held September 28 at Raleigh, North Carolina’s Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts.
Previously announced inductees into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame – beloved multi-instrumentalist/vocalist, considered by many “The King of New Grass”, Sam Bush; one of bluegrass music’s most important early women musicians, Wilma Lee Cooper; and one of the most widely heard mandolin players of all time, musical adventurer David Grisman were also honored during the show.
The recipients of the 2023 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR: Billy Strings
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: Authentic Unlimited
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: The Travelin’ McCourys
SONG OF THE YEAR: “Crooked Tree”
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Written by Molly Tuttle/ Melody Walker
ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Crooked Tree
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “The Scarlet Red Lines”
Larry Sparks
INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “Kissimmee Kid”
Jason Carter
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Authentic Unlimited
COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “Alberta Bound”
Special Consensus with Patrick Sauber, Ray Legere, John Reischman, Trisha Gagnon, Claire Lynch, Pharis & Jason Romero
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Molly Tuttle
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Greg Blake
BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kristin Scott Benson
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Vickie Vaughn
RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Justin Moses
FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jason Carter
GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Trey Hensley
MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sierra Hull
Awards were voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA).
The show was aired on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction channel and was livestreamed on IBMA’s Facebook Live.
Awards sponsors include Yamaha, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, BMI, Boston Bluegrass Union, Compass Records, Deering Banjo Company, Recording Academy, Billy Blue Records, Virginia is for Music Lovers, and Artist Works.