Earls of Leicester, Del McCoury Band, Flatt Lonesome & More Nominated for Bluegrass Awards

Nominees for the 2016 International Bluegrass Music Awards were announced today (July 27) at a press conference in Nashville, with more than a few notable names leading the way.

The Earls of Leicester, the reigning IBMA Entertainers of the Year, copped three nominations as a band and five individual nominations, while Del McCoury Band netted six nominations and Flatt Lonesome earned five. Interestingly enough, one of Flatt Lonesome’s nominations is for Song of the Year for “You’re the One,” a song Dwight Yoakam wrote and recorded on his 1991 album If There Was a Way (check out a video of Lonesome Flatt performing “You’re the One” at the end of the nominations).

Winners will be announced at the International Bluegrass Music Awards on Sept. 29 at the Duke Energy Performing Arts Center in Raleigh, N.C.

Here is the full list of nominees.

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
The Del McCoury Band
The Earls of Leicester
Flatt Lonesome
The Gibson Brothers

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Balsam Range
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
The Earls of Leicester
Flatt Lonesome
The Gibson Brothers

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Earls of Leicester
Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Punch Brothers
Sam Bush Band
The Travelin’ McCourys

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Black River” – Sierra Hull (Artist) – Sierra Hull (Writer) – Rounder Records (Label)
“Long Way Down” – The SteelDrivers (Artist) – Elizabeth Mala Hengber, Tammy Rogers King, and Jerry Salley (Writers) – Rounder Records (Label)
“Radio” – Steep Canyon Rangers (Artist) – Graham Paul Sharp (Writer) – (Label)
“Thunder & Lightning” – Lonesome River Band (Artist) – Adam Wright (Writer) – Mountain Home Music (Label)
“You’re the One” – Flatt Lonesome (Artist) – Dwight Yoakam (Writer) – Mountain Home Music (Label)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Bridging the Tradition – Lonesome River Band (Artist) – Mountain Home Music (Label)
It’s About Tyme – Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out (Artist) – Break A String (Label)
Runaway Train – Flatt Lonesome (Artist) – Mountain Home Music (Label)
The Muscle Shoals Recordings – The SteelDrivers (Artist) – Rounder Records (Label)
Weighted Mind – Sierra Hull (Artist) – Rounder Records (Label)

GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
“All Dressed Up” – Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers (Artist) – Sacred Memories (Album) – Rebel Records (Label)
“In The Heat of the Fire” – Flatt Lonesome (Artist) – Runaway Train (Album) – Mountain Home Music (Label)
“Rocking of the Cradle” – Lonesome River Band (Artist) – Bridging the Tradition (Album) – Mountain Home Music (Label)
“The Savior Is Born” – Becky Buller (Artist) – The Christmas 45 Vol. 1 (Album) – Dark Shadow Recording (Label)
“Won’t You Come and Sing for Me” – Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands (Artist) – The Hazel and Alice Sessions (Album) – Spruce and Maple Music (Label)

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
“Cazenovia Casanova” – Frank Solivan with Sam Bush and Jerry Douglas (Artist) – Family, Friends & Heroes (Album) – Compass Records (Label)
“Fireball” – Special Consensus featuring Rob Ickes, Trey Hensley, and Alison Brown (Artist) – Long I Ride (Album) – Compass Records (Label)
“Hogan’s Goat” – The Boxcars (Artist) – Familiar With the Ground (Album) – Mountain Home Music (Label)
“Hogan’s House of Music” – Ron Block (Artist) – Hogan’s House of Music (Album) – Hogan’s House of Music (Label)
“Smartville” – Ron Block (Artist) – Hogan’s House of Music (Album) – Hogan’s House of Music (Label)

EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Band of Ruhks
The Lonely Heartstring Band
Mountain Faith
Sister Sadie
Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle
Town Mountain

RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR
“Fireball” – Special Consensus featuring Rob Ickes, Trey Hensley, and Alison Brown (Artist) – Long I Ride (Album) – Compass Records (Label)
“Highway 40 Blues” – Special Consensus with Della Mae (Artist) – Long I Ride (Album) – Compass Records (Label)
“In the Pines” – Carl Jackson and Brad Paisley (Artist) – Orthophonic Joy: The 1927 Bristol Sessions Revisted (Album) – Birthplace of Country Music (Label)
“Longneck Blues” – Junior Sisk and Ronnie Bowman (Artist) – Poor Boy’s Pleasure (Album) – Mountain Fever (Label)
“Pretty Woman” – Frank Solivan with Del McCoury (Artist) – Family, Friends & Heroes (Album) – Compass Records (Label)

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Shawn Camp
Del McCoury
Buddy Melton
Tim O’Brien
Danny Paisley

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Becky Buller
Dale Ann Bradley
Claire Lynch
Amanda Smith
Rhonda Vincent

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Charlie Cushman
Jens Kruger
Mike Munford
Noam Pikelny
Sammy Shelor

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Barry Bales
Alan Bartram
Mike Bub
Missy Raines
Mark Schatz

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Becky Buller
Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan
Ron Stewart

DOBRO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jerry Douglas
Andy Hall
Rob Ickes
Phil Leadbetter
Josh Swift

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Chris Eldridge
Jim Hurst
Kenny Smith
Bryan Sutton
Josh Williams

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jesse Brock
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Frank Solivan
Adam Steffey

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUR8kjqlwLk

main photo: Earls of Leicester courtesy of Anthony Scarlati/Concord Music Group

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