IBMA Announces International Bluegrass Music Award Nominees

Nashville, TN- IBMA is proud to announce the nominees for the 20th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, hosted by Grammy^®-winning country artist Kathy Mattea and the legendary bluegrass band, Hot Rize, on Thursday, October 1, 2009, at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.

Two decades after the very first IBMA Award Show–an intimate industry gathering at the Executive Inn’s Showroom Lounge in Owensboro, Kentucky, hosted by Vince Gill and the Dirt Band’s John McEuen–bluegrass music’s premier night continues to be the most anticipated evening of the year. Now a generation away from that first show, the bluegrass tradition of passing the music on from one generation to the next also continues, evidenced by the six bands nominated for Entertainer of the Year in 2009. All have gained valuable experience as journeymen musicians with established artists in the past, and have now become the band leaders and musical stylists who will inspire future generations.

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Liberty Square: A Lester Flatt Celebration, Sparta, Tennessee

Sparta, Tennessee To Honor Its Bluegrass Heritage May 23rd

Sparta, Tennessee, home of bluegrass legend Lester Flatt, will celebrate the icon’s memory with a special event on the city’s square on Saturday, May 23rd beginning at 11:00am.

In 2007 the Tennessee State Legislature declared the 4th Saturday in May to be “Official Bluegrass Day in Tennessee” and in keeping with the branding of Sparta, Tennessee as “Bluegrass U.S.A.”, the city will host its annual event, Liberty Square: A Lester Flatt Celebration beginning this year on May 23rd.  Sparta, Tennessee has a rich bluegrass heritage and is not only the home of Lester Flatt but also the home of Benny Martin, Blake Williams (Lester Flatt & The Nashville Grass, Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys, Williams & Clark Expedition), Josh Swift (Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver) and many more great musicians and luthiers. It is also home to Oldham’s Theater where Lester Flatt first watched the movie “Bonnie & Clyde”, that featured Flatt & Scruggs’ Grammy award winning “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”.

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Rounder Recording Artists Receive SPBGMA Award Nominations

Burlington, MA – Rounder Records is pleased to announce several nominations for its artists by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (S.P.B.G.M.A.) for the 35TH Annual SPBGMA awards. For the fourth consecutive year, the awards show will take place in Nashville at the Sheraton Music City Hotel on Sunday, February 15, 2009.

Rounder artists have the most overall nominations, including thirteen total for Rhonda Vincent & the Rage and nine total for The Grascals. Vincent is nominated to repeat as Entertainer of the Year and Best Contemporary Female Vocalist while she and her band are nominated for Bluegrass Band of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year, the latter being a category they won the past two years. New bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent are nominated for nine awards, including Bluegrass Album of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, Bluegrass Band of the Year, and Entertaining Group of the Year. All nominations are listed below.

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