Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings Among IBMA Award Nominees for Best in Bluegrass in 2023

The International Bluegrass Music Association announced the nominees for its 2023 awards today in a live broadcast from SiriusXM studios in Nashville.

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway leads the nominations with seven, and Billy Strings makes a strong showing with five nominations. Both are nominated in the Entertainer of the Year and Album of the Year categories.

Along with the annual awards nominations, the IBMA announced the latest round of folks to be inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. The class of 2023 is mandolin master and newgrass pioneer Sam Bush, multi-genre mandolinist and father of the fusion known as “Dawg music” David “Dawg” Grisman, and Wilma Lee Cooper, a traditional country music singer, guitarist, and banjo player who with her husband Stoney Cooper was an Opry mainstay in the mid-20th century. She was dubbed “the first lady of bluegrass” by the Smithsonian.

Receiving the IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award for 2023 are Terry Baucom, The Bluegrass Situation, Tom Ewing, Carl Goldstein, and Genoa, Italy-based band Red Wine.

The awards will be given in a ceremony on Sept. 28, during the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass conference and festival in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Here are the nominees:

Entertainer of the Year

Appalachian Road Show Billy Strings Del McCoury Band Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

Album of the Year

Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – Crooked TreeMichael Cleveland – Lovin’ of the GameJason Carter – Lowdown HoedownBilly Strings – Me and DadSam Bush – Radio John: The Songs of John Hartford

Song of the Year

Appalachian Road Show – “Blue Ridge Mountain Baby” (songwriters Barry Abernathy and Jim VanCleve) Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway – “Crooked Tree” (songwriters Molly Tuttle and Melody Walker) Sister Sadie – “Diane” (songwriters Jeffrey Nash Bhasker, Samuel Tyler Johnson, and Cameron Marvel Ochs) Lonesome River Band – “Heyday” (songwriters Barry Huchens and Will Huchens) Rick Faris – “Power of Love” (Johnny Colla, Huey Lewis, and Christopher Hayes)

New Artist of the Year

Authentic Unlimited East Nash Grass Henhouse Prowlers The Tennessee Bluegrass Band Tray Wellington

Female Vocalist of the Year

Brooke Aldridge Dale Ann Bradley Jaelee Roberts Molly Tuttle Rhonda Vincent

Male Vocalist of the Year

Greg Blake Del McCoury Danny Paisley Larry Sparks Dan Tyminski

Banjo Player of the Year

Kristin Scott Benson Alison Brown Béla Fleck Ned Luberecki Scott Vestal

Mandolin Player of the Year

Alan Bibey Jesse Brock Sam Bush Sierra Hull Ronnie McCoury

Bass Player of the Year

Mike Bub Todd Phillips Missy Raines Mark Schatz Vickie Vaughn

Fiddle Player of the Year

Jason Carter Michael Cleveland Stuart Duncan Bronwyn Keith-Hynes Deanie Richardson

Guitar Player of the Year

Chris Eldridge Trey Hensley Billy Strings Bryan Sutton Molly Tuttle

Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year

Jerry Douglas Andy Hall Rob Ickes Matt Leadbetter Justin Moses

Vocal Group of the Year

Authentic Unlimited Balsam Range Blue Highway Del McCoury Band Sister Sadie

Instrumental Group of the Year

Billy Strings Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper The Infamous Stringdusters Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway The Travelin’ McCourys

Collaborative Recording of the Year

“Alberta Bound” – Special Consensus with Ray Legere, John Reischman, Tisha Gagnon, Claire Lynch, and Pharis and Jason Romero “Big Mon” – Andy Leftwich with Sierra Hull “Foggy Morning Breaking” – Alison Brown with Steve Martin “For Your Love” – Michael Cleveland with Billy Strings and Jeff White “From My Mountain (Calling You)” – Peter Rowan with Molly Tuttle and Lindsay Lou

Instrumental Recording of the Year

"Contact" – Michael Cleveland with Cody Kilby, Barry Bales, and Béla Fleck "Foggy Morning Breaking" – Alison Brown with Steve Martin "Gold Rush" – Scott Vestal's Bluegrass 2022 "Kissimmee Kid" – Jason Carter "Scorchin' the Gravy" – Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen

Gospel Recording of the Year

“The Glory Road” – Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers “Jordan” – Darin & Brooke Aldridge with Ricky Skaggs, Mo Pitney, and Mark Fain “The Scarlet Red Lines” – Larry Sparks “Take a Little Time for Jesus” – Junior Sisk “Tell Me the Story of Jesus” – Becky Buller with Vince Gill and Ricky Skaggs