34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Award Winners

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. 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