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