IBMA Bluegrass Music Award Winners

Billy Strings received the coveted “Entertainer of the Year” Award for the second year in a row, along with “Song of the Year” honors, at the 33rd Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards. Banjo was king this year as well, with Béla Fleck taking home awards for “Album of the Year”, “Instrumental Group of the Year”, “Instrumental Recording of the Year”, and “Banjo Player of the Year.”

Dolly Parton’s recent recording of the gospel classic “In the Sweet By and By”, featured on the 2021 Country Faith Bluegrass album, won “Gospel Recording of the Year” and “Collaborative Recording of the Year” honors.

The Awards show, hosted by artists Ronnie Bowman and Dan Tyminski, was held September 29 at Raleigh, NC’s Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

Previously announced inductees into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame – beloved multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Norman Blake, broadcast pioneer and recording artist Paul “Moon” Mullins, and eclectic, influential singer-songwriter Peter Rowan – were honored during the show.

The recipients of the 2022 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR: Billy Strings

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart

SONG OF THE YEAR: “Red Daisy” Billy Strings

Written by Jarrod Walker/Christian Ward

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: My Bluegrass Heart. Béla Fleck

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “In the Sweet By and By”

Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR: “Vertigo”

Béla Fleck featuring Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Bryan Sutton

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR: Rick Faris