In the years since that first Grammy, though, Krauss and her stellar band, Union Station, have won a few more across the acoustic music spectrum: five of them for Best Bluegrass Album and one each for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and Best Group Country Performance. She’s won a couple for playing that fiddle; several for singing, and two as producer for albums with The Cox Family and Nickel Creek. All told, she’s won 17, making her the Recording academy’s most awarded female artist. She’s also won five CMA awards, racked up nine IBMA wins and heaping handful of other honors, including two from Britain and one from Canada.

All this and she’s a mere 32 years old.

It helps to remember that Krauss was, after all, a child prodigy fiddler — she was the Illinois state fiddling champion before puberty set in. She got her first record deal at 14, released her first album at 16, and when she became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1993, she was the first bluegrass artist to do so in nearly 30 years.

In addition to that prodigious talent, it’s a safe bet that another key to Krauss’s success is her profound respect for the song . Even back in 1990, when questioned about her departure from the traditional bluegrass instrumentation on some cuts from that first Grammy-winning album, with arrangements softened and a piano showing up where a banjo might have been, the teenager told Newsweek : “I wasn’t into doing something different, but songs as good as ‘That Makes One of Us’ deserve to be catered to.”

That attention to the song helped propel Krauss to double-platinum status with 1995’s Now That I’ve Found You — A Collection , sales unheard of in the bluegrass world, and her next five albums all went gold or platinum.

Early on, Krauss put two high-end singers, Dolly Parton and Lou Gramm, in the category of the world’s best vocalists, a hallowed club she would soon join thanks to her own high-lonesome, pitch-perfect warbling. She’s since sung with such diverse artists as Yo-Yo Ma, Dar Williams, Tommy Shaw, Alan Jackson and Phish. She’s contributed her distinctive voice to music for television, including Crossing Jordan and Buffy the Vampire Slayer ; and to numerous films, including Happy Texas , O Brother, Where Art Thou? , Mona Lisa Smile , and the recent Cold Mountain , which led ther to her latest pinnacle at the Academy Awards, performing two songs from that film, “My Ain True Love” and “The Scarlet Tide.”]]> 2004-05-19T18:00:00-05:00 http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/200050 Artists, 3 Doors Down, Aaliyah, Adams, John, Aguilera, Christina, Arnold, Brad, Bacilos, Baltimore, Charli, Bedingfield, Daniel, Big Tymers, Blind Boys of Alabama, The, Bowie, David, Branch, Michelle, Brandy, Busta Rhymes, Cachao, Carlton, Vanessa, Christy, Lauren, Christy, Lauren, Creed, Crow, Sheryl, Daniels, Charlie, Dirty Vegas, Dixie Chicks, Elfman, Danny, Eminem, Enya, Evans, Faith, Flaming Lips, The, Floetry, Foo Fighters, Gabriel, Peter, Garza, David Lee, Golijov, Osvaldo, Green, Al, Green, Pat, Hammond, Fred, Hancock, Herbie, Hargrove, Roy, Harris, Jesse, Henley, Don, Hill, Faith, Intocable, James, Etta, Jars of Clay, John, Elton, Jones, Norah, Juanes, Kelly, R., Kenny G, King, B.B., Kinky, Knapp, Jennifer, Korn, Krauss, Alison, Lauderdale, Jim, Lonestar, Maines, Lloyd, Mardin, Arif, McBride, Martina, Metheny, Pat, Miller, Lee Thomas, Moby, Nappy Roots, Nelson, Willie, Neptunes, The, Newman, Thomas, Nickel Creek, Nickelback, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The, Parton, Dolly, Queens of the Stone Age, Roberts, Matt, Santos, John, Scruggs, Earl, Shorter, Wayne, Slutsky, Allan, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Spears, Britney, Spock, Scott, Stanley, Ralph, Sting, Stone, Angie, Tedeschi, Susan, Temptations, The, Tesh, John, Trick Pony, Williams, Lucinda, Winans, Bebe, Musical Styles, Blues, Country, Jazz, Pop Sheryl Crow, Eminem and Norah Jones lead the list of nominees for this year's Grammy Awards with five nods each. Nominees were announced today (1/7) at a press conference at New York's Madison Square Garden. The 45th Grammy Awards will be held on February 23 at the Garden, and will be broadcast live on CBS from 8-11:30 (ET/PT).

Sheryl Crow

Eminem

Norah Jones

Other BMI writers who received multiple nominations included four each for country darlings the Dixie Chicks, producer Arif Mardin and Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger (including Record of the Year for the Nickelback smash "How You Remind Me"). Newcomer Vanessa Carlton picked up three. Fellow BMI pop divas Pink, Britney Spears and Michelle Branch garnered two nominations each, as did blues legend B.B. King, film composer Thomas Newman and gospel giant Fred Hammond.

BMI's 2003 Grammy nominees:

FIVE NOMINATIONS

Sheryl Crow
Eminem
Norah Jones

FOUR NOMINATIONS

Dixie Chicks
Chad Kroeger (SOCAN)

THREE NOMINATIONS

Vanessa Carlton
Floetry (Marsha Ambrosius, Natalie Stewart)
Arif Mardin
Pat Metheny

TWO NOMINATIONS

Michelle Branch
Michael Brecker
The Chieftains
Madukwu Chinwah
Natalie Cole
Dirty Vegas (PRS)
Foo Fighters
Carlos Franzetti
Kenny G
Pat Green
Herbie Hancock
Nellee Hooper (PRS)
B.B. King
Diana Krall (SOCAN)
Rashid Lonnie Lynn
Nappy Roots
Willie Nelson
Thomas Newman
Nickel Creek
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Dolly Parton
Pink
Britney Spears
Ralph Stanley
3 Doors Down (Brad Arnold, Todd Harrell, Chris Henderson, Matt Roberts)
Doc Watson
John Williams

SINGLE NOMINEES

Aaliyah
Will Ackerman
John Adams
Christina Aguilera
Darol Anger
Audio Adrenaline
Bacilos
David Balakrishnan
Charli Baltimore
Banda El Recodo De Cruz Lizárraga
Jeff Bass
Daniel Bedingfield (PRS)
Big Tymers
Eddie Blazonczyk
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Kevin Bond
Ryan Bowser
David Bowie (PRS)
Brandy
Norman Brown
Solomon Burke
Burning Sky
R.L. Burnside
Gary Burton
Gary Calamar
Michel Camilo
Cam’Ron
The Canton Spirituals
Capleton (PRS)
Caribbean Jazz Project
Cee-Lo
Lauren Christy
The Clinch Mountain Boys
Andy Colver (PRS)
Commissioned
Common
Creed
Bill Cunliffe
The Charlie Daniels Band
Diamond Rio
Michael Doucet
Dave Douglas
Don Edwards
Danny Elfman
Enya (PRS)
Faith Evans
Tommy Flanagan
The Flaming Lips
Béla Fleck
Michael J. Fox
Allison Brewster Franzetti
The Funk Brothers
Peter Gabriel (PRS)
David Lee Garza y Los Musicales
Osvaldo Golijov
Gov’t Mule
Al Green
Grits
Dave Grusin
Deitrick Haddon
Fred Hammond
Roy Hargrove
Jesse Harris
Don Henley
Faith Hill
Dave Holland Big Band
David Holt
Intocable
Etta James
Jars of Clay
JaRule
Jay-Z
Maxi Jazz (PRS)
Little Joe & La Familia
Elton John (PRS)
The Jordanaires
Juanes
John P. Kee
Salif Keita (PRS)
R. Kelly
Kinky
Kitaro
Jennifer Knapp
Knoc-Turn’Al
Korn
Dave Koz
Jeff Koz
Alison Krauss
Femi Kuti (SACEM)
kd lang
Jim Lauderdale
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Don Letts (PRS)
Lonestar
Los Angeles Guitar Quartet
The Light Crust Doughboys
Limi-T 21
Israel “Cachao” López
Taj Mahal
Lloyd Maines
Maraca
Martina McBride
Delbert McClinton
Freddie McGregor (PRS)
Lee Thomas Miller
Mingus Big Band
Moby
Charlie Musselwhite
Meshell Ndegeocello
The Neptunes
Newsong
Nickelback (SOCAN)
*NSYNC
The Oak Ridge Boys
Makoto Ozone (JASRAC)
Lee “Scratch” Perry
Pharrell
Queens of the Stone Age
Busta Rhymes
Riders In the Sky
Peter Rowan
Nancy Rumbel
Nicky Ryan (PRS)
Roma Ryan (PRS)
Mingo Saldivar y Sus Tremendos Cuatro Espadas
Santana
John Santos and the Machete Ensemble
Al Schmitt
The John Scofield Band
Earl Scruggs
Wayne Shorter
Jon Sidel
Siggno
Allan Slutsky
Arthur Smith (PRS)
The Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Scott Spock
Ralph Stanley II
Sting (PRS)
Angie Stone
Omar Sosa
Luciana Souza
Jimmy Sturr
Take Six
Susan Tedeschi
John Tesh
The Temptations
Eric Tingstad
Tobymac
Trick Pony
Kathy Troccoli
Los Tucanes De Tijuana
McCoy Tyner
Jai Uttal
Bebo Valdés
Carlos “Patato” Valdés
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Scott Wenzel
Kenny Werner
Lucinda Williams
Robin Williams
Dean Wilson (PRS)
BeBe Winans
The Roland White Band
Pete Woodruff
Yellowjackets
Joe Zawinul

Toby Keith

Alison Krauss

Brooks & Dunn

Willie Nelson

Alison Krauss garnered three nods for Album of the Year (New Favorite with Union Station), Vocal Event with Gillian Welch for their live version of "I'll Fly Away," and Female Vocalist, which she won in 1995. Producer Keith Stegall was also acknowledged three times: twice in the Single of the Year category ("Drive [For Daddy Gene]" and "Where Were You [When The World Stopped Turning]"), and once for Album (Drive).

Multiple CMA winners Brooks & Dunn were mentioned in the Entertainer and Vocal Duo categories, the latter of which they claimed in 2001. Martina McBride earned a repeat nomination for Female Vocalist as well as Single ("Blessed"), and Rascal Flatts are contenders for Horizon and Vocal Group. Hall of Famer Willie Nelson received nods for Album (The Great Divide(), and Vocal Duo with Lee Ann Womack ("Mendocino County Line"). Bluegrass trio Nickel Creek is vying for Group of the Year and Horizon Award. Also scoring two mentions was producer James Stroud, for his work with Toby Keith (Pull My Chain and "Courtesy of The Red, White & Blue [The Angry American]").

The 2002 broadcast of the CMA Awards marks the 11th consecutive year that Vince Gill will host the program. Gill has garnered 18 CMA Awards, more than any other artist. He won the CMA Male Vocalist Award for five consecutive years (1991-1995), an achievement unequaled in the awards' history. The CMA Awards will be broadcast live Wednesday, November 6 on CBS from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville.

BMI's 2002 CMA Awards Nominees:

Entertainer
Brooks & Dunn
Toby Keith

Male Vocalist
Toby Keith

Female Vocalist
Sara Evans
Alison Krauss
Martina McBride

Horizon Award
Nickel Creek
Rascal Flatts

Vocal Group
Diamond Rio
Dixie Chicks
Lonestar
Nickel Creek
Rascal Flatts

Vocal Duo
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
The Warren Brothers

Single
"Blessed" Martina McBride (artist & producer)
"Courtesy Of The Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)" Toby Keith (artist & producer) James Stroud (producer)
"Drive (For Daddy Gene)" Keith Stegall (producer)
"Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)" Keith Stegall (producer)

Album
Drive Keith Stegall (producer)
New Favorite Alison Krauss & Union Station (artist) Alison Krauss (producer)
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem Norro Wilson (producer)
Pull My Chain Toby Keith (artist & producer) James Stroud (producer)
The Great Divide Willie Nelson (artist)
The Road Less Traveled Tony Brown (producer)

Song
"Courtesy Of The Red, White & Blue (The Angry American)" Toby Keith Tokeco Songs
"I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow" Arranged by Carter Stanley Peer International Corp.

Vocal Event
George Jones "Beer Run (B-double E-double Are You In?)"
Tim McGraw "Bring On The Rain"
Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch "I'll Fly Away" (live)
Willie Nelson "Mendocino County Line"

Musician
Jerry Douglas - dobro
Glen Duncan - fiddle
Brent Mason - guitar

Music Video
"I Wanna Talk About Me" Toby Keith
"Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde" Travis Tritt

And, just as the Beatles twisted, turned and honed rock & roll into new directions, Nickel Creek elevates the bluegrass art form into new ventures and new venues. Hailing from San Diego where grass is more likely to be brown than blue, the trio blends the talents of mandolin master Chris Thile with Sara Watkins on fiddle and her brother Sean on guitar. Their self-titled debut album on independent label Sugar Hill Records struck gold, spawning Grammy and Country Music Association award nominations while sending critics scrambling for definitions such as "youthgrass" and "polystylistic."

"It's just Nickel Creek music," advises producer Alison Krauss. Ranging in age from 21 to 25, the band members have been plying their craft together for almost a dozen years - kid veterans who have worked out the kinks and worked in imaginative forays into multiple genres. The band (originally formed with Chris's father, bassist Scott Thile) embarked on festival touring for a decade, with Chris releasing the solo albums Stealing Second, Leading Off and Not All Who Wander Are Lost. Their bluegrass can sprout into variations on a theme of Bach or Bob Dylan or the Beatles without completely abandoning the commandments brought down from a Kentucky mount by its founder Bill Monroe.

Fans and critics who loved the first album should fasten seatbelts for the take-off of the second CD - This Side. It's an even deeper incursion into Nickel Creek's free-fall form of music, improving on improvisation, and raising the bar on what one act can attain this early in the game. Thile, who was the 2001 IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year, displays solid songwriting skills along with co-writer Sean Watkins, while all three share vocal duties, the male voices sanguinely balanced by the ethereal stylings of Sara, reflective of producer Krauss.

Coming off rave appearances at such clubs as New York's Bottom Line and an overseas tour including London, Paris, and Amsterdam, Nickel Creek, with a zesty traditional yet exploratory sound, is poised to paint the globe with their unique shade of blue.

Toby Keith

Martina McBride

Brooks & Dunn

Faith Hill

Among the multiple nominees, Keith, Brooks & Dunn, Hill, Alison Krauss & Union Station and McGraw could pick up an additional nomination since all have clips in the running for Flameworthy Video of the Year. The five final nominees will be announced at the beginning of the telecast of the Flameworthy Awards on June 12.

Alison Krauss

Tim McGraw

Montgomery Gentry

keith urban

This premiere CMT event is an unofficial kick-off to the 31st annual Country Music Fan Fair, the world's biggest country music festival. Actress Kathy Najimy ("Sister Act," "Veronica's Closet," "King of the Hill") will host the show on Wednesday, June 12 at 9:00-11:00 PM, ET on CMT: Country Music Television. Fans can vote online at CMT.com through June 9.

Congratulations to these BMI nominees:

FLAMEWORTHY BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"Where The Blacktop Ends" keith urban
"I'm Movin' On" Rascal Flatts

FLAMEWORTHY VIDEO DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Mark Seliger for "Mendocino County Line" (Willie Nelson)

FLAMEWORTHY VIDEO COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
"Easy For Me To Say" Clint Black with Lisa Hartman Black
"Foggy Mountain Breakdown" Earl Scruggs & Friends - Glen Duncan, Randy Scruggs, Steve Martin, Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, Gary Scruggs, Albert Lee, Jerry Douglas
"Inside Out" Don Henley
"Mendocino County Line" Willie Nelson

FLAMEWORTHY LOVE YOUR COUNTRY VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"Only in America" Brooks & Dunn
"Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly" Aaron Tippin
"America Will Survive" Hank Williams Jr.
"Riding With Private Malone" David Ball

FLAMEWORTHY "LOL" (LAUGH OUT LOUD) VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"I Wanna Talk About Me" Toby Keith
"When God-Fearin' Women Get The Blues" Martina McBride

FLAMEWORTHY FASHION PLATE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"Jezebel" Chely Wright
"There You'll Be" Faith Hill
"Man Of Me" Gary Allan
"Where The Blacktop Ends" keith urban
"Blessed" Martina McBride

FLAMEWORTHY CONCEPT VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"My List" Toby Keith
"Modern Day Bonnie & Clyde" Travis Tritt
"Cold One Comin' On" Montgomery Gentry

FLAMEWORTHY GROUP DUO OF THE YEAR
"Only In America" Brooks & Dunn
"I'm Already There" Lonestar
"Cold One Comin' On" Montgomery Gentry
"The Lighthouse's Tale" Nickel Creek
"The Lucky One" Alison Krauss & Union Station

FLAMEWORTHY HOTTEST VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"Let Me Touch You For Awhile" Alison Krauss & Union Station
"The Cowboy In Me" Tim McGraw

FLAMEWORTHY FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"There You'll Be" Faith Hill
"Blessed" Martina McBride
"Saints & Angels" Sara Evans
"Shine" Dolly Parton

FLAMEWORTHY MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"I Wanna Talk About Me" Toby Keith
"The Cowboy In Me" Tim McGraw

FLAMEWORTHY VIDEO OF THE YEAR
*Finalists announced on live telecast on June 12
"Only In America" Brooks & Dunn
"There You'll Be" Faith Hill
"I Wanna Talk About Me" Toby Keith
"The Lucky One" Alison Krauss & Union Station
"Angel Boy" Tim McGraw
"Mendocino County Line" Willie Nelson
"Modern Day Bonnie & Clyde" Travis Tritt

Sara Evans

Brooks & Dunn

Stuart Duncan

Travis Tritt

The duo is nominated for Entertainer Of The Year, Album of The Year (as both producers and recording artists), Song Of The Year, Single Record Of The Year (as both producers and recording artists of "Ain't Nothin' Bout You"), Top Vocal Duo and Country Video Of The Year. Keith is up for Entertainer Of The Year, Top Male Vocalist, Album Of The Year (as both producer and recording artist), Single Record Of The Year (as both producer and recording artist), Song Of The Year and Country Video Of The Year (the single "I Wanna Talk About Me").

Nickel Creek

Trick Pony

Tim McGraw and Travis Tritt each earned four nominations, both vying for Top Male Vocalist. Diamond Rio is on the final ballot with three nominations apiece; Trick Pony, Nickel Creek and the soundtrack to O Brother, Where Art Thou?, produced by T-Bone Burnett, earned two nominations each.

The 37th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards will be a live primetime television show broadcast by the CBS Television Network. The west coast based Academy will once again hold the highly rated awards show at the Universal Amphitheater in Los Angeles. This year's show will air on Wednesday, May 22 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET; delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.

Nominees and winners of the Academy of Country Music Awards are voted on by members of the Academy Of Country Music, which works to enhance and promote country music throughout the world. Presenters and performers who will appear on the special will be announced at a later date. Also to be presented during the live broadcast will be the Academy's Pioneer Award, which goes to an outstanding pioneer in the field of country music.

BMI'S ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARD NOMINEES

TOP FEMALE VOCALIST
SARA EVANS
FAITH HILL MARTINA MCBRIDE

TOP MALE VOCALIST
TOBY KEITH
TIM MCGRAW
TRAVIS TRITT

TOP VOCAL DUO
BROOKS & DUNN
MONTGOMERY GENTRY
THE KINLEYS
THE WARREN BROTHERS

TOP VOCAL GROUP
DIAMOND RIO
DIXIE CHICKS
LONESTAR
NICKEL CREEK
TRICK PONY

TOP NEW MALE VOCALIST
BLAKE SHELTON

TOP NEW VOCAL DUO/GROUP
NICKEL CREEK
TRICK PONY

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
BROOKS & DUNN
TOBY KEITH
TIM MCGRAW

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
I WANNA TALK ABOUT ME -- Toby Keith
ONLY IN AMERICA -- Brooks & Dunn
WHERE THE STARS AND STRIPES AND THE EAGLE FLY -- Baquas (producer)/Aaron Tippin

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
DOWN THE ROAD I GO -- Travis Tritt
O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? -- T-Bone Burnett (producer)/Various Artists
PULL MY CHAIN -- James Stroud & Toby Keith (producers)/Toby Keith
SET THIS CIRCUS DOWN -- Byron Gallimore, James Stroud & Tim McGraw (producers)/Tim McGraw
STEERS & STRIPES -- Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn & Mark Wright (producers)/Brooks & Dunn

SINGLE RECORD OF THE YEAR
AIN'T NOTHING 'BOUT YOU -- Kix Brooks, Ronnie Dunn & Mark Wright (producers)/Brooks & Dunn
I WANNA TALK ABOUT ME -- James Stroud & Toby Keith (producers)/Toby Keith
IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BE ALIVE -- Travis Tritt
ONE MORE DAY -- Diamond Rio
WHERE WERE YOU (When The World Stopped Turning) -- Keith Stegall (producer)

SONG OF THE YEAR
ANGELS IN WAITING -- Stewart Harris (songwriter); Peermusic III Ltd., Wide Ocean Music
I WANNA TALK ABOUT ME -- Bobby Braddock (songwriter); Sony/ATV Songs LLC/Toby Keith
ONE MORE DAY -- Bobby Tomberlin (songwriter); Mike Curb Music/Diamond Rio
ONLY IN AMERICA -- Kix Brooks, Don Cook, Ronnie Rogers (songwriters); Sony/ATV Tree, Buffalo Prairie Songs, Don Cook Music, Route Six Music/Brooks & Dunn

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
BEER RUN -- George Jones; Allen Reynolds (producer)
BRING ON THE RAIN -- Tim McGraw
I AM A MAN OF CONSTANT SORROW -- Soggy Bottom Boys; T-Bone Burnett (producer)
OUT OF CONTROL RAGING FIRE -- Patty Loveless with Travis Tritt; Emory Gordy Jr. (producer)
TOO COUNTRY -- Buck Owens, George Jones & Bill Anderson

BMI'S ACM INSTRUMENTALIST FINALISTS

FIDDLE
Stuart Duncan
Aubrey Haynie

STEEL GUITAR
Jay Dee Maness

GUITAR
Brent Mason
Jimmy Olander

KEYBOARDS
John Hobbs
Matt Rollings

SPECIALTY INSTRUMENT
Jerry Douglas - Dobro
Gene Johnson - Mandolin

Click here to see photos from BMI's IBMA Nominees Party

Dan Tyminski

Jim Hurst and Missy Raines

Nickel Creek

Vincent and her band members claimed their first Entertainer of the Year trophy, breaking the winning streak of the Del McCoury Band, who previously held the title for the last five years. Dan Tyminski, a member of Alison Krauss’s Union Station, and O Brother’s "man of constant sorrow," earned a total of four awards, most significantly Male Vocalist of the Year, his first win in the category.

Rhonda Vincent

Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver

IBMA honored the Hollywood soundtrack that popularized bluegrass and effectively proved its viability in the marketplace by naming it Album of the Year. O Brother, Where Art Thou? was produced by T Bone Burnett (for Mercury/Lost Highway Records) and features BMI talents Norman Blake, The Cox Family, Fairfield Four, John Hartford, Alison Krauss, The Soggy Bottom Boys (featuring Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen and Pat Enright), Ralph Stanley, The Stanley Brothers, and Gillian Welch.

Two cuts from the project scored key wins. Song of the Year went to the record’s touchstone performance, "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow," written by Dick Burnett and arranged by Carter Stanley, and performed by The Soggy Bottom Boys. Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year was awarded to "I’ll Fly Away" by Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch, produced by T Bone Burnett.

In addition to Dan Tyminski’s Male Vocalist of the Year win for his participation on the soundtrack, the project was also honored with a Distinguished Achievement Award for filmmakers the Coen Brothers and soundtrack producer T Bone Burnett. IBMA honors individuals and/or institutions annually whose contributions have fostered the music’s image with developments that broaden the music’s recognition and accessibility. Alice Gerrard and the late John Hartford also shared the honor.

Vincent picked up her second consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year award, and shared in a win for Follow Me Back to the Fold: A Tribute to Women in Bluegrass, 2001’s Recorded Event of the Year. Vincent’s BMI collaborators on the Rebel Records release were Dale Ann Bradley, Louisa Branscomb, Gena Britt, Sally Jones, Claire Lynch, Lynn Morris, Missy Raines, Kristin Scott, and Valerie Smith.

A second collaborative Rebel Records release also won the Instrumental Album of the Year award. Knee Deep in Bluegrass: The Acutab Sessions, produced by Tim Stafford, was honored, along with BMI participants Wayne Benson, Ronnie Bowman, Rob Ickes, Joe Mullins, Alan O’Bryant, Tim Stafford, Tony Trischka, Dan Tyminski and Scott Vestal.

Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show were awarded the Emerging Artist of the Year honor. Vocal Group of the Year went to Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, first-time winners in the category. The Alison Krauss-produced trio Nickel Creek took home their first Instrumental Group of the Year award. The group’s mandolin player, Chris Thile, was also recognized as this year’s top mandolin player in the Instrumental Performers category, thus ending former eight-year-in-a-row winner Ronnie McCoury’s reign.

Other Instrumental Performer winners were: Jim Mills (banjo), of Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, his third consecutive win; Missy Raines (bass), her fourth consecutive win; Jerry Douglas (dobro), who returned to the winner’s circle after five years, to receive his seventh IBMA award; and Jim Hurst (guitar), also his first win.

The Carter Family (A.P., Sara, and Maybelle) was posthumously inducted into IBMA’s Bluegrass Hall of Honor during the ceremony, recognizing the family’s monumentally original -- and ongoing -- influence in all forms of country music.

Legendary DJ and country music historian Eddie Stubbs of Nashville, Tennessee’s WSM-AM and announcer for the Grand Ole Opry, was recognized as Broadcast Personality of the Year.

BMI's 2001 International Bluegrass Music Award Winners

Entertainer Of The Year
Rhonda Vincent & The Rage

Instrumental Group Of The Year
Nickel Creek

Vocal Group Of The Year
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Male Vocalist Of The Year
Dan Tyminski

Female Vocalist Of The Year
Rhonda Vincent

Song Of The Year
“I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow”
Soggy Bottom Boys (featuring Dan Tyminski)
written by Dick Burnett, arranged by Carter Stanley

Album Of The Year
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (soundtrack)
Norman Blake, The Cox Family, Fairfield Four, John Hartford, Alison Krauss, The Soggy Bottom Boys, Ralph Stanley, The Stanley Brothers, Gillian Welch

Gospel RecordedPerformance Of The Year
“I’ll Fly Away” from O Brother, Where Art Thou? (soundtrack)
Alison Krauss & Gillian Welch

Instrumental Album Of The Year
Knee Deep In Bluegrass: The AcuTab Sessions
Wayne Benson, Ronnie Bowman, Rob Ickes, Joe Mullins, Alan O’Bryant, Tim Stafford, Ron Stewart, Tony Trischka, Dan Tyminski, Scott Vestal

Recorded Event Of The Year
Follow Me Back to the Fold: A Tribute to Women in Bluegrass
Dale Ann Bradley, Louisa Branscomb, Gena Britt, Sally Jones, Claire Lynch, Lynn Morris, Missy Raines, Kristin Scott, Valerie Smith, Rhonda Vincent

Emerging Artist Of The Year
The Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show

Instrumental Performers Of The Year

Banjo
Jim Mills

Dobro
Jerry Douglas

Bass
Missy Raines

Guitar
Jim Hurst

Mandolin
Chris Thile

IBMA Distinguished Achievement Awards
T Bone Burnett
Alice Gerrard
John Hartford

Broadcast Personality of the Year
Eddie Stubbs
WSM-AM/Grand Ole Opry

The best in contemporary and traditional country sounds mixed it up when the nominees for the 35th Annual CMA Awards were announced at Nashville's Adelphia Coliseum (8/28). Among those BMI affiliates mentioned repeatedly were longstanding hitmakers Brooks & Dunn and Tim McGraw, bluegrass-rooted Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Nickel Creek and the Soggy Bottom Boys, and, leading all nominees, breakout triple-threat Sara Evans.

Sara Evans

Brooks & Dunn

Tim McGraw

Nickel Creek

On the strength of her #1 smash Born To Fly, Sara Evans is nominated for Female Vocalist, Single, Album, Song, and Music Video of the Year. While she is nominated in five categories, Evans could take home seven trophies because she co-produced her album Born To Fly, and the title single. Evans burst onto the country music scene in 1997 with her critically-acclaimed debut album, Three Chords and the Truth. She scored her first No. 1 with the title track from her sophomore album No Place That Far, and was nominated for CMA's Vocal Event of Year in 1999 for the title cut, featuring a special appearance by Vince Gill. Evans was nominated for the Horizon Award in 1999 and 2000.

Gillian Welch

Toby Keith

Vince Gill

Dan Tyminski

Multiple CMA-winning team Brooks & Dunn, who revealed the finalists at the press conference, picked up four nominations including Entertainer, Vocal Duo, Single (Ain't Nothing 'Bout You, their 19th #1) and Album of the Year for Steers & Stripes.

The O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack earned a total of four nominations including Album of the Year and Single of the Year for "I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow," performed by The Soggy Bottom Boys (featuring Dan Tyminski and Harley Allen). The soundtrack also posted two Vocal Event of the Year bids with "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby" and "I'll Fly Away, " both featuring Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch. Krauss and Welch could walk away with three trophies, as they are among the dozen-plus artists included on the soundtrack's Album of the Year entry.

Reigning Male Vocalist of the Year Tim McGraw collected three nominations: Entertainer, Male Vocalist and Album of the Year (Set This Circus Down). Toby Keith, Dixie Chicks, Diamond Rio, Lonestar and Nickel Creek were greeted with two mentions apiece. Also with a pair of honors are T Bone Burnett and Mark Wright, cited for their production work in the Album and Single slots.

Dominating the Song of the Year category were these BMI writers and publishers:

• "Born To Fly," Sara Evans and Marcus Hummon, Sony/ATV Songs/Careers-BMG Music/Floyd's Dream Music
• How Do You Like Me Now?!, Chuck Cannon and Toby Keith, Wacissa River Music/Tokeco Tunes
• I'm Already There, Richie McDonald, Sony/ATV Songs
• "Murder On Music Row," Larry Cordle and Larry Shell, Pier Five Music/Wandachord Music/Shell Point
• One More Day, Bobby Tomberlin, Mike Curb Music

The 35th Annual CMA Awards will be broadcast live from the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on Wednesday, November 7 from 8-11 PM/ET on the CBS Television Network . Returning for his 10th anniversary hosting the show will be country superstar Vince Gill, who has won 18 CMA Awards -- more than any other artist. For five consecutive years (1991-95), Gill won the CMA Male Vocalist of the Year Award, an achievement unequaled in the history of the CMA Awards. Gill will host the CMA Awards through 2002.

BMI's final nominees for the 2001 CMA Awards are:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Dixie Chicks
Tim McGraw

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Toby Keith
Tim McGraw

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Sara Evans
Faith Hill
Martina McBride

HORIZON AWARD
Nickel Creek
Keith Urban

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Alabama
Diamond Rio
Dixie Chicks
Lonestar
Nickel Creek

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Brooks & Dunn
Montgomery Gentry
The Kinleys
The Warren Brothers

SINGLE OF THE YEAR (Award goes to artist and producer)
"Ain't Nothing 'Bout You" - Brooks & Dunn, Kix Brooks/Ronnie Dunn/Mark Wright, producers
"Born To Fly" - Sara Evans, Sara Evans, producer
"I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow" - The Soggy Bottom Boys
T Bone Burnett, producer
"I'm Already There" - Lonestar
"One More Day" - Diamond Rio, Diamond Rio, producers

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Born To Fly - Sara Evans; Sara Evans, producer
O Brother, Where Art Thou? - Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Norman Blake, The Cox Family, John Hartford, The Stanley Brothers, The Fairfield Four; T Bone Burnett, producer
Set This Circus Down - Tim McGraw; Byron Gallimore/James Stroud/Tim McGraw, producers
Steers & Stripes - Brooks & Dunn; Kix Brooks/Ronnie Dunn/Mark Wright, producers
When Somebody Loves You - Keith Stegall, producer

SONG OF THE YEAR
"Born To Fly"
Sara Evans/Marcus Hummon
Sony/ATV Songs/Careers-BMG Music/Floyd's Dream Music

"How Do You Like Me Now?!"
Chuck Cannon/Toby Keith
Wacissa River Music/Tokeco Tunes

"I'm Already There"
Richie McDonald
Sony/ATV Songs

"Murder On Music Row"
Larry Cordle/Larry Shell
Pier Five Music/Wandachord Music/Shell Point

"One More Day"
Bobby Tomberlin
Mike Curb Music

VOCAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Dwight Yoakam (duet with Buck Owens) - "Alright, I'm Wrong"
Alison Krauss/Gillian Welch - "Didn't Leave Nobody But The Baby"
Chely Wright - "Hard To Be A Husband, Hard To Be A Wife"
Alison Krauss and Gillian Welch - "I'll Fly Away"
George Jones, Bill Anderson and Buck Owens - "Too Country"

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Stuart Duncan
John Hobbs
Brent Mason

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"Born To Fly" - Sara Evans

BMI affiliates recognized in the CMA Broadcast Personality of the Year nominations are WSM/Nashville's Eddie Stubbs (Large Market) and The Foxworthy Countdown's Jeff Foxworthy (National).

BMI songwriters swept all five slots for Song of the Year, with writing partner Larry Cordle and Larry Shell posting two songs in the category:

• "Born With a Hammer In My Hand" -- written by Tim Stafford
• "Murder On Music Row" -- written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell
• "Black Diamond Strings" -- written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell
• "Tall Pines" -- written by Damon Black
• "John & Mary" -- written by Wayne Benson, Russell Moore and Donnie Carver

BMI-associated Entertainer of the Year finalists are The Del McCoury Band, Lonesome River Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and IIIrd Tyme Out, each recieving mulitiple nominations.

Reigning Entertainers of the Year The Del McCoury Band received 10 mentions, including nods for Vocal Group, Instrumental Group and Entertainer of the Year. Ronnie McCoury also picked up a couple of nominations for Instrumental Album of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year, for his participation in Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza, a two-CD set of mandolin music he co-produced with David Grisman for the Acoustic Disc label. In addition to Grisman and McCoury, mandolinists (and BMI affiliates) Sam Bush, Bobby Osborne, Frank Wakefield, Jesse McReynolds are featured on the critically acclaimed set, joined by Del McCoury on guitar.

The Lonesome River Band, which has released a new album, Talkin' To Myself (Sugar Hill), has been nominated for six awards, including Vocal Group, Instrumental Group and Entertainer of the Year.

Six-time winner of the award for Vocal Group of the Year, IIIrd Tyme Out was nominated in five categories this year, including Entertainer of the Year and Vocal Group. As a result of extensive radio air play with the single, "John & Mary" from the Rounder Album by the same name, the group also received nominations for Song of the Year and Album of the Year. Blue Highway has been nominated in four categories this year, including Song of the Year for "Born With A Hammer In My Hand," from their self-titled album on the Ceili Music label, and Vocal Group of the Year.

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, a long-time favorite to bluegrass audiences who have expanded into the gospel market the past couple of years, received nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group and Gospel Recorded Event of the Year for the album, Winding Through Life. Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, whose song "Murder On Music Row" currently tops the Bluegrass Unlimited radio air play chart, was nominated for three awards (the song is also in contention for Song of the Year honors from the Country Music Association). The members of Nickel Creek, whose video "Reasons Why" is airing on CMT, and buegrass banjo stylist J.D. Crowe and his band, The New South, were also nominated for three awards each. Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton, who currently have the #2 and #4 albums, respectively, on bluegrass radio according to Bluegrass Unlimited, both received nods for Female Vocalist of the Year and Album of the Year. Parton's The Grass Is Blue is the Country Music Hall of Fame member's first all-bluegrass album; Vincent's Back Home Again is exactly that--her return to bluegrass music after two country albums for Giant Records. Marshall Wilborn, who appears with the Lynn Morris Band, and legendary guitarist Doc Watson also picked up two nominations each.

The first Bluegrass Hall of Honor inductees in the new millennium include BMI-affiliated songwriter Doc Watson. In the 1960s Doc (Arthel) Watson's clean, melodic flat-pick lead guitar style inspired and profoundly influenced many younger players, helping establish the guitar as a lead instrument in bluegrass. Born March 3, 1923, Watson grew up near Deep Gap in the western North Carolina mountains, surrounded by family and friends playing old-time music. Though sightless, he learned guitar in styles ranging from fiddle tunes to blues and popular country music. After years of performing locally as a rockabilly electric guitarist, he began recording and touring as an acoustic folk artist in the early 1960s, quickly reaching headliner status. Doc's son, Merle, accompanied him on guitar until Merle's death in 1985. While not representing himself as a bluegrass performer, Watson earned respect in bluegrass for his guitar mastery, expressive vocals, invigorating harmonica and clawhammer banjo playing. Doc Watson's discography of several hundred recordings includes a stunning version of the instrumental, "Black Mountain Rag" and frequently requested ballads such as "Little Stream Of Whiskey," "The Train That Carried My Girl From Town," "Tennessee Stud" and "Little Sadie."

The recipients of the 2000 International Bluegrass Music Awards will be broadcast by radio around the world to more than 300 U. S. Markets and 14 foreign networks, thanks to the leadership and support of BellSouth. The awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), a professional trade association dedicated to promoting and expanding the success of bluegrass music. The Awards Show is the centerpiece of IBMA's week-long Trade Show and Bluegrass Fan Fest, slated for October 16-22. For additional information on World of Bluegrass Week registration and tickets. For more information, contact IBMA at 888-GET-IBMA or (270) 684-9025.

BMI's 2000 International Bluegrass Music Awards Nominees

Bluegrass Hall of Honor Inductee
Doc Watson

Entertainer of the Year
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Lonesome River Band
The Del McCoury Band
IIIrd Tyme Out

Instrumental Group of the Year

J. D. Crowe & The New South
Lonesome River Band
The Del McCoury Band
Nickel Creek

Vocal Group of the Year

Blue Highway
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Lonesome River Band
The Del McCoury Band
IIIrd Tyme Out

Female Vocalist of the Year

Claire Lynch
Lynn Morris
Dolly Parton
Rhonda Vincent

Male Vocalist of the Year

Ronnie Bowman
Dudley Connell
Del McCoury
Russell Moore
Dan Tyminski

Song of the Year

"Born With a Hammer In My Hand"
Blue Highway
written by Shawn Lane and Tim Stafford

"Murder On Music Row"
Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time w
ritten by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell

"Black Diamond Strings"
Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time
written by Larry Cordle and Larry Shell

"Tall Pines"
written by Damon Black

"John & Mary"
IIIrd Tyme Out
written by Wayne Benson, Russell Moore and Donnie Carver

Album of the Year

Blue Highway

Blue Highway, artist/producer

Murder On Music Row

Larry Cordle & Lonesome Standard Time, artists/producers

The Grass Is Blue

Dolly Parton
Steve Buckingham, producer

John & Mary

IIIrd Tyme Out, artist/producer

Back Home Again

Rhonda Vincent, artist/producer

Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year

"Memories That Bless and Burn"
Dry Branch Fire Squad

"Pieces Of Our Past"
The Isaacs
Ben Isaacs, producer

"Winding Through Life"
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Doyle Lawson, producer

Instumental Album of the Year

Bluegrass 2000

Jeff Autry, Wayne Benson, Mark Schatz, Ron Stewart, Scott Vestal
Scott Vestal, producer

Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza

David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Frank Wakefield, Bobby Osborne, Jesse McReynolds
David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, producers

A Man Must Carry On

Aubrey Haynie, artist/producer

Root 5

Marshall Wilborn, artist/producer

Instrumental Performers of the Year

Banjo

J. D. Crowe
Earl Scruggs

Bass

Missy Raines
Marshall Wilborn

Guitar

Jim Hurst
Tony Rice
Doc Watson

Dobro

Mike Auldridge
Jerry Douglas
Rob Ickes

Fiddle

Stuart Duncan
Aubrey Haynie
Bobby Hicks
Ronnie Stewart

Mandolin

Wayne Benson
Sam Bush
Chris Thile

Recorded Event of the Year

"Meet Me By The Moonlight"
Dudley Connell, artist/producer

"Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza"
David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Sam Bush, Frank Wakefield, Bobby Osborne, Jesse McReynolds
Ronnie McCoury and David Grisman, producers

"The 'Big Tiger' Roars Again, Part 1"
Benny Martin, Tom T. Hall, Earl Scruggs, Vince Gill, Del McCoury, Crystal Gayle, John Hartford, Jim & Jesse McReynolds, Johnny Russell, Jerry Douglas
Benny Martin, producer

"Rice, Rice Hillman & Pedersen"
Tony Rice, Larry Rice, Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen

"Third Generation Blues"
Doc Watson
Doc Watson, T. Michael Coleman, producers

Emerging Artist of the Year

Dale Ann Bradley & Coon Creek
Jim Hurst & Missy Raines
Nickel Creek
Karl Shiflett & Big Country Show
Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike