BMI Dominates Best of Bluegrass in IBMA Nominations
Final nominees have been announced for the 11th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, and BMI songwriters dominate the list of bluegrass excellence. Hosted by BMI Award-winner Marty Stuart, the IBMA Awards are scheduled for October 19, at the Kentucky Center for the Arts in Louisville.
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
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