The evening of September 28 was a big night for country and roots music. Many viewers turned their eyes to the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards. Others, though, turned their gaze to the 34th Annual International Bluegrass Music Association Awards. The event, held in Raleigh, North Carolina, saw Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle coming away with significant wins.
Strings has been somewhat of an ambassador for bluegrass and old-time music in recent years. His lightning-fast picking and clever songwriting lured a new generation of listeners to roots music. This, and his jaw-dropping live performances, led the Michigan native to his third consecutive Entertainer of the Year Award at this year’s IBMA Awards.
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According to Billboard Strings’ win last night put him in a club that very few musicians find themselves in. The “Dust in a Baggie” singer is the first to take the coveted Entertainer of the Year three times in a row since Earls of Leicester did it from 2015 to 2017. Dailey & Vincent and the legendary Del McCoury Band were the only other artists to achieve the three-peat.
It was a special night for Strings, to be sure. However, he was far from the only young artist to win big at the IBMA Awards. Tuttle co-hosted the show with Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor and also took home three trophies. “Crooked Tree,” co-penned by Tuttle and Melody Walker took Song of the Year. The song was the title track from Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway’s album, which brought them Album of the Year. Additionally, Tuttle won Female Vocalist of the Year.
In short, Strings took home a big win, but Tuttle rightfully dominated the awards show.
Tuttle wasn’t the only lady who took home awards last night. Three of this year’s IBMA instrumentalists of the year were women. Sierra Hull won mandolin player of the year, Vickie Vaughn won bass player of the year, and Kristin Scott Benson took home the award for fiddle player of the year.
The awards show also celebrated this year’s inductees into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Sam Bush, “The King of Newgrass,” David Grisman, and Wilma Lee Cooper, one of the most important women in the genre, all got their flowers at the IMBA Awards.
Photo by Alysse Gafkjen / Sacks & Co.
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