2011 IMBA Award Winners

BLUEGRASS MUSIC HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES:  Del McCoury and George Shuffler

IBMA DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS: Greg Cahill, Bill Knowlton, Lilly Pavlak, Geoff Stelling, Roland White.

2011 WINNERS LIST:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR: Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers.

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: The Gibson Brothers.

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR: The Boxcars.

EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR:  The Boxcars.

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Russell Moore.

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR: Dale Ann Bradley.

SONG OF THE YEAR: Trains I Missed – Balsam Range (artists); Walt Wilkins, Gilles Godard, Nicole Witt (songwriters).

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:  Help My Brother – The Gibson Brothers (artists), Compass Records (label), Eric & Leigh Gibson and Mike Barber (producers).

GOSPEL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR:  Prayer Bells of Heaven – J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson & Paul Williams (artists); J.F. Lowe & H.W. Ward (songwriters); Ben Isaacs (producer); Mountain Home (label).

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDED PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR:  Goin’ Up Dry Branch – Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (artists), Buddy Spicher & Jimmy Martin (songwriters), Jeff White & Michael Cleveland (producers), Rounder Records (label).

RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR: Prayer Bells of Heaven – J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson & Paul Williams (artists); Ben Isaacs (producer); Mountain Home (label)

INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMERS OF THE YEAR: Kristin Scott Benson and Ron Stewart (tie)

Bass: Marshall Wilborn
Fiddle: Michael Cleveland
Dobro: Rob Ickes
Guitar: Bryan Sutton
Mandolin: Adam Steffey
BLUEGRASS BROADCASTER OF THE YEAR: Katy Daley; WAMU’s Bluegrass Country; Washington, D.C.

BLUEGRASS EVENT OF THE YEAR:  Silver Dollar City’s Bluegrass & Barbecue Festival; May 2010; Branson, Missouri.

BLUEGRASS PRINT MEDIA PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR: Juli Thanki; freelance writer for The 9531 and The Washington Post, Senior Editor of District Noise.

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN FOR A RECORDED PROJECT: Ricardo Alessio (designer), City of Refuge, Abigail Washburn (artist), Rounder Records (label).

BEST LINER NOTES FOR A RECORDED PROJECT:  Colin Escott (writer), A Mother’s Prayer, Ralph Stanley (artist), Rebel Records (label).