Awards & Contests

IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Presented

Billy Strings was named Entertainer of the Year for the second consecutive year, while his recording of “Red Daisy” was named Song of the Year in the 33rd Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards on September 29, 2022. Béla Fleck received the most awards of the evening as he was honored for Album of the Year (My Bluegrass Heart), Instrumental Group of the Year (Béla Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart), Instrumental Recording of the Year, and Banjo Player of the Year. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to see the complete list of winners.]

2022 Americana Honors & Awards Presented

Winners in the 2022 Americana Honors & Awards were recognized during an awards show in Nashville, Tennessee on September 14 that is a highlight of AMERICANAFEST, a six-day festival and conference celebrating American roots-inspired music that is hosted by the Americana Music Association and extends through September 17. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]
Shanna in a Dress is 2022 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase Winner

Shanna in a Dress is 2022 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase Winner

Shanna in a Dress was named the winner of the 2022 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival Songwriter Showcase that took place at the Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons, Colorado on the festival’s opening day, August 12. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to view a couple of performance videos.]

IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Nominees & Bluegrass Hall of Fame Inductees Named

Nominees for the 33rd annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards were announced July 26 in Nashville, Tennessee. In the running for the coveted Entertainer of the Year award are Billy Strings, Del McCoury Band, and Po ‘Ramblin’ Boys. Sister Sadie, and Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to view the complete list of nominees, this year’s Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductees and Distinguished Achievement Award recipients, as well as the first recipient of IBMA’s new International Band Performance Grant.]

Michael Cleveland Named NEA National Heritage Fellow

Virtuosic, Grammy Award-winning fiddler Michael Cleveland is among the recipients of 2022 NEA National Heritage Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts. Created in 1982, the one-time only fellowships are presented annually to nine-13 individuals (“national living treasures”) in recognition of lifetime achievement, artistic excellence and contributions to the United States’ cultural heritage. The fellowships are the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]

Emerging Artist Showcase Performers Chosen for 2022 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival

Fifteen artists/acts have been invited to perform in an abbreviated 2022 Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase during the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival on Friday afternoon, July 29, from noon to 3 p.m. This year’s festival is set for July 29-31 at the Goshen Fairgrounds in Goshen, Connecticut – where A Day of Falcon Ridge took place last year. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]

Winners Named in 2022 Kerrville New Folk Competition

Six singer-songwriters have been named as winners in the 2022 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. They were chosen by a panel of judges from among 24 finalists who performed two songs each during the New Folk Concerts on May 28 and 29 as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival, an 18-day event at the Quiet Valley Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]

International Folk Music Awards Presented

Folk Alliance International honored artists and others in the folk music community during the annual International Folk Music Awards show that took place May 18, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri on the opening night of FAI’s 34th annual conference. It was also streamed online. Allison Russell was named Artist of the Year (2021) and also accepted the award for Album of the Year (Outside Child), while Crys Matthews’ “Changemakers” was named Song of the Year. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to view a few videos.]

Allison Russell, Maria Dunn Win Juno Awards

Allison Russell’s Outside Child was named Contemporary Roots Album of the Year and Maria Dunn’s _Joyful Banner Blazing won Traditional Roots Album of the Year during the 2022 JUNO Awards ceremonies on May 15 at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Ontario. Members of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) selected the award recipients in these and other categories. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]
Sav Buist Wins 2022 Songwriter Serenade

Sav Buist Wins 2022 Songwriter Serenade

Sav Buist, a Nashville, Tennessee-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, took top honors during the 15th annual Songwriter Serenade in Schulenburg, Texas on May 7, 2022. She was chosen from among 15 semifinalists in the songwriting competition by a panel of judges who evaluated them based on lyrics (imagery, story, creativity, and originality), melody (structure, phrasing, and rhythm), and performing ability (vocals, musicianship), as well as stage presence/audience rapport. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]
2022 Kerrville New Folk Finalists Announced

2022 Kerrville New Folk Finalists Announced

Twenty-four songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2022 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Chosen from among more than 500 submissions from around the world, the finalists will perform the two songs they submitted at the New Folk Concerts slated for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, May 28 and 29, as part of the 50th annual Kerrville Folk Festival. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article.]

International Folk Music Awards Show Set for May 18

Folk Alliance International revealed the names of upcoming recipients of International Folk Music Awards and Best of 2021 nominees during an April 7 livestream. An awards show is slated for May 18, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri on the opening night of FAI’s 34th annual conference. It will also be streamed online. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article that includes information about award winners and a listing of the finalists for album, song and artist of the year.]