The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s annual “World of Bluegrass” is slated for October 1-7, 2007 in Nashville, Tennessee.  Featured events include an International Bluegrass Music Awards Show, a four-day IBMA Business Conference and a three-day Bluegrass Fan Fest. 

Mandolin player and vocalist Sam Bush hosts the 18th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards Show, which takes place Thursday night, October 4 at the Grand Ole Opry House.  Awards, judged by professional membership of the IBMA, will be presented in two-dozen categories. 

Entertainer of the Year nominees include The Grascals, the reigning recipients (who are profiled in an archived January 30 article entitled “The Grascals: Expanding Bluegrass’ Horizons While Remaining True to Its Roots”), as well as Cherryholmes, Alison Kraus & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Del McCoury Band and Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, who topped the list of IBMA Award nominations.  

Rhonda Vincent & the Rage’s 11 nods also include vocal group and female vocalist of the year, song of the year for “All American Bluegrass Girl,” and album of the year for its Rounder release of the same name. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, six-time recipients of IBMA’s Vocal Group of the Year, were nominated in that category again, as well as in eight others, while multiple award-winners Alison Kraus & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, The Del McCoury Band, and Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder received eight nominations apiece.  The complete list of nominees can be found at www.ibma.org.

The IBMA Business Conference, October 1-4 at the Nashville Convention Center/Renaissance Hotel will feature an array of artist showcases, an exhibit hall with more than 100 booths, professional development seminars, and plenty of opportunities for informal networking.

Daytime seminars will focus on such topics as “Establishing & Building an Effective Web Presence,” “Staying Mentally Healthy as Touring Musicians,” “Financial & Tax Management for Artists & Small Businesses,” “Grant Writing as a Source of Sponsorships,” “Eldergrass,” and “Introducing Bluegrass to Kids” (with Grammy Award-winning children’s entertainers Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer).  

Official evening artist showcases will feature such acts as The Circuit Riders, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper featuring Audie Blaylock, The Faris Family, The Grass Cats, Grasstowne, Carrie Hessler & Hard Rain, Sierra Hull & Highway 111, The Claire Lynch Band, Meantime, Monroe Crossing, Dan Paisley & The Southern Grass, Don Rigsby & Midnight Call, and Three Ring Circle.

More than 60 bluegrass artists are scheduled to perform and greet their fans during Bluegrass Fan Fest, October 5-7 at the Nashville Convention Center/Renaissance Hotel.  An exhibition hall with more than100 booths and many jam sessions also are in the offing.   The indoor festival will feature four stages: Fan Fest Main Stage, Masters Workshop Stage, and the Grand Masters Fiddle Championship. 

Among the artists scheduled to appear on the Main Stage are Cadillac Sky, Cherryholmes, J.D. Crowe & the New South, The Grascals, The Greencards, Emmylou Harris, The Infamous Stringdusters, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Claire Lynch Band, Kathy Mattea, Nashville Bluegrass Band, Alecia Nugent, Marty Raybon & Full Circle, Larry Sparks & the Lonesome Ramblers, and Special Consensus. Kicking things off on Friday afternoon on the Roots & Branches Stage will be a banjo celebration with Bob Carlin, Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Tony Trischka.  Others slated to perform on the stage during the weekend include The Laura Love Band, Missy Raines & the New Hip, The Red Stick Ramblers, and Pete Wernick & Flexigrass, among others.

Prior to September 7, three-day advance tickets for Bluegrass Fan Fest are $75; $65 for IBMA professional members.  Ticket prices go up after September 7.  Single-day tickets will also be available at the gate, and children under 16 will be admitted free with paying adults.

Another highlight of the week-long World of Bluegrass is the large number of after-hours private showcases and receptions that take place between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., October 1-3 and 5-6.

Seven-day adult pricing is $430, $350 for IBMA members; while single-day registration is $150, $130 for members.  The seven-day package does not include the music awards show, for which tickets are sold separately at prices ranging from $30-$100.