Yesterday, the nominees for the 2009 International Bluegrass Awards were announced in Nashville. Winners will be announced on October 1 at the International Bluegrass Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

The list is comprised of the most celebrated artists in bluegrass music today, presenting a difficult challenge to the professional members of the IBMA, who will need to vote for only one winner in each of 22 categories.

To aid in that effort, here is a complete list of the nominees, along with links to their web sites and audio samples.

Entertainer Of The Year – This award is for the performing act who displayed the greatest competence in all aspects of the entertainment field. Voters should give consideration to recorded and in-person performance, public acceptance, attitude, leadership, and over-all contributions to the bluegrass music image. The award recognizes the performing act.

The nominees for Entertainer Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

The nominees for Vocal Group Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

The nominees for Instrumental Group Of The Year for 2009 are:

Review past recipients of this award.

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The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced the nominees for their 2009 International Bluegrass Music Awards.

There aren’t any surprises among this list of worthies, with perennial favorites like Doyle Lawson, Del McCoury, Blue Highway, IIIrd Tyme Out, Dailey & Vincent, Dan Tyminski and Rhonda Vincent scooping up a large share of the nominations.

I do see that Lonesome River Band gets a nod in several categories. It’s good to see them listed here once again.

Comedian and banjo picker Steve Martin is also nominated as Banjo Player of the Year, a first for the wild and crazy guy.

You can see the complete list at ibma.org. Congratulations to all the nominees!

Well, it will be a special brick if you take the The Bean Blossom Jamboree Foundationup on their offer and adopt a brick in their Memorial Brick Wall Project.

The Foundation is trying to raise sufficient funds to purchase the Bill Monroe Memorial Music Park & Campground in Bean Blossom, IN, once owned and operated by Big Mon himself. The fate of the park has been uncertain in recent years as current owner (and former Blue Grass Boy) Dwight Dillman has announced plans to sell the property.

The wall is being erected near the music stage. A brick can be personalized with 3 lines of text for $100 prior to construction, going up to $125 after the wall is up. The fee is fully tax deductible and proceeds go to the Foundation’s goal of taking over the park and Bill Monroe Museum on site.

To purchase a brick and support the The Bean Blossom Jamboree Foundationup, you may contact them by phone (877-989-BBJF),or email them from their web site. You may also download the PDF order form for a mail-in donation.

Multi-instrumental legend Sam Bush is to receive the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement for Instrumentalist award at a ceremony later in the year. Bush will be presented with the award at the 8th Annual Americana Honors and Awards ceremony, which is scheduled to take place on September 17 at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Primarily known for his work on fiddle and mandolin, Bush has earned many awards through the years since he had his first mandolin at the age of 11. These include 3 first place prizes in the junior division of the National Oldtime Fiddler’s Contest in Weiser, Idaho. He was one of, if not the, leading light in the progressive bluegrass movement, being a member of both the Bluegrass Alliance and New Grass Revival, a group that he co-founded in 1971.

For two years Newgrass Revival toured with Leon Russell. Bush recorded a seminal album with Strength In Numbers, playing with Bela Fleck, Mark O’Connor, Jerry Douglas and Edgar Meyer. When the New Grass Revival disbanded in 1989, Bush joined Emmylou Harris’ band the Nash Ramblers, with whom he stayed for five years.

Sam has collaborated with many prominent names, playing in a wide range of styles with the likes of Doc Watson, Linda Ronstandt, Peter Rowan, David Grisman, Dolly Parton, Ann Savoy and Tony Rice.

He has several solo albums, most of which were released on the Sugar Hill label.

The Sam Bush Band are regulars at Merlefest, Rockygrass and the Telluride Bluegrass Festivals as well as other large festivals throughout the US. His new album, Circles Around Me, will be released October 20, also on Sugar Hill Records.

In 2007, he won the IBMA Mandolin Player of the Year, as he had previously in 1990, 1991 and 1992. He had also been chosen as “Best Mandolin Player” for four consecutive years (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989) in the Frets Magazine Reader’s Poll when they were still in publication.

This Americana award is well-merited.