Recognizing those in the bluegrass community who work diligently to promote the genre, award-winning bass player Missy Raines served as emcee for the 2023 IBMA Industry Awards, which was sponsored by the California Bluegrass Association and publishers of the “Bluegrass Breakdown” newsletter.

“I have come to every single IBMA event and this one is dear to my heart,” Raines said as she kicked off Thursday’s luncheon and awards ceremony at the Raleigh Convention Center.

This year’s Industry awards were presented to:

• Chris Jones of “Bluegrass Today” was named Writer of the Year;
• Sam Bush and Jon Weisberger earned best liner notes of the year for “Radio John: Songs of John Hartford;”
• Steve Chandler, Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum sound engineer, Rounder Records, Hilltop Studios was named Sound Engineer of the Year ;
• Ned Luberecki of SiriusXM was named Broadcaster of the Year;
• Grace van’t Hof earned Graphic Designer of the Year;
• Tim Stafford was named Songwriter of the Year;
• And Blue Highway Fest in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, was named Event of the Year.

Recognition was also given to Distinguished Achievement Award recipients: Terry Baucom, Tom Ewing, “The Bluegrass Situation (BGS),” Carl Goldstein and Red Wine of Italy.

Banjoist Jens Kruger of The Kruger Brothers said when presenting Baucom his award, “I saw the impact he had. I saw a shift in the entire industry.” Baucom received a standing ovation.

IBMA’s International Board Member Christopher Howard-Williams said when giving Red Wine of Italy their award, “No other bluegrass band, out of this country with day jobs, has drawn such a following.”

Award-winning fiddler Becky Buller and IBMA Foundation Chair/President Fred Bartenstein recognized the following who earned IBMA Foundation grants:

• Appalachian Fiddle & Bluegrass Association (Pennsylvania)
• Arts Quest (Pennsylvania)
• Asheville Symphony with artist-in-residence Bela Fleck (N.C.)
• Birthplace of Country Music Museum “I’ve Endured: Women in Old-Time Music” exhibit (Tennessee)
• California Bluegrass Association Bluegrass Bridge program at Avenal State Prison, ETSU String Band Summit, Junior Appalachian Musicians (KY, NC, SC, VA)
• Louisville Folk Music School bluegrass summer camp (Kentucky)
• A new bluegrass club at a California intermediate school, Queen Bee Bluegrass Camp (CA, NM)
• The RW Bluegrass Jam (Virginia)
• Pathways JAM at Earl Scruggs Festival (N.C.)
• Wintergrass Music Festival Youth Orchestra (Washington)

Arnold Shultz Fund grants:

• Dancing with the Spirit (Alaska)
• Decolonizing the Music Room’s African American Roots (Texas)
• Elephant Grass Musical Chairs Band school programs (Kenya)
• Grassy Strings (India)
• Jam Pak Blues N Grass camp (Arizona)
• Leadership Bluegrass scholarship for Gieselle Tambe-Ebot (Arizona)
• Montgomery Museum of Art & History (Virginia)
• Lamont Pearley (Kentucky)
• Nelson Williams (Louisiana)

College scholarship recipients:

• Lucy Becker
• Cade Botts
• Alaina Majkz
• Liam Purcell
• Jack Rehbeck

Fletcher Bright Memorial Grant recipients:

• Bayla Davis
• Judah Davis
• Rae Lee Deatin
• Sophia DiChiara
• Alice Gould
• Maxwell Klett
• Jessica Lang
• Rosy Lopez
• Sam Mougin
• Carlos Parra
• Lucy Tanji
• Joshua Willis
• Alasya Zeweldi

Country Gongbang, a South Korean bluegrass band, performed during the awards presentation.

Interim IBMA Executive Director Paul Schiminger said the young quintet came to America after applying for a grant to come to the World of Bluegrass.

“They were selected from a field to 25 applicants. It is a two-piece process. This year they perform throughout the week 10 times. Next year, they return to play the Station Inn, the Grand Ole Opry, ROMP and Grey Fox festivals.”