The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) 2024 Momentum Awards, sponsored by Campbell University School of Law, were presented on Wednesday during the World of Bluegrass convention in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Jaelee Roberts served as host and Master of Ceremonies during the luncheon. A number of the band of the year nominees gave toe-tapping performances including DownRiver Collective, Jackson Hollow, Jake Leg, JigJam and The Price Sisters.

The following awards are given to artists and those in the business of bluegrass during the early years of their career. The purpose is both to recognize special talent on the way up, and to give a boost to their efforts at this crucial stage. And the winners are:

Band of the Year – DownRiver Collective, a group of Belmont University alumni out of Nashville, Tennessee

Industry Involvement – Katie Kirchner of Katie Wrangles, band management and festival stage manager

Instrumentalist of the Year – Wyatt Ellis, who plays mandolin, fiddle and guitar

Instrumentalist of the Year – Gibson Davis, who plays banjo with Wyatt Ellis and the Rick Faris Band

Mentor of the Year – Tony Watt, who is a musician, music educator, associate professor at Berklee College of Music, and more

Vocalist of the Year – Heather Berry Mabe of the Junior Sisk Band and Red Camel Collective