IBMA Goes Cherry

The big prize at the International Bluegrass Music Awards, held at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium October 27th, went to a recent Pollstar cover artist, Cherryholmes. Cherryholmes. The family band, nominated for emerging artist, won entertainer of the year.

The bluegrass band includes mother and father Sandy Lee and Jere, and their four children Molly, B.J., Skip and Cia Leigh, the last nominated for female vocalist. Rhonda Vincent won that title for a record sixth straight year.

“We just want to thank the Lord for all of his blessings of talent and the stamina and energy of youth,” Jere said.

Emerging artist went to The Grascals, who spent some of the past year playing with Dolly Parton. Larry Sparks won male vocalist for second year in a row, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver landed vocal group and Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder got instrumental group of the year. Cherryholmes is signed to Ricky’s label, Skaggs Family Records.

Alison Krauss + Union Station feat. Jerry Douglas walked into the room with the most nominations – 14 in all, individually and collectively. Krauss hosted the show with bandmate Dan Tyminski, who collectively won recorded event of the year for a contribution to Sparks album 40.

The show returned to Nashville after several years in Louisville, Ky.

In a recent interview with Pollstar, Sandy Lee Cherryholmes said attention had picked up since the IBMA nominations, but she expected that to be temporary.

“When it gets toward the holidays, requests for interviews will slow down somewhat,” she said, “but depending on how the awards show goes, it might go into the stratosphere. That’s what Skaggs (Family Records) said. It could even be multiplying.”