Initial Slate of Performers/Presenters announced for 9/27 International Bluegrass Music Awards

Initial slate of performers and presenters announced for International Bluegrass Music Awards September 27

Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers, The Gibson Brothers and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out among many confirmed performers and presenters


Nashville, Tenn. (Sept. 5, 2012) — An initial list of performers and presenters for IBMA’s 23rd International Bluegrass Music Awards has been confirmed for the event, which kicks off at 7:30 PM CST on Thursday, September 27. The Awards Show, held at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, will feature performances and award presentations from some of the genre’s brightest stars, including Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, The Gibson Brothers and Steve Martin & the Steep Canyon Rangers.

Awards Show hosts Del McCoury and Laurie Lewis will also be joined onstage by Eddie & Martha Adcock, Terry Baucom, Kristin Scott Benson, Byron Berline, Blue Highway, The Boxcars, Jason Burleson, Dale Ann Bradley, Alison Brown, Sam Bush, Martino Coppo, J.D. Crowe, Dailey & Vincent, Della Mae, Steve Dilling, Jeremy Garrett, Chris Jones, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Jens Kruger, Kitsy Kuykendall, Rob McCoury, Joe Mullins, Mike Munford, Chris Pandolfi, Junior Sisk, Graham Sharp, Sammy Shelor, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Special Consensus, Pam Tillis, Tony Trischka, Josh Williams, and many others. A finalized lineup of performers and presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

“This year, as we give recognition to those musical heroes we have lost, but also focus on all of the great talent that we have, we celebrate our bluegrass family and community,” said Stephen Ruffo, who is co-producing the Awards Show with Claire Armbruster. “Working with Claire once again to co-produce this great event for the IBMA -- gathering all of the parts -- is just so great.”

“The Awards show is one of the highlights of IBMA's World of Bluegrass,” said Armbruster. “It is an honor to be working with Stephen again, as well as with this wonderful slate of award nominees.”

The International Bluegrass Music Awards are voted on by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the trade association for the bluegrass music industry. The IBMA Awards Show is the centerpiece of the World of Bluegrass Week, September 24 – 30 in Nashville, Tenn., which also includes the IBMA Business Conference and Bluegrass Fan Fest.

For the first time ever, the 2012 IBMA Awards Show will be broadcast live from the Ryman as streaming video on BluegrassNation.org and BluegrassToday.com. The Awards Show will also be broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio (Bluegrass Junction, Channel 14) and syndicated to more than 300 U.S. markets and 14 foreign networks, thanks to sponsors Compass Records, ArtistWorks Academy of Bluegrass, Deering Banjos, BMI, the International Bluegrass Music Museum, BluegrassToday.com, Boston Bluegrass Union, VisitRaleigh.com, and 650 WSM AM. Program directors and station managers may register as affiliates by calling 888-GET-IBMA or 615-256-3222.

For more information on World of Bluegrass week, including tickets to the International Bluegrass Music Awards, go to www.worldofbluegrass.org, join us on Facebook, or call 615-256-3222 (1-888-GET-IBMA).

A complete list of nominees, this year’s Hall of Fame inductees, and the recipients of the Distinguished Achievement Award can be found at http://ibmaawards.org/node/222.