Posts Tagged ‘ibma awards’

Marshall Wilborn wins Bass Player

Friday, October 2nd, 2009
Casey Henry

Casey Henry

Marshall Wilborn, 2009 Bass Player of the Year

Marshall Wilborn, 2009 Bass Player of the Year

We are so proud we’re just about to bust. At LONG LAST our very own Marhsall Wilborn (who teaches our bass DVDs) won Bass Player of the Year last night at the IBMA awards. When Chris and Sally Jones read out the name both Murphy and I leapt to our feet, screaming in celebration. It is much deserved and we couldn’t be happier. Actually Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper cleaned up, winning Instrumental Group of the Year, in addition to Fiddle Player (Michael) and Mandolin Player (Jesse Brock).

Here are some pictures from last night. First, Murphy and me in all our finery:

Casey and Murphy Henry

Casey and Murphy Henry

This year the Dillards were inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. At the pre-awards reception we ran into one of  our banjo heros Doug Dillard, who wrote our Murphy Method stand-by “Banjo in the Hollow.” Murphy grabbed him for a picture:

Doug Dillard and Casey Henry

Doug Dillard and Casey Henry

Also before the show we ran into Murphy’s longtime friend Claire Lynch, who was nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, and Claire’s daughter Christie:

Murphy Henry, Claire Lynch, Christie Lynch

Murphy Henry, Claire Lynch, Christie Lynch

And last, but not least, here are the Dillards, with Hot Rize, closing out the show singing “Old Home Place”:

Mitch Jayne, Dean Webb, Doug Dillard, Tim O'Brien, Rodney Dillard (Nick Forester in the rear.)

Mitch Jayne, Dean Webb, Doug Dillard, Tim O'Brien, Rodney Dillard (Nick Forester in the rear.)

Kristin Scott Benson once again won Banjo Player of the Year, the the Daughters of Bluegrass won Recorded Event of the Year.

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Women in Bluegrass

Monday, July 20th, 2009

I just finished filling out my second ballot for the IBMA Awards.

Digression about IBMA: That would be the International Bluegrass Music Association for you newbies. The IBMA is a professional trade organization for bluegrass musicians and bluegrass business people (event producers, merchandisers, record labels, songwriters, etc.). Each year the IBMA recognizes those musicians who have done outstanding work in the bluegrass music field with awards in twelve categories.

Anyhow, in years past I have ranted about the lack of female presence on these ballots, especially in the Instrumental Performers category.

Digression about how you get on the first ballot: The first ballot is completely open; any member can nominate anyone they choose. So I had no one to blame about lack of female presence except the whole membership! The most I could do was to quote Abigail Adams and say, “Remember the women!” Which I did regularly in my Women in Bluegrass newsletter.

This year I am happy to say that things are much improved. So much improved that I am going to tell you the names of all the women who made this second-ballot, long-list of candidates for nomination on the various instruments. (You’re not a true nominee until the next ballot, on which the five final names will appear.) I am so proud of all of these wonderful, talented, hard-working women! There are EIGHTEEN in all!

IBMA Candidates for Nomination…

For Banjo Player of the Year

Kristin Scott Benson
Alison Brown
Cia Cherryholmes
Donica Christensen
Beth Stevens

For Bass Player of the Year

Beth Lawrence
Missy Raines

For Fiddle Player of the Year

Becky Buller
Molly Cherryholmes
Shelby Hope Gold
Alison Krauss

For Dobro Player of the Year

Sally Van Meter (what would we do without Sally Van?)

For Guitar Player of the Year

Dale Ann Bradley
Rebecca Frazier

For Mandolin Player of the Year

Analise Victoria Gold
Sierra Hull
Lorriane Jordan
Rhonda Vincent

For contrast, in 1999 there were only FIVE women, total, nominated for Instrumental Awards on the second ballot: Kristin Scott [Benson], Alison Krauss, Laurie Lewis, Missy Raines, and Sally Van Meter.

And I wish I’d kept my second ballots from earlier years, when I suspect there were even fewer women nominated, but, frankly, I never thought I’d need them. But now I find I’m wrong. I didn’t realize I’d turn out to be such a raging feminist! I thought I was making a enough of a statement simply by playing the banjo and writing songs like “I Ain’t Domesticated Yet.” Silly me!

So, again congratulations to all these women who are out there hitting the road hard. You go!

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Three Women Nominated For IBMA Instrumental Awards

Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008

Murphy HenryFrom time to time here I’ll be including some posts with feminist leanings. There will almost always be a bluegrass connection, but I realize some of you may not be interested and might rather scoot on over to visit with our buddies at the Banjo Hangout, so I’ll try to remember to give you a heads up. So, heads up!

Today I want to shine a spotlight on the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Awards Final Ballot which I received a few weeks ago and promptly marked and mailed back. It’s rare to see female performers nominated as Instrumental Performers but this year THREE women are nominated and I want everybody to know that this is Big News. (Okay, not as big as Sarah Palin being nominated for Vice President, but still and yet big for the world of bluegrass!)

So, who are these brave and bold women who are carving out new turf?

Kristin Scott Benson—nominated for Banjo Player of the Year, her first nomination.

Sierra Hull—nominated for Mandolin Player of the Year, her first nomination. And she is the first woman to be nominated in this category!

Missy Raines—nominated for Bass Player of the Year. Her 16th nomination!

Congratulations to all of you! You’re doing all us womyn proud!

Now, in case you’d like to put this into perspective, I did a little digging.

Since the IBMA Awards were instituted in 1990, only two women have won Instrumental Awards. Alison Brown was the first, winning Banjo Player of the Year in 1991. Missy Raines became the second in 1998, and has since won six more times. (Go Missy!)

(more…)

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