Earls of Leicester, Flatt Lonesome Win Big at Bluegrass Awards
Bluegrass supergroup the Earls of Leicester, whose members include veteran musicians Barry Bales, Jerry Douglas, Shawn Camp, Charlie Cushman, Johnny Warren and Jeff White, earned their second consecutive Entertainer of the Year honor at the 27th Annual International Bluegrass Music (IBMA) Awards Thursday night in Raleigh, North Carolina. The evening’s big winners, sibling band Flatt Lonesome, earned trophies for Album, Song and Vocal Group of the Year.
In addition to their group win, individual members of the Earls of Leicester were named in three solo categories: Dobro Player (Douglas), Bass Player (Barry) and Banjo Player of the Year (Cushman). Also earning multiple wins was Female Vocalist and Fiddle Player of the Year Becky Buller.
Co-hosted by Sierra Hull and Dan Tyminski, several of the show’s performances were part of a “Bluegrass on Screen” theme with O Brother, Where Art Thou‘s “Man of Constant Sorrow” performed by the Soggy Bottom Boys, The Muppet Movie‘s “Rainbow Connection” delivered by the Lonely Heartstring Band and archival TV and film clips in which bluegrass was spotlighted through the years, including Beverly Hillbillies, Bonnie and Clyde and Deliverance.
IBMA, the global bluegrass music community’s professional trade organization, continues its World of Bluegrass conference in Raleigh through Saturday, October 1st.
Winners of the 27th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards:
Entertainer of the Year: The Earls of Leicester
Female Vocalist of the Year: Becky Buller
Male Vocalist of the Year: Danny Paisley
Vocal Group of the Year: Flatt Lonesome
Instrumental Group of the Year: Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Song of the Year: “You’re the One,” Flatt Lonesome
Album of the Year: Runaway Train, Flatt Lonesome
Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year: “All Dressed Up”, Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers
Instrumental Recorded Performance of the Year: “Fireball,” Special Consensus featuring Rob Ickes, Trey Hensley and Alison Brown
Emerging Artist of the Year: Mountain Faith
Recorded Event of the Year: “Longneck Blues,” Junior Sisk and Ronnie Bowman
Banjo Player of the Year: Charlie Cushman
Bass Player of the Year: Barry Bales
Dobro Player of the Year: Jerry Douglas
Fiddle Player of the Year: Becky Buller
Guitar Player of the Year: Bryan Sutton
Mandolin Player of the Year: Sierra Hull
Inductees into the Bluegrass HOF: Clarence White; the Rounder Founders: Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin
Distinguished Achievement Awards: Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine, Boston Bluegrass Union, SiriusXM Radio’s Bluegrass Junction, Bill Emerson, Jim Rooney.