The International Bluegrass Music Association has officially unveiled the nominees for its 36th Annual Bluegrass Awards, at once elevating the genre’s present trailblazers and canonizing the legacy of its forebearers. Alison Krauss & Union Station, Billy Strings, the Del McCoury Band, Appalachian Road Show and East Nash Grass lead the pack as the nominees for Entertainer of the Year, among a great many more fan favorites from the scene highlighted for various advancements of the time-honored form.

A significant share of this year’s awards are attached to Arcadia, Alison Krauss & Union Station’s first new album in 14 years. On top of their Entertainer of the Year nod, the group’s landmark reunion earned nominations for Album of the Year and Vocal Group of the Year, while Krauss is up for Female Vocalist of the Year and her longtime bandmates, banjoist Ron Block, bassist Barry Bales and dobroist Jerry Douglas, are nominated for their respective instruments. Russell Moore, who assumed the seat formerly held by Dan Tyminski, is the most awarded male vocalist in the history of the IBMA and earned yet another nomination in the category this year.

Strings returns this year as a continuing staple of the awards, following a first win for New Artist of the Year in 2019 and claims to the highest prize of Entertainer of the Year in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Beyond his candidacy for his fourth award in that coveted category, Strings is elsewhere nominated for Album of the Year, Instrumental Group of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Guitar Player of the Year.

Other core artists featured among this year’s nominees include Molly Tuttle and Sierra Hull, up for two awards each, the legendary McCoury, who is in the running for three with his band and solo, and Authentic Unlimited, nominated for five titles off the success of their 2024 album The Gospel Sessions, Vol. 2. The 35th Annual Bluegrass Awards will also host an induction ceremony for the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, which this year welcomes Hot Rize, The Bluegrass Cardinals and Arnold Schultz. The ceremony will be held on Sept. 26 at Chattanooga, Tenn.’s Soldiers and Sailors Memorial for the Performing Arts. 

“IBMA is excited to bring the biggest night in bluegrass to our new host city, Chattanooga,” said Ken White, Executive Director of IBMA. “Our mission is to inspire innovation by recognizing the great work done by artists this past year and to honor tradition by inducting new members into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. The early influence of Arnold Shultz on Bill Monroe continues to shine through in the playing of even the youngest member of Kids on Bluegrass. You will undoubtedly see once in a lifetime performances. Don’t miss it.”

Read the full list of nominees here.