Music

IBMA Announces 2025 Industry and Momentum Awards Nominees

The International Bluegrass Music Association revealed the nominees for this year’s IBMA Industry Awards and IBMA Momentum Awards on Wednesday (July 23). The honors for, respectively, those doing outstanding work in non-performing industry categories and artists and industry professionals in the early stages of their careers, will be presented at the upcoming IBMA World of Bluegrass conference on Sept. 17-18 in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The IBMA Industry Awards honor outstanding work in a variety of disciplines, including broadcasting, photography, songwriting, sound engineering, live events, graphic design and liner notes, will be handed out on Sept. 18 as part of the IBMA World of Bluegrass event highlighting the best in bluegrass talent.

This year’s Momentum Awards honoring musicians and industry professionals at the beginning of their careers will take place on Sept. 17.

Nominees for the Momentum Awards are selected by committees comprised of top bluegrass musicians and industry leaders, while the Industry Award nominations are chosen via appointed committees made up of bluegrass music professionals.

Wednesday’s announcements come a week after the nominations announcement for this year’s IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, which were led by Alison Krauss & Union Station, Billy Strings and the Alison Brown/Steve Martin/Tim O’Brien collaboration “5 Days Out, 2 Days Back”; that show will be held on Sept. 18 at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tenn. during the IBMA World of Bluegrass event that runs from Sept. 16-20.

Check out the full list of 2025 IBMA Industry and Momentum Awards nominees below:

Industry Awards

Writer of the Year

Dan Miller

Alisa Murphy

Jessica Nicholson

Gary Reid

Garret K. Woodward

Photographer of the Year

Sophie Clark

Laci Mack

Kevin Slick

Jason TannerMadison Thorn

Sound Engineer of the Year

Scott Barnett

Eddie Faris

Clay Miller

Stephen Mougin

Rebekah Speer

Event of the Year

DelFest — Cumberland, Maryland

Earl Scruggs Music Festival — Mill Spring, North Carolina

Hartford’s Mammoth Marathon — Nashville, Tennessee

High Mountain Hay Fever — Westcliffe, Colorado

Jerry Garcia – A Bluegrass Journey — Owensboro, Kentucky

Broadcaster of the Year

Barb Heller, “String Fever Bluegrass” — North Country Public Radio, Canton, N.Y.

Matt Hutchinson, “Bluegrass Jam Along” — London, England

Michelle Lee, “Smoked Country Jam & Bluegrass Borderline” — Michelle Lee On Air WOBR, Columbus, Ohio

Ronnie Moretz — WMMY, Jefferson, N.C.

Daniel Mullins — Real Roots Radio Walls of Time Bluegrass Podcast, Front Porch Fellowship, Xenia, Ohio

Songwriter of the Year

Becky Buller

Brenna MacMillan

Jon Weisberger

Rick Lang

Thomm Jutz

Graphic Designer of the Year

Andrea Roberson

Audrey Fletcher

Carla Wehby

Gina Dilg

Rebekah Speer

Liner Notes of the Year

Jubilee – Becky Buller, Written by Becky Buller

Julia Belle: The John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project, Vol. 2 – Various Artists, Written by Rachel Baiman

Destinations & Fun Places – Rhonda Vincent, Written by Daniel Mullins

Earl Jam – Tony Trischka, Written by Neil V. Rosenberg

Remains to Be Scene – The Seldom Scene, Written by Ben Eldridge, Doug McKelway, Dudley Connell, Lou Reid, Ronnie Simpkins, Ron Stewart and Fred Travers

2025 Momentum Awards Nominees

Band of the Year

The Burnett Sisters Band

Country GongBang

Jackson Hollow

Mountain Grass Unit

Wyatt Ellis Band

Industry Involvement

Jordan Laney

Helen Ludé

Austin Scelzo

Instrumentalist of the Year (2 awarded)

Justin Alexander

Luke Black

Marissa Colter

Kyser George

Anthony Howell

Rainy Miatke

Sam Stage

Vocalist of the Year

Kristen Bearfield

Carly Greer

Yebin Kim

Seth Mulder

Ali Vance

Mentor of the Year

Becky Buller

Louisa Branscomb

Martin Gilmore

Rick Lang

Deanie Richardson

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