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
Powered by Billboard.