SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Award Winners Honored

Nashville, TN -- The Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) Awards were the culmination of the annual convention held in Nashville Tennessee. Sunday evening, the awards ceremony took place to the delight of all those attending. SPBGMA is a regular favorite events for bluegrass fans and artists alike. The awards are especially important because, unlike the IBMA, the votes for these awards come primarily from the fans and not professionals in the industry. The list of nominations includes the entire spectrum of bluegrass music artists.

This has been a great series of awards for Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice. The group's latest album, The Heart Of A Song has been receiving numerous awards and the SPBGMA awards held true to form as he earned Bluegrass Album of the Year and Song of the Year for "A Far Cry From Lester And Earl" from the album. Both awards were also awared by the IBMA for their awards show held a few months ago.

Rhonda Vincent is a SPBGMA favorite and the awards didn't let her down this year. Rhonda won the coveted Entertainer of the Year honors as well as the Contemporary Female Vocalist of the Year. Members of her band, The Rage, took home instrumental performer awards also.

SPBGMA serves to preserve the traditional spirit and art form of Bluegrass music. The organization also offers a management service for any community desiring to hold a Bluegrass festival and/or to organize and conduct Bluegrass Band competitions. In all SPBGMA sponsored events, instruments must be traditional acoustic instruments, no electrified instruments permitted. SPBGMA encourages professionalism in appearance and showmanship by the performers at SPBGMA events as well as encouraging the support of various Bluegrass publications and associations.

The 39th Annual SPBGMA Bluegrass Music Award Winners are:

• Entertainer of the Year – Rhonda Vincent
• Entertaining Group of the Year – Nothin Fancy
• Bluegrass Band of the Year (Overall) - Dailey & Vincent
• Instrumental Group of the Year – The Grascals
• Bluegrass Album of the Year – The Heart Of A Song, Junior Sisk & Rambler’s Choice
• Song of the Year – A Far Cry From Lester And Earl, Junior Sisk & Rambler’s Choice
• Vocal Group of the Year - Dailey & Vincent
• Male Vocalist of the Year (Contemporary) – Junior Sisk
• Male Vocalist of the Year (Traditional) – James King
• Female Vocalist of the Year (Contemporary) – Rhonda Vincent
• Female Vocalist of the Year (Traditional) – Jeanette Williams
• Gospel Group of the Year (Contemporary) – Dailey & Vincent
• Gospel Group of the Year (Traditional) – Paul Williams & Victory Trio
• Banjo Performer of the Year – J.D. Crowe
• Mandolin Performer of the Year – Doyle Lawson
• Guitar Performer of the Year – Josh Williams
• Fiddle Performer of the Year – Hunter Berry
• Bass Performer of the Year – Mickey Harris
• Dobro Performer of the Year – Tim Graves
• Songwriter of the Year – Tom T. and Dixie Hall
• Radio Station of the Year – Sirius-XM Bluegrass Junction
• DJ of the Year – Kyle Cantrell, Sirius-XM
• Promoter of the Year – DA Calloway from Silver Dollar City