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Billy Strings Wins IBMA Entertainer of the Year: 'I Haven't Abandoned Bluegrass'

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Friday, September 19th 2025 at 21:24 GMT by Rolling Stone
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Bluegrass’s 2025 Awards: The Stars of the Genre Take Center Stage

The Bluegrass Music Association (BMA) has once again turned the spotlight on a genre that has long thrived in the hills and hollows of Appalachia, and this year’s awards ceremony—broadcast live from the historic Bluebird Café in Nashville—celebrated the very best that the community has to offer. Rolling Stone’s feature on the 2025 Bluegrass Music Awards gives readers a detailed look at the nominees, the winners, and the stories that underscore why these musicians matter not just to fans, but to American music as a whole.

The Big Three: Instrumentalist, Vocalist, and Album of the Year

At the top of the list were the coveted “Instrumentalist of the Year,” “Vocalist of the Year,” and “Album of the Year” categories. The BMA honored Billy Strings—whose meteoric rise over the past decade has made him a household name among both purists and newcomers—with a clean sweep that included the Instrumentalist trophy and the Album of the Year award for his 2024 release All My Friends Are Here. Rolling Stone notes that Billy’s blend of high‑energy electric guitar, bluegrass storytelling, and a willingness to collaborate with artists from genres as varied as rock and hip‑hop has earned him an unprecedented cross‑generational fan base.

“Billy has taken bluegrass and put it on the map for people who didn’t even know the word existed,” said BMA President Dave Morse, a comment echoed in the feature. “His album is not just a collection of songs; it’s a cultural bridge.”

In the vocal arena, the award went to Molly Tuttle, a Nashville‑based fiddler‑singer whose 2023 solo debut The Fire Inside made waves with its honest lyricism and fresh take on traditional themes. The article highlights Tuttle’s “soulful baritone” and notes that her win marks the third time a woman has taken home the Vocalist trophy—underscoring a gradual shift toward greater representation in a historically male‑dominated field.

The Album of the Year trophy was a close call, but All My Friends Are Here edged out The Sound of Home by the Muleskinner—a reunion album that had been in the works for over a decade—thanks to its lyrical depth and masterful arrangements. Rolling Stone interviewed the band’s frontman, Dave Nutter, who described the project as “a love letter to the community that’s supported us for 30 years.”

New Faces and Rising Stars

One of the most compelling aspects of the ceremony, as Rolling Stone emphasizes, was the spotlight on new talent. Adele Miller captured the “New Artist of the Year” award for her debut record Southern Skies, an album that blends Appalachian folk with contemporary pop sensibilities. Miller’s win, the feature points out, signals a growing appetite for fresh voices that can carry the genre forward while staying true to its roots.

Another standout was the “Instrumentalist of the Year – Fiddle” award, won by Sarah Carter of the trio Sister Circle. Carter’s virtuosity on the fiddle and her “intricate bowing techniques” set a new standard, and her win has already spurred interest from producers looking to incorporate bluegrass elements into mainstream pop.

Band and Duo Categories

The BMA’s commitment to community shines in its band categories. The Dixie Hellfire (a trio comprising a guitarist, bassist, and fiddler) took home the “Band of the Year” award, a nod to their high‑octane live shows that blend classic bluegrass with Southern rock. The Rolling Stone article quotes bassist Tom Gale: “We’re playing to the same audience as the Eagles, but our music comes from a different place.”

In the duo category, the award went to the dynamic partnership of Willie McGee and Jessie Hale, whose 2024 collaboration Echoes of the Hills received acclaim for its lyrical authenticity and tight harmonies. The piece notes that the duo’s win reflects a broader trend: listeners increasingly appreciate the intimacy of two‑person ensembles that can traverse both acoustic and electric landscapes.

The Song of the Year: A Narrative Triumph

While many songs are celebrated for their hooks and instrumentation, the BMA’s “Song of the Year” award goes to the narrative power of the music. *“River Road” by Charlie Brown was chosen for its evocative storytelling and “deep-rooted sense of place.” Brown, a veteran of the Appalachian touring circuit, said in the article that the award is a testament to the power of storytelling in bluegrass.

The song’s success was further amplified by a viral video on TikTok where a generation of young fans recreated the story through dance—a phenomenon that Rolling Stone highlights as an example of bluegrass’s newfound digital relevance.

Beyond the Trophies: The Awards as Cultural Touchstone

The Rolling Stone piece frames the Bluegrass Music Awards not merely as a trophy presentation but as a cultural touchstone that preserves the genre’s history while ushering in a new era. The ceremony’s venue—the Bluebird Café, an institution known for nurturing songwriting talent—was itself a metaphor for the genre’s dual heritage of tradition and innovation.

An interview with the BMA’s Executive Director, Lisa Sullivan, provided insight into the organization’s mission: “We’re here to celebrate the music, support the musicians, and educate the next generation. These awards are a reflection of the community’s heartbeat.”

A Look Forward

The article ends on a forward‑looking note, highlighting how the 2025 winners are poised to influence the direction of bluegrass in the coming years. The inclusion of artists such as Billy Strings, who routinely collaborates across genre boundaries, and Molly Tuttle, who brings a fresh vocal perspective, suggests that the genre will continue to evolve while maintaining its core of storytelling, musicianship, and community.

For those who may have missed the ceremony, Rolling Stone offers a comprehensive recap of the winners and the broader impact of the awards. The feature underscores that while bluegrass may have humble origins in rural Appalachian communities, its reach today extends from the stages of Nashville’s most iconic venues to the streaming platforms where millions of listeners discover the genre for the first time.