Last evening. the 37th annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards took place at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga. Sam Bush and Sierra Hull hosted the event, which both honors the 2026 award winners and inducts people into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.
Billy Strings received Entertainer of the Year honors for the fifth time. He previously took home this honor in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025.
Sierra Hull was not only a co-host, she was also an award winner. Hull received her eighth Mandolin Player of the Year designation. Meanwhile, her husband, Justin Moses, was named Resophonic Guitar Player Of The Year.
Byron Berline, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, Barry Poss and The Lost & Found were inducted into the Hall of Fame, with the complete list of winners below:
ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Billy Strings
VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Authentic Unlimited
INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
East Nash Grass
SONG OF THE YEAR
Can’t Outrun the Blues
Artist: Trey Hensley
Songwriters: Trey Hensley/Bobby Starnes
Producer: Brent Maher
Label: Pinecastle Records
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
All God’s Children
Artist: East Nash Grass
Producers: Jake Stargel/East Nash Grass
Label: Mountain Fever Records
GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Some Day
Artist: Blue Highway
Songwriters: Olive Stockton/Tim Stafford
Producer: Blue Highway/Dan Boner
Label: Down the Road Records
INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Big Daddy Rabbit
Artist: Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (Feat. Nathan Livers)
Songwriter: Nathan Livers
Producer: Michael Cleveland
Label: Yeah, Man Records
NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Mason Via
COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR
Broken Angels
Artist: The Grascals and Dolly Parton
Songwriters: Dolly Parton/Jamie Johnson
Producer: Kent Wells
Label: Billy Blue Records
MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Greg Blake
FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Jaelee Roberts
BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kristin Scott Benson
BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mike Bub
FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Andy Leftwich
RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justin Moses
GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Cody Kilby
MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sierra Hull
MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
The Devil Went Down to Deep Gap
Artist: Bryan Sutton with Billy Strings
Animator: Pat Bradley, SpringShoe Animation
Producer: Bryan Sutton
Songwriters: John Thomas Crain, Charles Edward Daniels, William Joel DiGregorio, Fred Laroy Edwards, Charles Fred Hayward, and James W Marshall
