International Bluegrass Music Association

Online registration is closing on Tuesday, September 17 at 12PM CST/1PM EST. Now is your last chance to get the discounted member rate!

Onsite registration will begin on Tuesday, September 24 at 8AM EST in the Raleigh Convention Center lobby. Member pricing is not available onsite. REGISTER TODAY AND SAVE at worldofbluegrass.org

IBMA Business Conference Registration is presented by Sound Biscuit Productions. Visit the IBMA Welcome Lounge in the Raleigh Convention Center lobby to pick up your complimentary tote bag, sponsored by Get It Played. More swag will be available from donors like Main Attraction Management.

As we enter the home stretch ahead of this year’s World of Bluegrass, we want to remind you that our Business Conference has multiple tracks and we want to highlight each one!

Also returning is the Broadcaster Track, where broadcasters can learn, connect, and stay up-to-date on what’s happening in the business. Sept 24-26 in Raleigh, NC. worldofbluegrass.org/conference to register! ✨

Today we honor and remember Bill Monroe! The “Father of Bluegrass” - Born on this day in 1911 in Rosine, Kentucky.

Bill often spoke of wanting to bring “ancient tones” into his innovative music. These included fiddle sounds imported from the British Isles, African-American blues and holiness gospel, American hymns, as well as hill country dance music and the rhythms of jazz. He blended these influences with an equal measure of his own passion and artistic inspiration to create what would become the bluegrass genre as it’s known today; named in honor of his band, the Blue Grass Boys. It can fairly be said that every bluegrass band since draws inspiration from the musical legacy of Bill Monroe.

Bill was inducted into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 1991 at its inception, the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, and in 1988 won the first bluegrass Grammy ever bestowed.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Monroe! We can’t say thank you enough. We certainly wouldn’t be here without you!

Thank you to The Bluegrass Situation for spreading the news about this year’s new "ROOTS REVIVAL: A BLACK STRINGBAND SYMPOSIUM" coming up at IBMA World of Bluegrass®!

This two-day symposium will celebrate the Black stringband traditions of the Piedmont region of North Carolina and beyond. The six sessions across two days explore Black contributions to Bluegrass and other traditional music; contemporary conversations about diversity and inclusion in traditional music; and the ways in which Black musicians, builders, and researchers navigate bluegrass and traditional music spaces. This symposium works to tell a more complete story about the origins and influences that shaped the bluegrass genre as we know it today.

Sponsors from across the roots music landscape showed up in force to make the symposium happen, with programs supported by organizations and companies like the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention, Bluegrass Pride, the DC Bluegrass Union, Folk Alliance International, Pisgah Banjos, and of course the IBMA Foundation, Elderly Instruments, IBMA, and the Banjo Gathering.

Read all about it below on The Bluegrass Situation! 👇🏻

PREVIEW: Brand New Black Stringband Symposium Set for IBMA's Conference - The Bluegrass Situation This year, a new event will debut at the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, North Carolina. Presented by IBMA and The Banjo Gathering, Roots Revival: Black Stringband Symposium will explore Black contributions to bluegrass and traditional music over two days of the week-long event with six especial...

Two beautiful star-studded nights will fill the IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC festival main stage lineup at the Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh, September 27-28! Get your reserved seats to see these incredible talents on stage now before tickets sell out: worldofbluegrass.org/festival 🪕


PineCone - Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, visitRaleigh

International Bluegrass Music Association IBMA is a non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals

Two beautiful star-studded nights will fill the IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC festival main stage lineup at the Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh, September 27-28! Get your reserved seats to see these incredible talents on stage now before tickets sell out: worldofbluegrass.org/festival 🪕


PineCone - Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, visitRaleigh

International Bluegrass Music Association IBMA is a non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals

Announcing our 2024 IBMA Conference Keynote Speaker, Becky Buller!

Becky will present a keynote address on “A Year of Jubilee: Changing Our Conversations About Music and Mental Health” on Tuesday, September 24 at 4PM. Raleigh Convention Center Ballroom AB. The Keynote is presented by Turnberry Records.

Becky Buller is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter from St. James, Minnesota, who has traversed the globe over performing bluegrass music to underwrite her insatiable songwriting habit. Becky has written songs for three GRAMMY award-winning albums. She is the recipient of 10 IBMA awards, including the 2016 Fiddler and Female Vocalist. Becky is the first woman in the history of the awards to receive the Fiddler nod; she is also the first person ever to win in both vocal and instrumental categories.

Be sure to get there early for a special Keynote Pre-performance by Deeper Shade of Blue presented by Turnberry Records, at 3:30 pm.

The Keynote Address is one of many exciting events and opportunities that will only be available at the 2024 IBMA World of Bluegrass® Business Conference. Join us at the keynote for a very meaningful and important time. worldofbluegrass.org/conference to register.

As we enter the home stretch ahead of this year’s World of Bluegrass, we want to remind you that our Business Conference has multiple tracks and we want to highlight each one!

Next up is the Talent Buyer Track, tailored for the many business opportunities over the course of the conference, including new music, industry trends, and networking. Sept 24-26 in Raleigh, NC. worldofbluegrass.org/ conference to register! ✨

Join Sister Sadie, along with some special guests, for a special kickoff party at IBMA World of Bluegrass on Tuesday, September 24th at the Lincoln Theatre! Sister Sadie is a three-time IBMA Vocal Group of the Year award winner, as well as a GRAMMY nominee. We all know Sister Sadie likes to make things fun, so don’t miss this party as a great start to the week of music! 🪕🎵🎉

Catch everything that IBMA World of Bluegrass 2024 has to offer, including live music, the IBMA Business Conference, and the 35th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards! Get your tickets and more info at worldofbluegrass.org

As we enter the home stretch ahead of this year’s World of Bluegrass, we want to remind you that our Business Conference has multiple tracks and we want to highlight each one for you! 🎵
 
First is the Songwriter Track, sponsored by , designed to help songwriters of a wide variety of experience levels further develop their skills and industry reach, as well as provide them with an opportunity to showcase their work.

The Songwriter Track is designed with both upcoming and seasoned writers in mind.
Develop your craft, expand your music business reach, and showcase your new songs while connecting with and learning from some of the most successful writers in bluegrass.

worldofbluegrass.org/conference to register! ✨

The 2024 conference schedule is now available! Start mapping out your conference path with this year’s info! 🪕🎶📝🤝

Conference attendees can expect to take part in annual favorites like the exhibit hall and professional development sessions, as well as networking opportunities including the Gig Fair, the DJs! Meet Your Labels information exchange, and afternoon networking receptions.

Check out these and other exciting events and opportunities in our IBMA Business Conference schedule here: https://worldofbluegrass.org/conference/schedule/

*Schedule subject to change

International Bluegrass Music Association IBMA is a non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals

Get ready for an unforgettable night of music with Sierra Ferrell LIVE at the Red Hat Ampitheater on Friday, Sept 27th, during IBMA Bluegrass Live powered by PNC! 🎶 It’s all happening downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Tickets start at just $10! Grab yours now at the link below.

🎫: worldofbluegrass.org/ibma-bluegrass-live/

International Bluegrass Music Association IBMA is a non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals

The Full IBMA Bluegrass Live! Powered by PNC Streetfest schedule is now available! 🪕

There's going to no shortage of great music at this year's IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC, and now you can see where and when everyone will be on the downtown Raleigh street stages! The full 2024 StreetFest schedule with locations and times is now available. 💥 5 street stages, Sept 27-28, absolutely FREE! Make plans to join us!

Check out the schedule here: https://ibma-2024.pinecone.org

For more info on the entire festival and to buy reserved seating tickets for the Red Hat Amphitheater main stage, head to https://worldofbluegrass.org/ibma-bluegrass-live/

PineCone, visitRaleigh, Raleigh Convention Center

Sponsored Content: ♻️ Give your old strings a new life with D’Addario’s Playback Recycling Program! ♻️ It’s easy to participate and make a positive impact on the environment. Recycling is always a better choice than throwing strings out. That’s because it reduces the need to extract materials from the planet, keeps garbage from landfills, and reuses valuable material that would otherwise go to waste!

Learn more: https://www.daddario.com/playback/recycle/

The countdown to the biggest night in bluegrass is on! 🎶 Join us on September 26th for the 35th annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards! It’s going to be a star-studded celebration of the best in bluegrass music! Get your tickets now! 🎻 🌟

🎫: worldofbluegrass.org/awards

📣 Calling all volunteers! This year’s IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC is right around the corner! September 24-28! Join us in making this year’s event the best yet by signing up today to volunteer.

Volunteers are critical to a successful event! Over more than two decades, our volunteers have proven this beyond any doubt, helping to make IBMA World of Bluegrass® a world-class music industry event. Whether you are a seasoned returning volunteer or a new talent, join a stellar team of folks working to make this year’s event even better!

🎶Perks include: Free registration to the IBMA Business Conference, free IBMA Bluegrass Ramble admission, free volunteer t-shirt, access to volunteer hospitality area, one lawn ticket or member pricing on IBMA Bluegrass Live and IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards tickets! Access code will be included with your volunteer confirmation.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions. Learn more and sign up today at worldofbluegrass.org/volunteer.

Announcing our hosts for the 35th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show, Missy Raines and John Cowan! 🤩🤩 You can read more about our hosts at the press release link below. Don’t miss the biggest night in bluegrass music on Thursday, September 26 during the 2024 IBMA World of Bluegrass® in Raleigh, NC!✨ Tickets available at worldofbluegrass.org/awards/

Read more: https://worldofbluegrass.org/press-releases/hosts-announced-for-the-35th-annual-ibma-bluegrass-music-awards/

There are many exciting sessions planned for this year's conference including:

* Roots Revival: A Black String Band Symposium
* An Earl Scruggs' 100th birthday celebration
* A feature on Jerry Garcia: A Bluegrass Journey, the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum's newest exhibit
* Financial Planning for Musicians
* Modernizing Regional Bluegrass Associations
* Gender Roles in Bluegrass
* Writing Bluegrass Gospel (part of the 2024 Songwriter Track presented by The MLC)
* And many more!

More information on these sessions, as well as the rest of this year's conference schedule will be announced next week. The summer pricing deadline is AUGUST 31! Complete your conference registration at the summer rate at worldofbluegrass.org before prices increase. 🪕

International Bluegrass Music Association IBMA is a non-profit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals

Make the most of Your IBMA World of Bluegrass® Experience!

Join Kristen Davidson and Nancy Posey of the Music In Community Network, IBMA Board Member Ben Wright (Henhouse Prowlers; Bluegrass Ambassadors), and Trudy Chandler (Nick Chandler and Delivered) to learn how to navigate the IBMA World of Bluegrass® week in Raleigh. We’ll share what to expect, how to prepare, what to prioritize while you’re there, and how to make the most of your experience to propel your career forward.

Just use this free Zoom link next Wednesday, August 28th to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83982595357

Catch the incredible Sam Bush live on Friday, Sept 27th, during IBMA World of Bluegrass! Get ready for an amazing night of music you don’t want to miss! It’s all happening downtown Raleigh, NC during the festival — Bluegrass Live powered by PNC!

Tickets: worldofbluegrass.org

DON’T FORGET: GRAMMY SUBMISSIONS NOW OPEN! GET YOUR BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM SUBMISSION IN TODAY!

GRAMMY consideration is an important opportunity for bluegrass artists and labels, and recognition from a GRAMMY nomination for Best Bluegrass Album is among the most visible promotional opportunities available.

Ensuring this opportunity remains available to our community is largely determined by the number of submissions received each year. If the category falls below a certain threshold of submissions, the number of final nominees could be reduced, or the category could be discontinued outright. Help yourself and bluegrass by submitting your project!

Here are a few upcoming deadlines you’ll want to make note of:

Standard Pricing (August 1-August 22)
* Members: $75 (After 5 courtesy entries)
* Media Companies: $95
Final Deadline Pricing (August 23-August 30)
* Members: $125 (After 5 courtesy entries)
* Media Companies: $125

Sponsored Content: The legacy lives on! 🪕 Earl Scruggs Music Fest returns to Mill Spring, NC this Labor Day Weekend. Secure your tickets for a weekend in the foothills of North Carolina to celebrate the life and legacy of Earl Scruggs. Festival Tickets and Camping Passes are ON SALE NOW at earlscruggsmusicfest.com.

On this , we’re sending a big shoutout to all the incredible bluegrass broadcasters who keep the spirit of our music alive! 🎙️ Your dedication to sharing the sounds of bluegrass with fans near and far is what keeps our community thriving. Thank you for keeping the bluegrass airwaves strong! 🎶