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Balsam Range Takes Top Honors at IBMA Awards

Balsam Range

Mountain Home Music Company artists honored for excellence in several categories

Balsam Range, [pictured above], recently released its fifth album, FIVE. The band’s previous release,PAPERTOWN, was named 2013 IBMA Album of the Year.

Nashville, TN –  It was a big night for Balsam Range at the 2014 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awards, which were announced during a red carpet event at the annual World of Bluegrass convention in Raleigh, NC.

Buddy Melton of Balsam Range accepts the MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR AWARD

Singer/Fiddler Buddy Melton was named Male Vocalist of the Year and shared his heartfelt gratitude from the stage. Balsam Range was honored as Vocal Group of the Year, and in the final award of the night, this band of friends from North Carolina’s Haywood County was honored with the coveted IBMAEntertainer of the Year Award.

Guitar virtuoso and singer, Caleb Smith, however, nearly missed the big moment.

Balsam Range had just performed “Moon Over Memphis” and Caleb was backstage talking guitars with fellow-artist, Del McCoury. Guitars are, after all, a favorite topic for Smith, a luthier who makes Caleb Smith Guitars. When the Entertainer of the Year award was announced, McCoury had to interrupt Smith, saying “Son, I think they just said your name.” No fret, Caleb made it to the stage in time to accept the award alongside Tim Surrett, Buddy Melton, Marc Pruett and Darren Nicholson.

Balsam Range (Mountain Home Music Company) performed “Moon Over Memphis” from the album FIVE.

Label-mates at Mountain Home Music Company also received IBMA awards. Adam Steffey of The Boxcars was named Mandolin Player of the Year, and Flatt Lonesome won the Emerging Artist of the Year award. At an earlier luncheon program, Tim Surrett of Balsam Range was honored with the Mentor Award (one of a series of special honors called Momentum Awards) for his inspiration and work with young and developing artists.

IBMA Awards are decided by a vote of the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), the trade association for the bluegrass music industry. The IBMA Awards Show was broadcast live on SiriusXM Satellite Radio (Bluegrass Junction), and streamed for viewing by Music City Roots.

IMAGES: Balsam Range at IBMA Awards, Raleigh, NC (Oct. 2, 2014)

Photos courtesy of Alane Anno Photography

Balsam Range was named VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR and ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR.

Mountain Home Records congratulates our 2011 IBMA Award Winners

Arden, NC – September 30, 2011 – Mountain Home Records artists took home seven awards, including “Song of the Year,” “Instrumental Group of the Year,” and “Emerging Artist of the Year” at the 22nd Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards Thursday night, September 29th, at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
The Boxcars were named “Emerging Artist of the Year” and “Instrumental Group of the Year.” Also, Ron Stewart tied for “Banjo Player of the Year” and Adam Steffey received “Mandolin Player of the Year.”
“Trains I Missed,” written by Walt Wilkins, Giles Godard, and Nicole Witt, and a #1 hit for Balsam Range, was named “Song of the Year.” While accepting the award, Balsam Range’s Tim Surrett commented, “There are a lot of folks out there—myself included—who are thankful for some of those trains missed and how things turned out.”
Bluegrass legends Doyle Lawson, J.D. Crowe and Paul Williams took home two trophies for “Recorded Event of the Year” and “Gospel Recorded Performance,” for “Prayer Bells from Heaven.” While accepting the awards, Doyle announced their plans to record a second Old Friends album. 
The Mountain Home family congratulations our nominees and award winners on a fantastic year. We look forward to an even stronger 2012!
About Mountain Home:
Mountain Home, a division of Crossroads Entertainment and Marketing, Inc., is a premiere Bluegrass label  with global distribution, representing such elite artists as Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Boxcars, Balsam Range, and Darin & Brooke Aldridge. Established in 1993, Crossroads is a market leader in the Bluegrass, Southern Gospel, and Performance Track fields. http://crossroadsmusic.com/bluegrass/

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver nominated for Dove Award

Arden, NC (Crossroads) February 22, 2011 – The Gospel Music Association (GMA) has honored Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver with a Dove® Awards nomination. The nomination was in the Bluegrass Album of the Year category, honoring the Horizon / Crossroads release Light on my Feet, Ready to Fly.

Doyle Lawson, winner of The National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, has garnered no less than 14 International Bluegrass Music Awards, 4 Grammy nominations, and 4 previous Dove Award Nominations. “We, at Crossroads, certainly believe that this is the year Doyle will win his first Dove®”, says Mickey Gamble, President of Crossroads Entertainment.

Doyle Lawson comments: “I am honored to be nominated in the Bluegrass Gospel Category of the prestigious Dove® Awards.”