Aynsley Porchak
Ten individuals associated with East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Studies program are nominees for 2019 International Bluegrass Music Association Music Awards.
Alumnus Barry Bales led the field with four nominations. Bales along with his band, The Earls of Leicester, received nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group of the Year, as well as Instrumental Recording of the Year for their rendition of “Earl’s Breakdown.”
Bales and alumna Beth Lawrence each received nominations for Bass Player of the Year.
In addition, Lawrence’s band Sister Sadie was nominated for Vocal Group of the Year as well as Album of the “Year for Sister Sadie II,” which also received a Grammy nomination this past year.
Alumni Troy Boone and Daniel Greeson, who both play with the band Sideline, received nominations for Song of the Year and Instrumental recording of the year for “Thunder Dan” and “Cotton Eyed Joe,” respectively.
Faculty member Hunter Berry and alumna Becky Buller were among those nominated for Fiddle Player of the Year. Berry and alumnus Brent Burke also received nominations for Collaborative Recording of the Year for their work on “Please” with Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton.
Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, which features ETSU alumnus Tyler Griffith on bass, was nominated for Instrumental Group of the Year.
Two alumni were recognized with New Artist of the Year nominations – Aynsley Porchak for her work with the band Carolina Blue, and Darrell Webb for his band Appalachian Road Show. Porchak also received a nomination for Instrumental Recording of the Year for Carolina Blue’s “Fried Taters and Onions.” Additionally, Webb’s Appalachian Road Show received a Song of the Year nomination for “Dance, Dance, Dance.”
The winners are announced at the 2019 IBMA Awards Show, which is held Sept. 26 at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina. For more information on the IBMA Awards, visit www.ibma.org/awards.
