Billy Strings, East Nash Grass, and Trey Hensley Dominate the 2026 IBMA Bluegrass Awards in Chattanooga

The historic Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, served as the epicenter of the global roots music community on Thursday, October 22, 2026, hosting the annual International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Bluegrass Awards. As the premier flagship event of the broader IBMA World of Bluegrass annual gathering, the evening celebrated the pinnacle of acoustic artistry, songwriting, and instrumental prowess. Co-hosted by genre luminaries Sam Bush and Sierra Hull—the latter of whom claimed her historic eighth Mandolin Player of the Year trophy—the ceremony delivered a definitive snapshot of contemporary bluegrass, honoring both legacy icons and the vanguard of modern pickers.

Main Facts and Major Winners of the Evening

The 2026 ceremony was defined by both unprecedented dominance and breakthrough victories across a fiercely competitive landscape. Headlining the evening’s accolades was genre-crossing phenomenon Billy Strings, who secured his fifth career win for Entertainer of the Year. Having first claimed the organization’s highest honor in 2021, Strings has maintained a nearly unbroken streak of dominance, winning the category every subsequent year except for 2024. In addition to his crown as Entertainer of the Year, Strings added a second trophy to his collection for Music Video of the Year, recognizing his imaginative animated collaboration with Bryan Sutton and fellow pickers on the critically acclaimed tribute, "Devil Went Down to Deep Gap."

East Nash Grass emerged as another powerhouse presence of the 2026 gala. The dynamic ensemble walked away with two of the evening’s most prestigious competitive awards: Album of the Year for their acclaimed release All God’s Children and the coveted Instrumental Group of the Year title. Their multi-category success underscores a meteoric rise within the traditional and contemporary bluegrass circuits, cementing their status as standard-bearers for the genre’s ensemble work.

Meanwhile, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Trey Hensley captured Song of the Year honors for the poignant title track of his latest solo project, "Can’t Outrun the Blues." Authentic Unlimited proved their vocal mettle by securing the Vocal Group of the Year award, while singer-songwriter Mason Via—widely recognized for his tenure with Old Crow Medicine Show—was named the 2026 IBMA New Artist of the Year, signaling a bright future for the genre’s next generation of performers.

Chronology and Event Background

The IBMA World of Bluegrass gathering, which relocated to Chattanooga for its 2026 iteration, represents the culmination of a year-long voting process executed by the professional membership of the International Bluegrass Music Association. The week-long convention brings together artists, industry executives, booking agents, media, and thousands of dedicated fans for seminars, showcases, and the crowning glory of the awards show.

The timeline of the evening moved briskly through dozens of competitive categories, interspersed with landmark career retrospectives and high-profile collaborative performances. The gala highlighted the deep interconnectivity of the acoustic music community, bridging generational divides through cross-genre pairings and tributes to bluegrass pioneers. A central emotional peak of the evening was the formal induction ceremony for the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, which welcomed four legendary inductees: masterful fiddle player Byron Berline, the influential Nashville Bluegrass Band, traditional stalwarts Lost & Found, and visionary music executive Barry Lyle Poss.

Comprehensive List of Category Winners and Nominees

The competitive categories reflected an extraordinary depth of talent across all instrumentation and vocal designations. Below is the complete breakdown of the 2026 winners and their distinguished fellow nominees:

Entertainer of the Year

• WINNER: Billy Strings
• Alison Krauss & Union Station
• Sister Sadie
• East Nash Grass
• The Del McCoury Band

Vocal Group of the Year

• Alison Krauss & Union Station
• WINNER: Authentic Unlimited
• Sister Sadie
• Blue Highway
• Red Camel Collective

Instrumental Group of the Year

• Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
• Billy Strings
• The Travelin’ McCourys
• WINNER: East Nash Grass
• Appalachian Road Show

New Artist of the Year

• Jaelee Roberts
• WINNER: Mason Via
• Carson Peters & Iron Mountain
• Vickie Vaughn
• Daniel Grindstaff & The Uptown Troubadours

Song of the Year

• “Broken Angels” – Artist: The Grascals and Dolly Parton | Songwriters: Dolly Parton/Jamie Johnson
• WINNER: “Can’t Outrun the Blues” – Artist: Trey Hensley | Songwriters: Trey Hensley/Bobby Starnes
• “New Cluck Old Hen” – Artist: Steve Martin and Alison Brown (Feat. Della Mae) | Arrangement: Steve Martin/Alison Brown
• “Cost of Living” – Artist: Authentic Unlimited | Songwriter: Jerry Cole
• “Finding Your Way Home” – Artist: Red Camel Collective | Songwriters: Heather Berry Mabe/Joseph Scott Patrick

Album of the Year

• Can’t Outrun the Blues – Trey Hensley
• Sister Sadie – All Will Be Well
• WINNER: All God’s Children – East Nash Grass
• Della Jane’s Heart – Appalachian Road Show
• Songs That Sing Me – Becky Buller

Gospel Recording of the Year

• “I Will Someday” – NewFound Road
• “Where the Soul Never Dies” – Bobby Osborne & C.J. Lewandowski
• WINNER: “Some Day” – Blue Highway
• “You Don’t Knock” – Darin & Brooke Aldridge with John Cowan
• “Two Old Church Pews” – Danny Paisley

Instrumental Recording of the Year

• “Grandfather’s Clock” – Bryan Sutton and Sierra Hull
• WINNER: “Big Daddy Rabbit” – Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (Feat. Nathan Livers)
• “Cacklin’ Hen” – Deanie Richardson and Kimber Ludiker
• “Let’s Get Out of Here” – Steve Martin and Alison Brown
• “Tom & Jerry” – Andy Leftwich

Collaborative Recording of the Year

• WINNER: “Broken Angels” – The Grascals and Dolly Parton
• “Gentle on My Mind” – Tony Trischka and Billy Strings
• “New Cluck Old Hen” – Steve Martin and Alison Brown (Feat. Della Mae)
• “The Devil Went Down to Deep Gap” – Bryan Sutton with Billy Strings
• “Just a Holler Over” – Sister Sadie and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

Music Video of the Year

• “Broken Angels” – The Grascals and Dolly Parton
• WINNER: “The Devil Went Down to Deep Gap” – Bryan Sutton with Billy Strings
• “Ralph’s Banjo Special” – Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt, & Alison Brown
• “New Cluck Old Hen” – Steve Martin, Alison Brown (Feat. Della Mae)
• “Let the Circle Be Broken” – Sister Sadie

Male Vocalist of the Year

• Dan Tyminski
• Russell Moore
• WINNER: Greg Blake
• Del McCoury
• Trey Hensley

Female Vocalist of the Year

• Alison Krauss
• WINNER: Jaelee Roberts
• Heather Berry Mabe
• Sierra Hull
• AJ Lee

Banjo Player of the Year

• WINNER: Kristin Scott Benson
• Gena Britt
• Ron Block
• Alison Brown
• Tony Trischka

Bass Player of the Year

• WINNER: Mike Bub
• Vickie Vaughn
• Missy Raines
• Barry Bales
• Alan Bartram

Fiddle Player of the Year

• Michael Cleveland
• Jason Carter
• Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
• Deanie Richardson
• WINNER: Andy Leftwich

Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year

• WINNER: Justin Moses
• Jerry Douglas
• Rob Ickes
• Andy Hall
• Matt Leadbetter

Guitar Player of the Year

• Trey Hensley
• Billy Strings
• Bryan Sutton
• WINNER: Cody Kilby
• Molly Tuttle

Mandolin Player of the Year

• WINNER: Sierra Hull
• Ronnie McCoury
• Jesse Brock
• Sam Bush
• Alan Bibey

Broader Impact and Industry Implications

The 2026 IBMA Awards reflect a dynamic period of transition and growth within the global roots and bluegrass sectors. While foundational pillars of the acoustic community—such as Alison Krauss, Del McCoury, and Sam Bush—continue to exert profound influence as standard-bearers, the voting patterns signal a deliberate industry embrace of genre fluidity and cross-generational pollination.

The ongoing dominance of artists like Billy Strings demonstrates how non-traditional touring models and massive crossover appeal can coexist with deep reverence for traditional repertoire. Furthermore, victories by independent-minded groups like East Nash Grass and solo artists such as Trey Hensley highlight the robust health of independent recording ecosystems within bluegrass. By honoring both historic pioneers through Hall of Fame inductions and pushing contemporary boundaries with boundary-pushing multimedia and instrumental projects, the IBMA continues to validate bluegrass as a living, evolving art form capable of capturing mainstream cultural relevance while fiercely protecting its acoustic roots.