The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced the nominees for the 2026 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, and we couldn’t be prouder. Eight artists from the TrueFire and ArtistWorks family earned nominations spanning 14 categories, from Song of the Year and Album of the Year to nearly every instrumental category on the ballot.
The IBMA Awards are bluegrass music’s highest honor, voted on by the professional membership of the IBMA. Winners will be announced at the 37th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday, October 22 at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Here’s a look at our nominees and where you can study with each of them.
Trey Hensley: 4 Nominations
Trey had a monster year, and the IBMA membership noticed. His record “Can’t Outrun the Blues” is up for both Song of the Year and Album of the Year, and Trey himself is nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year and Guitar Player of the Year. That’s a rare four-category sweep across writing, singing, and picking.
Study flatpicking with Trey in his courses on TrueFire.
Alison Brown: 6 Nominations
Alison shows up all over this year’s ballot. Her collaborations with Steve Martin earned nominations for Song of the Year and Collaborative Recording of the Year (“New Cluck Old Hen”) and Instrumental Recording of the Year (“Let’s Get Out of Here”). She’s also nominated for Banjo Player of the Year, and she appears twice in Music Video of the Year with “New Cluck Old Hen” and “Ralph’s Banjo Special” alongside Kristin Scott Benson and Gena Britt.
Learn banjo with Alison in her school on ArtistWorks.
Bryan Sutton: 4 Nominations
Bryan’s pairing with Billy Strings on “The Devil Went Down to Deep Gap” earned nominations for Collaborative Recording of the Year and Music Video of the Year, and his duet with Sierra Hull on “Grandfather’s Clock” is up for Instrumental Recording of the Year. Bryan is also once again a nominee for Guitar Player of the Year, an award he has won more times than any other guitarist in IBMA history.
Study bluegrass guitar with Bryan in his school on ArtistWorks.
Sierra Hull: 3 Nominations
Sierra is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and Mandolin Player of the Year, and her recording of “Grandfather’s Clock” with Bryan Sutton is up for Instrumental Recording of the Year. Two ArtistWorks educators sharing one nomination is the kind of stat we’ll never get tired of.
Learn mandolin with Sierra in her school on ArtistWorks.
Tony Trischka: 2 Nominations
A living legend of the five-string, Tony earned a nomination for Banjo Player of the Year, and his recording of “Gentle On My Mind” with Billy Strings is up for Collaborative Recording of the Year.
Study banjo with Tony in his school on ArtistWorks.
Alex Hargreaves: Instrumental Group of the Year
Alex holds down the fiddle chair in the Billy Strings band, nominated for Instrumental Group of the Year. If you’ve seen that band live, you know how much firepower Alex brings to the stage every night.
Learn fiddle with Alex in his school on ArtistWorks.
Missy Raines: Bass Player of the Year
Missy is nominated once again for Bass Player of the Year, a category she has won more than any bassist in IBMA history.
Study bluegrass bass with Missy in her school on ArtistWorks.
Andy Hall: Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year
The Infamous Stringdusters’ Andy Hall picks up a nomination for Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year, recognition of his standing as one of the premier dobro players in the game.
Learn dobro with Andy in his school on ArtistWorks.
The Full List
Instrumental Group of the Year
Billy Strings, featuring Alex Hargreaves
Song of the Year
“Can’t Outrun the Blues” by Trey Hensley
“New Cluck Old Hen” by Steve Martin and Alison Brown
Album of the Year
“Can’t Outrun the Blues” by Trey Hensley
Instrumental Recording of the Year
“Grandfather’s Clock” by Bryan Sutton and Sierra Hull
“Let’s Get Out of Here” by Steve Martin and Alison Brown
Collaborative Recording of the Year
“Gentle On My Mind” by Tony Trischka and Billy Strings
“New Cluck Old Hen” by Steve Martin and Alison Brown
“The Devil Went Down to Deep Gap” by Bryan Sutton and Billy Strings
Male Vocalist of the Year
Trey Hensley
Female Vocalist of the Year
Sierra Hull
Banjo Player of the Year
Tony Trischka
Alison Brown
Bass Player of the Year
Missy Raines
Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year
Andy Hall
Guitar Player of the Year
Bryan Sutton
Trey Hensley
Mandolin Player of the Year
Sierra Hull
Music Video of the Year
“The Devil Went Down to Deep Gap” by Bryan Sutton and Billy Strings
“New Cluck Old Hen” by Steve Martin and Alison Brown
“Ralph’s Banjo Special” by Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt and Alison Brown
Learn From the Best in Bluegrass
There’s a reason the artists teaching on TrueFire and ArtistWorks keep showing up on the IBMA ballot: they’re the players defining what bluegrass sounds like right now. And every one of them is ready to help you take your own playing to the next level, whether that’s through interactive video courses on TrueFire or personalized Video Exchange feedback on ArtistWorks.
Congratulations to Trey, Alison, Bryan, Sierra, Tony, Alex, Missy, and Andy. We’ll be cheering you on in Chattanooga on October 22.