The Gibson Brothers Snag Eight IBMA Nominations

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) announced the nominees for the 2013 IBMA Awards last week, and Nippertown’s own bluegrass kingpins (and reigning IBMA Entertainers of the Year) the Gibson Brothers led the pack with nominations in eight categories.

The Gibson Brothers received nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Vocal Group, Album of the Year (They Called It Music), Song of the Year (“They Called It Music”) and Gospel Recorded Event (“Home on the River”).

Guitarist Eric Gibson also received two nominations in songwriter categories for Song of the Year (“They Called It Music,” along with co-writer Joe Newberry) and Songwriter of the Year. In addition, band member Jesse Brock also earned a nomination for Mandolin Player of the Year.

The Gibson Brothers are followed by Balsam Range with seven nominations, while the Boxcars, Alison Krauss & Union Station and Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out earned six nominations each.

Go here for a complete list of nominees. Winners will be announced at the IBMA Awards Show, which is scheduled for September 26 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Before heading down to the IBMA Awards Show, the Gibson Brothers will be featured performers on Saturday, September 21 at the FreshGrass festival at MASS MoCA in North Adams. Other performers slated for the three-day fest include fellow Entertainers of the Year nominees the Del McCoury Band, as well as Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Noam Pikelny & Friends, Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon, the Lone Bellow, Jerry Douglas, the Infamous Stringdusters, Edgar Meyer & Mike Marshall, and many others.