7th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards

7th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards
Date	September 26, 1996
Location	RiverPark Center, Owensboro, Kentucky, US
Hosted by	Ricky Skaggs [1]
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The 7th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards were held on September 26, 1996, at RiverPark Center, Owensboro, Kentucky. ^[2] The awards recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. 5 awards were won by either Del McCoury or his sons (Ronnie McCoury, Rob McCoury) and they were nominated in 10 of the categories. ^[3]

Award winners

Entertainer of the Year

• The Del McCoury Band
• IIIrd Tyme Out
• Alison Krauss & Union Station
• Lonesome River Band
• Nashville Bluegrass Band

Vocal Group of the Year

• IIIrd Tyme Out
• Alison Krauss & Union Station
• Lonesome River Band
• Del McCoury
• Nashville Bluegrass Band

Instrumental Group of the Year

• The Del McCoury Band
• Richard Greene & The Grass Is Greener
• Alison Krauss & Union Station
• Nashville Bluegrass Band
• Tony Rice Unit

Male Vocalist of the Year

• Del McCoury
• Ronnie Bowman
• Dudley Connell
• Russell Moore
• Alan O'Bryant

Female Vocalist of the Year

• Lynn Morris
• Suzanne Cox
• Alison Krauss
• Laurie Lewis
• Claire Lynch

Song Of The Year

• "Mama's Hand"
  • Hazel Dickens, songwriter (Lynn Morris)
• "Another Place, Another Time"
  • Jerry Chestnut, songwriter (Ronnie & Rob McCoury)
• "In The Gravel Yard"
  • Malcolm Pulley, songwriter (Blue Highway)
• "Tear My Stillhouse Down"
  • Gillian Welch, songwriter (The Nashville Bluegrass Band)
• "Wing and a Prayer"
  • Kim Williams, Sam Login & Jim Olander, songwriters (David Parmley, Scott Vestal & Continental Divide)

Album of the Year

• It's A Long Long Road - Blue Highway
  • Blue Highway, producer
• Mama's Hand - Lynn Morris
  • Lynn Morris, producer
• One Step Forward - The Lonesome River Band
  • The Lonesome River Band, producer
• Ronnie & Rob McCoury - Ronnie & Rob McCoury
  • Ronnie McCoury, producer
• Unleashed - The Nashville Bluegrass Band
  • Jerry Douglas, producer

Recorded Event of the Year

• Bluegrass '95 - Scott Vestal, Aubrey Haynie, Adam Steffey, Wayne Benson, Barry Bales & Clay Jones
  • David Parmley, producer
• Fiddle And A Song - Byron Berline
  • Byron Berline, producer
• Rose Of Old Kentucky - Byron Berline featuring Vince Gill
  • Byron Berline, producer
• 60 Years of Bluegrass with My Friends - Curly Seckler
  • Billy Henson, producer
• That High Lonesome Sound - Old & In the Way
  • David Grisman, producer

Instrumental Recording of the Year

• Ronnie & Rob McCoury - Ronnie & Rob McCoury
  • Ronnie McCoury, producer
• An American Original - The '94 Sessions - Chubby Wise
  • Sonny Osborne, producer
• Dancing In The Hog Trough - Lynn Morris
  • Lynn Morris, producer
• Southern Comfort - The Lonesome River Band
  • The Lonesome River Band, producer
• Wolves A' Howlin' - Richard Greene & The Grass Is Greener
  • Richard Greene, producer

Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year

• There's A Light Guiding Me - Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
  • Doyle Lawson, producer
• Glory Train - Southern Rail
  • Bob Dick and Southern Rail, producers
• I Can Call Jesus - Lynn Morris
  • Lynn Morris, producer
• My God Made It All - Bass Mountain Boys
  • Butch Baldassari, producer
• Pathway To Heaven - The McPeak Brothers
  • The McPeak Brothers, producers

Emerging Artist of the Year

• Blue Highway
• Laurel Canyon Ramblers
• Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
• Wyatt Rice & Santa Cruz
• The Sidemen

Instrumental Performers of the Year

Banjo Player of the Year

• Sammy Shelor
• Scott Vestal
• Ron Block
• J.D. Crowe
• Rob McCoury

Dobro Player of the Year

• Rob Ickes
• Mike Auldridge
• Jerry Douglas
• Sally Van Meter
• Gene Wooten

Bass Player of the Year

• Mike Bub
• Roy Huskey Jr.
• Gene Libbea
• Missy Raines
• Mark Schatz

Fiddle Player of the Year

• Stuart Duncan
• Byron Berline
• Jason Carter
• Alison Krauss
• Chubby Wise

Guitar Player of the Year

• Tony Rice
• David Grier
• Del McCoury
• Larry Sparks
• Doc Watson

Mandolin Player of the Year

• Ronnie McCoury
• Butch Baldassari
• Sam Bush
• Bill Monroe
• Adam Steffey

References

1. "IBMA Press Release: Ricky Skaggs To Host Awards Show". IBMA.org. Archived from the original on April 14, 1997. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
2. "IBMA Press Release: Nominees Announced". IBMA.org. Archived from the original on April 14, 1997. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
3. "Awards by Year - IBMA". IBMA.org. Retrieved August 4, 2025.