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M.Marmot
Sep-27-2013, 6:24am
I had the impression that when it comes to awards being handed out for the mandolin i keep seeing the same small group of players winning passing around the awards like a game of hot potato.

I got curious and had to look up the IBMA awards and found that for the past 23 years the mandolin award has been shared between five players! What?

What the heck is going on - are there no young players coming through?
Are things so set that they might as well just annually present a joint award to Steffey/Bush/McCoury?

'But these guys won 'cause they are the best' - sure i get that, but, help me here because i'm genuinely surprised, how come there is not more variety - where are the pretenders to the throne? The young guns? The Clubber Langs to challenge the champs?

Is it simply that these guys have got the whole gig sewn up? (cue -'yup')

Oh, also - just how international is this IBMA - is it international in the sense of representing a worldwide consensus or international as in the World series?

Rex Hart
Sep-27-2013, 8:00am
Agreed. I am a fan of all of the above, but what about others...like
Aaron Ramsey
Shawn Lane
Sierra Hull, etc.

David Smith
Sep-27-2013, 8:34am
Does anyone know how winners are selected? "The Academy" votes on Oscar winners, so who comprises the IBMA academy"

Pete Counter
Sep-27-2013, 8:51am
Does anyone know how winners are selected? "The Academy" votes on Oscar winners, so who comprises the IBMA academy"

That would be members of the IBMA, you can go to thier website (ibma.org) to find more info on how you can become a member and vote.

shawnbrock
Sep-27-2013, 9:21am
This is a subject which has been debated and complained about for years. The mandolin category is one of the better ones. In other categories an awarded is shared between even fewer people. Also one thing I would like to point out is that Steffey never got this award while he was with Allison, at the time I always found that to be strange. I guess they made up for it in the end... Not that it makes a difference to me, because Steffey is my favorite. Never the less, I do agree. Many people have left the IBMA for reasons such as this, along with dissatisfaction of location, and one reason and another. I too always wondered why it is that Shawn Lane has always been great, and was another huge influence in my playing, but I don't recall him ever being a nominee... In short, there is a lot of politics at play, and I joined the "former member category". I made that decision after hearing a quote from a high ranking person where they said, "we just can't let that band be a final nominee. They don't play enough." I had nothing to do with the band in question, but thought they were good, and in fact had voted for them. I remarked to this high ranking person that I guessed my vote didn't count. They shifted from one foot to another and babbled...

Stephen Cagle
Sep-27-2013, 9:30am
Yeah I see the frustration there. As far as I understand it is everyone that's an IBMA member that votes. I have been guilty myself for being a member then not a member for a year or so so I guess I have no say-so in it. Shawn Lane and (My favorite!) Alan Bibey certainly 2 great mandolin players that I'm not sure if they have ever been nominated. It seems to me that the bands that are nominated for band, song, instrumental, gospel, male/female of the year are usually the ones that become mandolin, banjo, guitar bass, and fiddle player of the year that's within those groups. It doesn't seem to vary too far outside of that. ~o)

John Duncan
Sep-27-2013, 9:49am
That is why there are brand new momentum awards now. The 2013 IBMA momentum award for instrumentalist of the year went to Chris Luquette. A young gun for sure.

Congratulations Chris!

M.Marmot
Sep-27-2013, 10:11am
Ah o-kay then, and there i was thinking that an awards ceremony that does not promote emerging talent is shooting itself in the foot.

shawnbrock
Sep-27-2013, 2:43pm
Ah o-kay then, and there i was thinking that an awards ceremony that does not promote emerging talent is shooting itself in the foot.


Nope... You were on target the first time so don't worry. An example of the IBMA is that they still have dead people in the final nomination categories. Also, Darrell Webb is currently recording an album to celebrate his 20th year as a professional musician, but the IBMA had "The Darrell Webb Band" in the "Emerging Artist Of The Year" category. If a man hasn't emerged after 20 years of playing in professional bands, I just don't know what to say. This should be a category for a band/ artist who has 1/ 2 records out, not dozens...

These statements aren't based on my opinion, they're based on fact. Its up to people to decide for themselves how they feel.

re simmers
Sep-27-2013, 2:54pm
Adam Steffey w/Alison is a mystery. His mandolin playing was/is a major part of sound on everything he played with her. His playing was the most notable of all mandolinists in bluegrass through that period.

What am I seeing differently for the members of the academy? Lou Reid! I guess Jamie Daley would be the only tenor singer in the category with Lou. Lou's mandolin is also in the top ranking. The Seldom Scene is now more often seen. Shouldn't that count? What's the requirements for appearances?

JMHO.

Bob

Popeye39
Sep-27-2013, 9:40pm
I really appreciate the work and style of Steffey. I have the Boxcars album and enjoy it very much. Frankly, I feel AKUS was a more versatile band with Adam. That being said, the IBMA has some soul searching to do. At what point do they expand the circle of, what is bluegrass? String bands are popping up everywhere, but they make newer sounding music that strays from traditional bluegrass. The Deadly Gentleman, and Trampled by Turtles are examples of this. Certainly not traditional bluegrass, but how many versions of Fox on the Run, can we hear? Hopefully there is some middle ground. I feel some brilliant musicians are missing exposure. One of my favorites on the mandolin is Jeff Parker, he plays and sings with the best bluegrass band in the country, (Dailey and Vincent) and doesn't get much ink at the awards or on the cafe. Just my 2 cents. Talking about, what is bluegrass, is like discussing who makes the best sausage gravy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KshIfJSqcHU

f5loar
Sep-28-2013, 5:29pm
If you ain't out there on the charts you ain't getting listed to be voted on is what I see. First time I have voted in many years and what I saw on the list to vote on is lots of people I had no idea who they were and how they sounded so I had to voted on who I knew and what they have done in the past year to be able to vote. Now we all have our favorite mandolin picker but I think they pretty much got a good list to choose from that were at least out there touring and on the charts. You can't really vote for someone who is staying local and expect them to get any votes. I was surprised at many of the category winners but was not on the mandolin. The first run list was acceptable and the final nominations was too so it fell where it fell with the most votes provided you trust IBMA to be honest in their voting procedures. And if you except American Idol, CMA, Miss USA, etc. voting outcome then I see no reason not to trust IBMA's method of this winner process. Good to see new categories like in up and coming etc. Makes it more fair to all that are out their trying to be noticed and gives them that push to keep going.

Ivan Kelsall
Sep-29-2013, 3:46am
Personally,other than the fact that Adam Steffey is a tremendous player who certainly deserves to win the IBMA award,i really couldn't care less re.the award itself. It's sufficient for me that these guys (& gals) are around & playing great music.Winning a music award doesn't make Adam Steffey a better player,neither does NOT winning an award make all the other players 'worse'. I suppose that the 'recognition' is nice when you win an award,but if i had 10 % of the talent of the non-winers,i'd be ok with that !,
Ivan;)

Michael Ramsey
Oct-01-2013, 2:20pm
The IBMA voting process is a three stage process. In the late spring, a wide open list is comprised from anyone who is a professional member of IBMA. It's a write-in vote. From this vote, there is what is called the nominees of the second round, still about 15-20 different mandolin players (bass, guitar, banjo, etc., etc., categories) This voted upon in June/July and the final nominees are announced in mid-August. At that point it is narrowed down to 5 final nominees. Voting is tabulated and the awards are presented at the IBMA awards show, this year in Raleigh, NC.

I help to promote and present the Red White and Bluegrass Festival (http://www.redwhiteandbluegrassfestival.com) and I also play bass in a band called Eddie Rose and Highway Forty (http://www.highwayforty.com). I pay my $70-$75 per year dues, so that I can have a voice in the voting process, and I take that pretty seriously. I've seen my son Aaron make the second round a few times as well as Shawn Lane.

Attendance to this year's business conference was up by about 400 folks, over last year's event in Nashville. The Red Hat Amphitheater event on Friday and Saturday night sold out. That the first time that has ever happened. 12,000 seats sold (6,000 each day) as opposed to 8,000 total seats sold last year in Nashville. New membership is up 25% over last year.

Many folks will attribute these increases to a new city (that seemed appreciative of the event coming to Raleigh) but, quite possibly, it could be attributed to an overall increase of sorts in the nation's economy.

I've attended the IBMA events every year since 1994. My first attendance was just for what was called Fan Fest in Owensboro, KY, in 1988, with my wife and then 3 year old son, Aaron.

I'm not saying that everything the IBMA does I am in agreement with. But, I do have a say, by paying my dues and the board of directors pretty much know me by name and sight, since I have been involved for such a long time. As an example, a guy who lives in TN would have a pretty hard time getting the attention of a Congressman from MT with regard to national affairs. Likewise, I feel that if folks do not agree with what the IBMA is doing, they should all pony up the $70-$75 yearly dues, in order to make their vote count and have the avenue of communication with the IBMA boards and membership open to their ideas and thoughts.

My wife and I spent about $55 on one meal at a nice Italian restaurant while in Raleigh.

Other opinions expected and respected.