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Press Release
MCCOURY STEPS IT UP IN 18TH ANNUAL IBMA AWARDS NOMINATIONS
12-Sep-07 - Nashville, TN. Already owner of more International Bluegrass Music Association Entertainer of the Year awards than any other artist, Del McCoury broadened his leadership role in the industry at Thursday's awards nominations press conference, held at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. In addition to representing the Association before the public by joining Dale Ann Bradley to present the nominations, McCoury emerged as an unprecedented twin threat among nominees, earning a total of eleven nominations as a bandleader-artist and as a record label executive.
Among the nominations were seven for the Del McCoury Band, including collective nominations for Entertainer of the Year, Instrumental Group of the Year, Gospel Recorded Event of the Year (for The Promised Land) and individual nominations for Del (on Recorded Event of the Year nominee Jerry Salley's New Songs, Old Friends), Ronnie McCoury (Mandolin Player of the Year) and fiddler Jason Carter (for his contributions on Hunter Berry's Wow Baby, which earned nominations in the Instrumental Album and Recorded Event categories).
In addition, McCoury Music's first signing, Larry Sparks, received two nominations for his McCoury Music debut, The Last Suit You Wear (Album of the Year and, for the title track, Song of the Year), and two more for Male Vocalist of the Year and Guitar Player of the Year.
McCoury Music General Manager Chris Harris, who attended the press conference with Del, said, "It was wonderful to be able to spend this exciting morning with Del. He had a great time announcing the nominees, and it was clear that he was as thrilled by the nominations for Larry Sparks and The Last Suit You Wear as he was for his own nominations. We take these honors as a confirmation that Del's efforts to help bluegrass grow and to bring attention to artists who may have been overlooked are worthwhile."
Said McCoury, "folks have always supported us as a band, and to have them now step up and support our label, too, means the world to me. It's a lot of fun for me to get to work with folks like Larry Sparks, and to give back a little to this music that has given so much to me and my family. It makes me proud that the IBMA members are recognizing what we're doing."
The awards and nominees are voted on by professional members of IBMA, which serves as the trade association for the bluegrass industry. With the IBMA Award Show as its focal point, the World of Bluegrass week also includes the industry's Business Conference and Bluegrass Fan Fest, held October 1 - 7, 2007 in Nashville, TN. The awards show is to be hosted by renowned mandolin player and vocalist Sam Bush on Thursday, October 4, 2007, at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee.
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