JOHNSON CITY (December 2020) – East Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Studies program won big earlier this fall in the virtual 2020 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Convention and Awards.
The weeklong event was highlighted by the presentation of an IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award to the ETSU program’s founder, Jack Tottle. The IBMA Industry Awards are given each year to professionals dedicated to furthering bluegrass music and its artists, and the ceremony included a presentation video of Tottle receiving his award.
In addition, several alumni, faculty and students won awards, including IBMA’s top award, Entertainer of the Year.
IBMA Momentum Awards are given annually to artists and industry professionals in the early years of their careers in bluegrass music. This year, Momentum Awards were given to two ETSU alumni and faculty members – Thomas Cassell for Instrumentalist of the Year and Kris Truelsen for Industry Involvement of the Year.
During the virtual 2020 IBMA Awards Show, alumni Becky Buller and Haselden Ciaccio brought home big awards.
Buller received Collaborative Recording of the Year for “The Barber’s Fiddle.” Collaborating on this recording included alumnus and current ETSU Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Studies Director Dan Boner, as well as Shawn Camp, Jason Carter, Laurie Lewis, Kati Penn, Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Johnny Warren, Stuart Duncan, Deanie Richardson, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Jason Barie, Fred Carpenter, Tyler Andal, Nate Lee, Brian Christianson and Laura Orshaw.
Buller, along with Special Consensus with Michael Cleveland, earned the Song of the Year award for “Chicago Barn Dance,” which Buller cowrote with Missy Raines and Alison Brown.
Ciaccio and her bandmates in the powerhouse group Sister Sadie received Vocal Group of the Year, as well as the top honor of Entertainer of the Year.