When Alison Krauss helped announce the nominees for the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Awards, she also found herself among the leading nominees. Krauss and her band scored nine nominations, which were announced Thursday morning (Aug. 19) at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. The Del McCoury Band and Blue Highway also earned nominations in seven categories.

Alison Krauss & Union Station landed nominations in the categories of entertainer, instrumental group, vocal group, female vocalist (for Krauss), male vocalist (for Dan Tyminski), Dobro player (Jerry Douglas), bass player (Barry Bales) and banjo player (Ron Block). Krauss also sang on the album Livin', Lovin', Losin': Songs of the Louvin Brothers, which earned a nomination for recorded event.

Standing with Krauss after the announcements, Tyminski said, "We've both been doing this our whole lives, and to be acknowledged in that way is a very warm feeling."

Krauss added, "I know I never thought that I'd get to do this for a living, and then when these people that we've admired for our whole lives acknowledge us and say, 'We think you're all right,' it’s really nice."

The Del McCoury Band, the IBMA's reigning entertainer of the year, repeated a nomination in that category and also surfaced in vocal group, instrumental group, album (for It's Just the Night), banjo player (Rob McCoury), bass player (Mike Bub), fiddle player (Jason Carter) and mandolin player (Ronnie McCoury). Various members of the band also appeared on three albums nomination for recorded event: David Grisman's Life of Sorrow, the Louvin Brothers tribute and the self-titled album by the supergroup, WhiteHouse. Those 12 nominations make them the ceremony's leading nominee.

Blue Highway, a highly respected band with some of bluegrass' most high-profile pickers, landed seven nominations, including vocal group, instrumental group and song ("Seven Sundays in a Row"). Their album, Wondrous Love, earned nods for album and gospel recorded performance, while member Rob Ickes took a Dobro player nomination as well as a instrumental album nod for his album Big Time, which also featured Blue Highway.

Rhonda Vincent, who has won the female vocalist trophy every year since 2000, returns in that category. She is also nominated in the categories of entertainer, song ("Kentucky Borderline"), album (One Step Ahead) and recorded event for the Louvin tribute.

Asked about her nominations, Vincent said, "We were on the road over 300 days this year. And when you're on the road 300 days, it's a really nice confirmation of, 'Yes, keep doing what you’re doing.' It's wonderful, and I think it's something we all look forward to."

Mountain Heart and Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver round out the entertainer category. Each of those bands earned five nominations, while Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder captured four nods. Other multiple nominees include Grisman, Dale Ann Bradley, Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Tim O'Brien, Earl Scruggs, Sammy Shelor, Larry Sparks, Bryan Sutton and Doc Watson.

The five nominees for emerging artist are Cherryholmes, King Wilkie, Nothin' Fancy, Alecia Nugent and Pine Mountain Railroad. Nugent was in the front row during the announcement ceremony. "I kind of got a late start this year with the booking agency and all that stuff, so it's really a great honor and a great surprise," she said. "I'm tickled to death. It's like an open door saying 'Welcome into our family.'"

Because of the Louvin tribute, a number of country stars are included among the IBMA nominees this year. Participants included Joe Nichols, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, James Taylor, Vince Gill, Terri Clark, Merle Haggard, Ronnie Dunn, Patty Loveless, Dierks Bentley, Dolly Parton, Marty Stuart and Pam Tillis.

The IBMA award winners will be announced Oct. 7 in Louisville, Ky.

2004 IBMA Nominations

Entertainer of the Year

Alison Krauss & Union Station

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

The Del McCoury Band

Mountain Heart

Rhonda Vincent & the Rage

Instrumental Group of the Year

Blue Highway

Alison Krauss & Union Station

The Del McCoury Band

Mountain Heart

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder

Vocal Group of the Year

Blue Highway

Alison Krauss & Union Station

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

The Del McCoury Band

Mountain Heart

Male Vocalist of the Year

Del McCoury

Russell Moore

Tim O'Brien

Larry Sparks

Dan Tyminski

Female Vocalist of the Year

Dale Ann Bradley

Sonya Isaacs

Alison Krauss

Lynn Morris

Rhonda Vincent

Song of the Year

"Kentucky Borderline"

Artist: Rhonda Vincent

Writers: Rhonda Vincent and Terry Herd

"I've Endured"

Artist: Tim O'Brien

Writers: David Arthur and Ola Belle Reed

"Seven Sundays in a Row"

Artist: Blue Highway

Writers: Wayne Taylor, Kim Williams and Larry Shell

"That Bluegrass Music"

Artist: The Gibson Brothers

Writers: Leigh Gibson, Eric Gibson and Mike Barber

"You Ain't Lived"

Artist: Larry Sparks

Writer: Marshal Warwick

Album of the Year

A School of Bluegrass

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

It's Just the Night

The Del McCoury Band

One Step Ahead

Rhonda Vincent

The Three Pickers

Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs

Wondrous Love

Blue Highway

Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year

Living on the Hallelujah Side

Paul Williams & the Victory Trio

Send the Angels

Dale Ann Bradley

Songs of the Faith

The Isaacs

Thank God

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Wondrous Love

Blue Highway

Instrumental Album of the Year

Big Time

Rob Ickes with Blue Highway

Bluegrass Guitar

Bryan Sutton

Hold On, We're Strummin'

Sam Bush and David Grisman

Live at the Ragged Edge

Tom Adams and Michael Cleveland

Team Flathead: Huber Banjo Sessions

Sammy Shelor, John Lawless, Steve Huber, Ron Stewart & Jim Mills

Recorded Event of the Year

Hold On, We're Strummin'

Sam Bush and David Grisman

Life of Sorrow

David Grisman: Featuring: Bryan Bowers, John Hartford, The Del McCoury Band, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, John Nagy, Alan O'Bryant, Herb Pedersen, Ralph Rinzler, Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, Mac Wiseman & others

Livin' Lovin' Losin: Songs of the Louvin Brothers

Joe Nichols, Rhonda Vincent, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, James Taylor, Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, Terry Clark, Merle Haggard, Carl Jackson, Ronnie Dunn, Rebecca Lynn Howard, Glen Campbell, Leslie Satcher, Kathy Louvin, Pamela Brown Hayes, Linda Ronstadt, Patty Loveless, Jon Randall, Harley Allen, Dierks Bentley, Larry Cordle, Jerry Salley, Dolly Parton, Sonya Isaacs, Marty Stuart, Del McCoury, Pam Tillis, Johnny Cash & the Jordanaires

The Three Pickers

Earl Scruggs, Doc Watson and Ricky Skaggs

WhiteHouse

WhiteHouse (David Parmley, Larry Stephenson, Charlie Cushman, Jason Carter & Missy Raines)

Emerging Artist of the Year

Cherryholmes

King Wilkie

Nothin' Fancy

Alecia Nugent

Pine Mountain Railroad

Instrumental Performers of the Year

Banjo

Ron Block

J.D. Crowe

Rob McCoury

Jim Mills

Sammy Shelor

Bass

Barry Bales

Mike Bub

Jason Moore

Missy Raines

Marshall Wilborn

Dobro

Mike Auldridge

Jerry Douglas

Josh Graves

Rob Ickes

Phil Leadbetter

Fiddle

Jason Carter

Michael Cleveland

Stuart Duncan

Aubrey Haynie

Ron Stewart

Guitar

Jim Hurst

Tony Rice

Kenny Smith

Bryan Sutton

Doc Watson

Mandolin

Sam Bush

Mike Compton

Doyle Lawson

Ronnie McCoury

Adam Steffey

Bluegrass Event of the Year

California Bluegrass Association 28th Annual Father's Day Bluegrass Festival (Grass Valley, Calif.)

MerleFest (Wilkesboro, N.C.)

Wintergrass Bluegrass Festival (Tacoma, Wash.)

Print Media Personality of the Year

Thomas Goldsmith, The Bluegrass Reader (editor), News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., (features editor), Bluegrass Unlimited (freelance writer)

Butch Robins, What I Know 'Bout What I Know (editor)

Caroline Wright; Bluegrass Now, Bluegrass Unlimited, Honolulu Weekly (columnist, freelance writer)

Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year

Wayne Bledsoe. KUMR-FM (Rolla, Mo.)

Terry Herd, Sirius Satellite Radio, Bluegrass Radio Network (Nashville)

Chris Jones, Sirius Satellite Radio (Nashville)

Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project

Sue Meyer (designer), Bluegrass All-Stars: 16 Grand Slams From Sugar Hill Records, various artists

Sue Meyer (designer), Traveler, Tim O'Brien

Sarah Lainie Smith (designer), The Bluegrass Guitar Collection, Tony Rice

Best Liners Notes for a Recorded Project

Ron Block (writer), The Bluegrass Guitar Collection, Tony Rice, Rounder Records

Gary B. Reid (writer), The Stanley Brothers: The King Years, Stanley Brothers, King Records

Eddie Stubbs and Charles K. Wolfe (writers), 'Tis Sweet to Be Remembered, Mac Wiseman, Bear Family Records