The Boxcars, a band that released its debut album less than a year ago, emerged as the top contender when the nominees for the 22nd annual International Bluegrass Music Awards were announced Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 17) in Nashville.

Other top nominees include the Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Gibson Brothers, Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, the Lonesome River Band and Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers.

Additionally, the IBMA announced the induction of Del McCoury and bassist-guitarist George Shuffler into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. The organization also announced five recipients of its Distinguished Achievement Award -- musician and educator Greg Cahill, radio broadcaster Bill Knowlton, European-based journalist Lilly Pavlak, musical instrument designer and manufacturer Geoff Stelling and musician Roland White.

The Boxcars are a relatively new band, but its members include seven-time IBMA mandolin player of the year Adam Steffey and multi-instrumentalist Ron Stewart, named fiddle player of the year in 2000. Stewart is nominated for banjo player and fiddle player of the year at this year's awards show. Steffey is again included in the mandolin division.

The band's nine nominations include entertainer of the year, emerging artist and instrumental group of the year. Their self-titled debut album is nominated for album of the year, and they also received mentions in the gospel recorded performance category for "In God's Hands" and instrumental recorded performance for "Jumpin' the Track."

The awards show takes place Sept. 29 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.

Here's a complete list of this year's nominees:

Entertainer of the Year

The Boxcars

Dailey & Vincent

The Gibson Brothers

The Grascals

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers

Vocal Group

Blue Highway

Dailey & Vincent

The Gibson Brothers

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver

Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out

Instrumental Group

Blue Highway

The Boxcars

Sam Bush Band

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

The Infamous Stringdusters

Emerging Artist

Darin and Brooke Aldridge

Balsam Range

The Boxcars

Sierra Hull & Highway 111

Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers

Male Vocalist

Jamie Dailey

Leigh Gibson

Russell Moore

Dan Tyminski

Josh Williams

Female Vocalist

Dale Ann Bradley

Sonya Isaacs

Alison Krauss

Claire Lynch

Rhonda Vincent

Song of the Year

"Help My Brother"

Artist: The Gibson Brothers

Writer: Leigh Gibson

"I Am Strong"

Artists: The Grascals featuring Dolly Parton

Writers: Jamie Johnson, Susanne Mumpower-Johnson and Janee Fleenor

"I'll Take Love"

Artist: Dale Ann Bradley with Alison Krauss and Steve Gulley

Writers: Louisa Branscomb and Dale Ann Bradley

"Trains I Missed"

Artist: Balsam Range

Writers: Walt Wilkins, Gilles Godard and Nicole Witt

"Walkin' West to Memphis"

Artist: The Gibson Brothers

Writer: Chris Henry

Album of the Year

The All-Star Jam: Live at Graves Mountain

Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, the Crowe Brothers, Lonesome River Band, Mark Newton, Lou Reid & Carolina, Carl Jackson, Audie Blaylock & Redline, Carrie Hassler with Brand New Strings

Almost Home

Larry Sparks

The Boxcars

The Boxcars

Help My Brother

The Gibson Brothers

Rare Bird Alert

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers

Trains I Missed

Balsam Range

Gospel Recorded Performance

"God's Front Porch"

Lou Reid & Carolina

Songwriter: Dennis Duff

"He Can Be Found"

The Gibson Brothers

Songwriters: Ella Barrett and Faye Cunningham

"In God's Hands"

The Boxcars

Songwriter: John Benjamin Rochester

"Prayer Bells of Heaven"

J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson and Paul Williams

Songwriters: J.F. Lowe and H.W. Ward

"Sailing On"

Russell Moore and Dale Ann Bradley

Songwriter: Rick Lang

Instrumental Recorded Performance

"Goin' Up Dry Branch"

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

Songwriters: Buddy Spicher and Jimmy Martin

"Ground Speed"

Rural Rhythm All-Stars: Sammy Shelor, Carl Jackson, Brandon Rickman, Wayne Benson, Mike Hartgrove and Mike Anglin

Songwriter: Earl Scruggs

"Jumpin' the Track"

The Boxcars

Songwriter: Ron Stewart

"Pretty Little Girl"

Lonesome River Band

Public domain

"Rare Bird Alert"

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers

Songwriter: Steve Martin

Recorded Event

"Graves Mountain Memories"

Rural Rhythm All-Stars featuring Carl Jackson, Mark Newton, Audie Blaylock, Lou Reid, Russell Moore, Carrie Hassler, Sammy Shelor, Mike Hartgrove, Wayne Benson and Mike Anglin

"I Am Strong"

The Grascals featuring Dolly Parton

"I'll Take Love"

Dale Ann Bradley featuring Alison Krauss and Steve Gulley

"Lonesome River"

Lou Reid & Carolina featuring Russell Moore

"Prayer Bells of Heaven"

J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson and Paul Williams

Instrumental Performers

Banjo

Terry Baucom

Kristin Scott Benson

Ron Block

J.D. Crowe

Sammy Shelor

Ron Stewart

Bass

Barry Bales

Mike Bub

Missy Raines

Mark Schatz

Marshall Wilborn

Fiddle

Hunter Berry

Jason Carter

Michael Cleveland

Stuart Duncan

Ron Stewart

Dobro

Mike Auldridge

Jerry Douglas

Rob Ickes

Randy Kohrs

Phil Leadbetter

Guitar

Cody Kilby

Tony Rice

Kenny Smith

Bryan Sutton

Josh Williams

Mandolin

Wayne Benson

Sam Bush

Sierra Hull

Ronnie McCoury

Adam Steffey

Bluegrass Broadcaster

Katy Daley (WAMU's Bluegrass Country, Washington, D.C.)

Chris Jones (Sirius XM Satellite Radio, Nashville)

Tim White (Song of the Mountains, Marion, Va.)

Bluegrass Event

31st annual Bluegrass and Chili Festival (Claremore, Okla.)

Silver Dollar City's Bluegrass and Barbecue Festival (Branson, Mo.)

Wintergrass Youth Orchestra Gala (Bellevue, Wash.)

Bluegrass Print Media Personality

Ralph Berrier Jr. (author of If Trouble Don't Kill Me)

Tim Stafford and Caroline Wright (authors of Still Inside: The Tony Rice Story)

Juli Thanki (freelance writer for The 9531 and the Washington Post, senior editor of District Noise

Best Graphic Design for a Recorded Project

Designer: Ricardo Alessio

City of Refuge, Abigail Washburn

Designers: G. Carr and Salli Ratts

Rare Bird Alert, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers

Designer: Albert J. Roman

Daybreak, Sierra Hull

Best Liner Notes for a Recorded Project

Writer: Colin Escott

A Mother's Prayer, Ralph Stanley

Writer: Geoffrey Himes

The Rounder Records Story, Various Artists

Writer: Steve Martin

Rare Bird Alert, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers

Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame Inductees

Del McCoury

George Shuffler

IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients

Greg Cahill

Bill Knowlton

Lilly Pavlak

Geoff Stelling

Roland White