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Chattanooga’s Bluegrass Bonanza: IBMA’s 2025 Triumph

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Chattanooga, Tennessee, transformed into Bluegrass Central, the ultimate destination for pickers, stars, and fans. The city buzzed with the ring of banjos and a sawing of fiddles as the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) brought its World of Bluegrass to its new home at the Chattanooga Convention Center for a five-day celebration. Unless they were performing elsewhere, musicians of all ages flocked to seminars, jam sessions, shows, and lessons covering every facet of bluegrass.

Billy Strings visits with attendees in the exhibit hall.

Every day, attendees and locals spotted icons like Steve Martin, Billy Strings, Del McCoury, Doyle Lawson, and newly inducted Hall of Famers Hot Rize and the Bluegrass Cardinals grabbing a bite at local eateries or strolling between events. The energy was electric—riding up an escalator, I overheard a young fiddler excitedly recount jamming with a legend the night before, a moment that captured the festival’s magic.

The IBMA World of Bluegrass was a resounding success in its 2025 debut at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium hosted the annual Bluegrass Awards, emceed by Steve Martin and Alison Brown, featuring unforgettable performances. Standout winners included Fiddle Player of the Year Maddie Denton with East Nash Grass, and Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland, who swept Song of the Year and Collaborative Recording of the Year for Outrun the Rain, plus Album of the Year. Authentic Unlimited won Vocal Group of the Year, The Traveling McCourys took Instrumental Group of the Year, and Jaelee Roberts earned Gospel Song of the Year for He’s Gone. Kristin Scott Benson, Gena Britt, and Alison Brown claimed Instrumental Recording of the Year for Ralph’s Banjo Special.

Jam sessions were the heart of the event, with the convention center’s hallways alive with music. Every twenty feet, young players—from toddlers clutching tiny fiddles to teens wielding banjos—jammed alongside seasoned pros, their melodies echoing through the halls. After 9:30 p.m., when the convention center closed, diehards like members of the Tennessee Bluegrass Band migrated to the nearby Marriott, jamming into the early hours.

The Tennessee Bluegrass Band

Across the city, venues showcased talents like Wyatt Ellis, Becky Buller, Little Roy and Lizzy Long, and The Kody Norris Show, which won Video of the Year for The Auctioneer. Fans mingled with heroes, snapping photos and shaking hands.

Exhibit halls hosted global band showcases and youth performers debuting skills honed in dedicated workshops. Seminars highlighted bluegrass history, including a tribute to Hazel Dickens and a panel with legends Paul Williams, Doyle Lawson, and Male Vocalist of the Year Greg Blake. Dom Flemons led a session on African American Hall of Fame inductee Arnold Shultz’s influence on pioneers like Bill Monroe.

Billy Strings, Entertainer of the Year, wondered through the exhibit hall, picking up guitars and whipping out a tune including on Jimmy Martin’s guitar—available for anyone to strum, thanks to Martin’s son—and joining Junior Sisk and New Artist of the Year Red Camel Collective for a tune before his keynote address.

On Friday and Saturday, thousands filled Miller Plaza, where four stages, including one for youth talent, showcased acts like The Infamous Stringdusters, Carter and Cleveland, and Sister Sadie. Local Chattanooga stars, including Mountain Cove Bluegrass, the Landon Fitzpatrick Band, Carl Towns and Upward Road, and Emerald Butler dazzled international audiences with their homegrown flair.

Mike Bub and Randall Franks

I was honored to direct the Special Industry and Distinguished Achievement Awards alongside producer Chris Keenan and an amazing production staff, spotlighting talents like Missy Raines and Ron Thomason. Five-time Bass Player of the Year Mike Bub served as our host for the show. One unforgettable moment was watching a young guitarist, barely taller than his instrument, beam with pride as he played alongside a bluegrass legend, a reminder of the genre’s vibrant future.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the IBMA has made Chattanooga its home for the next three years. If you love bluegrass—or want to discover your new favorite band—mark your calendar for October 20–24, 2026, and October 19–23, 2027. Visit IBMA.org to plan your trip and join the celebration!

New music is like opening a present

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Opening new music is like unwrapping a present—you never know what delights await, but in bluegrass, it’s often a blend of tradition and fresh energy. Two recent projects exemplify this: Junior Sisk’s lively It’s All Fun and Games and Shawn Camp’s upcoming tribute The Ghost of Sis Draper. Both honor the genre’s roots while delivering something new for today’s listeners. Out now since July 18, It’s All Fun and Games is the latest from award-winning bluegrass artist Junior Sisk, available on all major digital platforms via Turnberry Records.
It showcases his signature traditional voice with powerful vocals, tight instrumentation, and a mix of humor, heartbreak, and heritage. The 11 tracks feature talents like Heather Berry Mabe, Tony Mabe, Johnathan Dillon, and Curt Love, building on the success of pre-release singles “Sweeter Than Tupelo Honey” and “Where Love Goes to Die.” This album is poised to be one of Sisk’s most acclaimed yet.
“Creating a new recording is always a challenge, and naturally, it starts with the songs,” says Sisk. “I’ve been blessed through the years to have some very talented songwriters to call on. As always, I try to stick to my traditional bluegrass roots while making a song sound new and current for today’s listeners. I’ve recently been interested in finding old country tunes and reviving them in my own voice.
“I’m excited to have been able to co-write several original tunes with songwriting greats such as my dad, David Stewart, and Jerry Salley,” he adds. “I have some extremely talented musicians by my side who always take the songs to the next level with their creative work. The goal is to create a project that makes us happy as artists—and hopefully, the fans enjoy what we’ve created as well. Happy listening, folks.”
Grab a CD at juniorsisk.com.
Meanwhile, another bluegrass torchbearer, GRAMMY-winning producer and songwriter Shawn Camp—of The Earls of Leicester fame—is set to release The Ghost of Sis Draper on September 12 via Truly Handmade Records.
This concept album features 10 songs co-written with the late Guy Clark and one solo Clark composition. “This is as much Guy Clark’s album as it is mine,” Camp says.
The project stems from Camp’s childhood legend: At age seven, he met traveling fiddle player Sis Draper at a pickin’ party in Arkansas’ Perry County hills. Years later, while songwriting with Clark in Nashville, Camp shared the story, sparking “Sis Draper” and subsequent tunes like “Magnolia Wind.”
For years, they’d revisit the “Sis” theme when stuck on other ideas.The Ghost of Sis Draper weaves songs tied by characters, narratives, and old-time fiddle tunes. Arkansas fiddle great Tim Crouch revives Draper’s spirit, backed by Mike Bub on bass, Chris Henry on mandolin, Jimmy Stewart on dobro, Cory Walker on banjo, and Camp on guitar and vocals. Recorded in one day at Nashville’s Clement House (formerly The Cowboy Arms Hotel and Recording Spa), it immerses listeners in a sharply drawn world.”
We intentionally wrote songs that fit together,” Camp explains. It’s the definitive close to the Sis Draper saga and a tribute to his friend Clark. “That’s part of my passion for putting it out—to try and keep him alive!” Check it out at shawncamp.com.
Whether it’s Sisk’s fun-loving revival or Camp’s ghostly homage, these albums prove bluegrass remains a gift that keeps giving. Unwrap them soon.