Tray Wellington Nominated for IBMA New Artist of the Year

Tray Wellington was nominated for IBMA’s 2022 New Artist of the Year award. All the nominees were announced in a live broadcast on SiriusXM’s Bluegrass Junction channel yesterday (7/27/22). A complete list is posted below.

Tray is an accomplished banjo player, band leader and recording artist. His debut solo album “Black Banjo” was released earlier this year. The first single “Crooked Mind” has been streamed nearly 60,000 times on Spotify. Bluegrass Today wrote that the record “…will keep you on your toes.” No Depression Magazine described it as “…a strategically blended range of music.”

Tray lives in Raleigh and works for PineCone as our Communications Manager.

The Awards will be handed out at the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium on Thursday September 29, 2022. Tickets are on sale now.

Tray Wellington hosted the Momentum Awards Ceremony at the IBMA World of Bluegrass in 2021.

Here’s a complete list of 2022 Nominations.

Entertainer Of The Year

  • Billy Strings
  • Del McCoury Band
  • The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
  • Sister Sadie
  • Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Vocal Group Of The Year

  • Balsam Range
  • Blue Highway
  • Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
  • Del McCoury Band
  • Sister Sadie

Instrumental Group Of The Year

  • Billy Strings
  • Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
  • Béla Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart
  • The Travelin’ McCourys
  • Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

New Artist Of The Year

  • Rick Faris
  • Fireside Collective
  • Laura Orshaw
  • Jaelee Roberts
  • Tray Wellington

Song Of The Year

  • Blink of an Eye – Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass (artist); Robert Amos (writer); Pinecastle Records (label); Bobby Lundy/Danny Paisley/Ryan Paisley/Wes Easter (producers)
  • Deep River – Rick Faris (artist); Rick Faris/Brink Brinkman (writers); Dark Shadow Recording; (label), Stephen Mougin (producer)
  • I’ll Take the Lonesome Every Time – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artist); Glen Duncan/Jerry Salley (writers); Billy Blue Records (label); Doyle Lawson (producer)
  • Red Daisy – Billy Strings (artist); Jarrod Walker/Christian Ward (writers); Rounder Records (label); Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings (producers) 
  • Riding the Chief – Chris Jones & The Night Drivers (artist); Chris Jones/Thomm Jutz (writers); Mountain Home Music Company (label); Chris Jones (producer)

Album Of The Year

  • Bluegrass Troubadour – Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass (artist); Wes Easter (producer); Pinecastle Records (label)
  • Crooked Tree – Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway (artist); Molly Tuttle/Jerry Douglas (producers); Noneuch Records (label)
  • My Bluegrass Heart – Béla Fleck (artist); Béla Fleck (producer); Renew Records (label)
  • Never Slow Down –  The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys (artist); The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys/Dave Maggard (producers); Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (label)
  • Renewal – Billy Strings (artist); Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings (producers); Rounder Records (label)

Gospel Recording Of The Year

  • A Little More Faith in Jesus – Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver (artist); Jerry Cole/Doyle Lawson (writers); Doyle Lawson (producer); Billy Blue Records (label)
  • He’s Gettin’ Me Ready –Darin & Brooke Aldridge with The Oak Ridge Boys (artists); Jimmy Fortune (writer); Darin Aldridge/Mark Fain (producer); Billy Blue Records (label)
  • In The End – Dale Ann Bradley (artist); Jill Gilliam (writer); Dale Ann Bradley (producer); Pinecastle Records (label)
  • In the Sweet By and By –Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley (artists); S. Fillmore Bennett/Joseph Webster (writers); Jerry Salley; (producer), Billy Blue Records (label)
  • See You On The Other Side – Rick Faris featuring Sam Bush (artists); Rick Faris/Rick Lang (writers); Stephen Mougin (producer); Dark Shadow Recording (label)
  • Traveling the Highway Home – The Grascals (artist); Frankie Bailes/Walter Bailes (writers); The Grascals (producer); Mountain Home Music Company (label)

Instrumental Recording Of The Year

  • EMD – Scott Vestal – Bluegrass 2022 (artists); David Grisman (writer); Scott Vestal (producer); Pinecastle Records (label)
  • Happy Go Lucky – Doyle Lawson & Alan Bibey (artists); Doyle Lawson (writer); Doyle Lawson (producer); Billy Blue Records (label)
  • Ice Bridges – Billy Strings (artist); William Apostol (writer); Jonathan Wilson/Billy Strings (producer); Rounder Records (label)
  • Orange Blossom Breakdown – Mike Compton (artist); Bill Monroe (writer); Mark Howard (producer); Taterbug Records (label)
  • Vertigo – Béla Fleck featuring Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Bryan Sutton (artists); Béla Fleck (writer); Béla Fleck (producer); Renew Records (label)

Collaborative Recording Of The Year

  • Blackbird – Special Consensus with Amanda Smith, Dale Ann Bradley, Rob Ickes, and Alison Brown (artists); J.P. Cormier (writer); Alison Brown (producer); Compass Records (label)
  • East Bound and Down  – The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys featuring Jason Carter and Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (artists); Jerry Reed/Dick Feller (writers); The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys/Dave Maggard (producers); Sound Biscuit Productions (label)
  • Honky Tonk Nights – Del McCoury Band featuring Vince Gill (artists); Mike O’Reilly (writer); Del McCoury/Ronnie McCoury (producers); McCoury Music (label)
  • In the Sweet By and By –Dolly Parton with Carl Jackson, Larry Cordle, Bradley Walker, and Jerry Salley (artists); S. Fillmore Bennett/Joseph Webster (writers); Jerry Salley; (producer), Billy Blue Records (label)
  • One By One – Dale Ann Bradley with Danny Paisley (artists); Jim Anglin/Jack Anglin/Johnny Wright (writers); Dale Ann Bradley (producer); Pinecastle Records (label)

Male Vocalist Of The Year

  • Greg Blake
  • Rick Faris
  • Del McCoury
  • Danny Paisley
  • Larry Sparks

Female Vocalist Of The Year

  • Brooke Aldridge
  • Dale Ann Bradley
  • Sierra Hull
  • Molly Tuttle
  • Rhonda Vincent

Instrumental Performers Of The Year

Banjo

  • Gena Britt
  • Béla Fleck
  • Rob McCoury
  • Kristin Scott Benson
  • Scott Vestal

Bass

  • Mike Bub
  • Jason Moore
  • Missy Raines
  • Mark Schatz
  • Vickie Vaughn

Fiddle

  • Jason Carter
  • Michael Cleveland
  • Stuart Duncan
  • Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
  • Deanie Richardson

Resophonic Guitar

  • Jerry Douglas
  • Andy Hall
  • Rob Ickes
  • Phil Leadbetter
  • Justin Moses

Guitar

  • Billy Strings
  • Trey Hensley
  • Cody Kilby
  • Bryan Sutton
  • Molly Tuttle

Mandolin

  • Alan Bibey
  • Jesse Brock
  • Sam Bush
  • Sierra Hull
  • Ronnie McCoury

2022 Hall Of Fame Inductees

  • Norman Blake
  • Paul “Moon” Mullins
  • Peter Rowan

2022 Distinguished Achievement Award Recipients

  • Dan Crary
  • FreshGrass Foundation
  • Steve Huber
  • Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
  • Peghead Nation