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IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards announces hosts

The last IBMA Bluegrass Live! Festival is bidding Raleigh farewell. Find out who’s hosting and what’s to come.

August 26, 2024 • 
Danyale Daniels
The Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts lit up at night with bluegrass banners.

IBMA World of Bluegrass is four days of bluegrass fun right here in Raleigh.

Photo provided by IBMA and Pinecone

The IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards announced that Missy Raines and John Cowan will host the 35th annual award ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 26 at Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts.

Alongside the awards show, attendees can enjoy a conference, showcase, and festival featuring headliners Sierra Ferrell and Steep Canyon Rangers. This year’s event marks a bittersweet farewell to Raleigh as IBMA World of Bluegrass and Bluegrass Live! relocate to Chattanooga, Tennessee for future festivals. IBMA Bluegrass Live! will rock Raleigh one last time Sept. 27-28. Grab tickets while you can and enjoy the final IBMA Bluegrass Live! Festival in the 919.

But no need to fret. Raleigh’s new bluegrass festival, Raleigh Wide Open will debut in October 2025. Named in honor of the original Oak City bluegrass festival, the new production will be brought by Piedmont-based music nonprofit PineCone.

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