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The Del McCoury Band nominated for bluegrass award


The International Bluegrass Music Association announced special awards recipients and nominees for the International Bluegrass Music Awards, which will be presented on Oct. 1 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Nominees for entertainer of the year include The Del McCoury Band with York County roots.

Del McCoury was raised on a farm in York County. In the early 1950s, McCoury heard Earl Scruggs, and it inspired him to pick up the banjo. He played shows in the region in the 1960s, and released several albums in the late 60s and the 1970s. McCoury's sons began playing with him in the 1980s, and in the 1990s Del began racking up awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association. The Del McCoury Band won a Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album in 2005 for "The Company We Keep." This year, the band was nominated for its 11th Grammy.

Other nominees include Balsam Range, Hot Rize, The Gibson Brothers and Earls of Leicester. The Earls of Leicester leads with five nominations for their tribute to legendary artists Lester Flatts and Earl Scruggs.

Movie star, comedian and Grammy-winning musician Steve Martin will be honored by the International Bluegrass Music Association with a distinguished achievement award.