Kathy Mattea & Hot Rize to Host IBMAs

Kathy Mattea photo by James Minchin, courtesy of Captain Potato Records.

July 22, 2009 — Grammy®-winning country artist Kathy Mattea and the legendary bluegrass band Hot Rize will co-host the 20th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards on Thursday, October 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium.

"Kathy Mattea and Hot Rize are a perfect fit as our hosts," says show co-producer, Cindy Baucom. "With their long musical history, the chemistry between them gives us the elements for a fun show."

The members of Hot Rize have a long association with IBMA. In fact, they took home the Entertainer of the Year trophy at the very first International Bluegrass Music Awards in 1990. Pete "Dr. Banjo" Wernick served as president of IBMA from 1986-2001. Tim O'Brien, who followed as president from 2001-2004, was also named Male Vocalist of the Year in 1993 and 2006. Bryan Sutton received the IBMA award for Guitar Player of the Year in 2000, and then every year from 2003-2006. The entire group, including bass player/ renowned public radio etown host Nick Forster, took top honors for Song of the Year in 1991, for their performance of "Colleen Malone."

Kathy Mattea, the beloved singer of classics like "Eighteen Wheels and A Dozen Roses" and "Where've You Been," says her current album, Coal, with its streamlined acoustic format and focus on coal mining stories from Appalachia, was "a re-education in singing" for her, as she studied legendary female vocalists like Hazel Dickens in preparation for recording.

"It's an album that re-shaped the way I think about music, reminding me of why I love it so much in the first place," she said. The album remained on Billboard's Bluegrass Album chart for 26 weeks in 2008-2009, including 2 weeks at No. 1.

Tickets may be purchased from IBMA at 888-438-4262 or online at www.ibma.org.