Billy Strings Wins Third Consecutive IBMA Bluegrass AwardGRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter and musician Billy Strings won Entertainer of the Year at last night’s 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, his third-consecutive year receiving the award. 

The recognition adds to yet another triumphant year for Strings, who was also named Artist of the Year at last week’s 2023 Americana Music Association Honors & Awards—his second-consecutive win in the category—and will continue his extensive headline tour through this fall. Upcoming stops include Portland’s Moda Center (two nights), Seattle’s WAMU Theater, Stanford’s Frost Amphitheater (two nights), Baltimore’s CFG Bank Arena (two nights), Pittsburgh’s Petersen Events Center (two nights), Syracuse’s Oncenter War Memorial and New Orleans’ UNO Lakefront Arena (three nights) among many others. See below for complete itinerary. 

Raised in Michigan and now based in Nashville, Strings is known as one of music’s most compelling artists. Most recently, he unveiled “California Sober,” a collaboration with legendary artist Willie Nelson—his first release since partnering with venerable label, Reprise Records. Landing on multiple “Best of 2023 So Far” lists, Rolling Stone calls the song “a blazing bluegrass banger filled with howling harmonica and guitar-picked solos,” while Consequence praises, “With just one song, Strings and Nelson seem to bring the best out in each other.” 

The collaboration follows Strings’ most recent full-length album, Me/And/Dad, which was released last fall and features Strings alongside with his dad, Terry Barber. The product of a longtime dream, the record features new versions of fourteen bluegrass and country classics that the two have been playing together since Strings was a young child. Released to overwhelming acclaim, NPR Music praised, “exuberant interplay…a match made tender by the familiar harmonies of these two lifelong picking partners,” while The Wall Street Journal declared, “Me/And/Dad works beautifully…the guitars from the principals along with mandolin, banjo, fiddle and bass are expertly played with joy and verve.” Additionally, Strings’ Grammy-nominated 2021 album, Renewal, led The New York Times to declare, “a premier bluegrass mind for this post-everything era…he has zigged and zagged between the form’s antediluvian traditions and rapid-fire improvisations that hit like hard bop, all within songs with hooks so sharp that he seems poised for crossover stardom.” 

Since his 2017 debut, Strings has been awarded Best Bluegrass Album at the 63rd GRAMMY Awards, Artist of the Year at the 2022 Americana Music Awards, Entertainer of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2022 International Bluegrass Music Awards (the organization also named him Entertainer of the Year and Guitar Player of the Year in 2021), Best New Headliner at the 2022 Pollstar Awards, Breakthrough Artist of the Pandemic at the 2021 Pollstar Awards and has performed on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” PBS’ “Austin City Limits” and “Bluegrass Underground.” 

BILLY STRINGS 2023 CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

September 29—Portland, OR—Moda Center

September 30—Portland, OR—Moda Center

October 1—Seattle, WA—WAMU Theater

October 4—Sacramento, CA—Golden 1 Center 

October 6—Stanford, CA—Frost Amphitheater

October 7—Stanford, CA—Frost Amphitheater

October 8—Stateline, NV—Tahoe Event Center

October 10—West Valley City, UT—Maverik Center

October 13—Independence, MO—Cable Dahmer Arena

October 14—Independence, MO—Cable Dahmer Arena

October 31—Grand Rapids, MI—Van Andel Arena

November 6—Amsterdam, Netherlands—Paradiso (SOLD OUT)

November 7—Amsterdam, Netherlands—Paradiso (SOLD OUT)

November 8—Antwerp, Belgium—De Roma

November 10—Cologne, Germany—Carlswerk Victoria

November 11—Luxembourg, Luxembourg—den Atelier

November 12—Munich, Germany—Neue Theaterfabrik

November 14—Paris, France—La Cigale

November 15—London, U.K.—Roundhouse

November 17—Manchester, U.K.—Manchester Academy

November 18—Glasgow, U.K.—O2 Academy Glasgow

November 19—Birmingham, U.K.—O2 Academy

December 6—Greensboro, NC—Greensboro Coliseum (SOLD OUT)

December 8—Baltimore, MD—CFG Bank Arena

December 9—Baltimore, MD—CFG Bank Arena

December 12—Pittsburgh, PA—Petersen Events Center

December 13—Pittsburgh, PA—Petersen Events Center

December 15—Wilkes-Barre, PA—Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza

December 16—Syracuse, NY—Oncenter War Memorial (SOLD OUT)

December 29—New Orleans, LA—UNO Lakefront Arena

December 30—New Orleans, LA—UNO Lakefront Arena

December 31—New Orleans, LA—UNO Lakefront ArenaJune 22—Columbus, OH—Buckeye Country SuperfestJune 23—Columbus, OH—Buckeye Country Superfest