Celebrated actor/comedian/banjoist Steve Martin and trailblazing banjoist, industry powerhouse Alison Brown will co-host the 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards presented by Get It Played, the International Bluegrass Music Association has announced.
The Awards show will take place September 18 at 7:30pm in Chattanooga at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium. Music fans can attend the Awards show in person; tickets are available to purchase through Ticketmaster HERE.
“The IBMA Awards show is always one of my very favorite nights of the year,” Brown said. “I’m so honored to co-host this year with my banjo pal Steve Martin.”
Martin commented: “I’m thrilled to be hosting with Alison Brown, and connecting with all my bluegrass friends as opposed to my kinda dumb comedy friends.”
Martin and Brown’s single, “5 Days Out, 2 Days Back”, which features Tim O’Brien, is nominated for Song of the Year, Music Video of the Year, and Collaborative Recording of the Year. The song will be included on their first full length album, Safe, Sensible and Sane, slated for release on Compass Records in October 2025. Brown is also nominated for Banjo Player of the Year.
The 2025 IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards is part of IBMA World of Bluegrass, in partnership with Chattanooga Tourism Co. and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development; the annual event features a business conference, showcases, Awards show, and festival highlighting the best in bluegrass talent.
Steve Martin is one of the most well-known talents in entertainment. His work has earned him an Academy Award, five GRAMMY awards, an Emmy, the Mark Twain Award, and the Kennedy Center Honors. Martin’s films are widely popular successes and are the kind of movies that are viewed again and again: The Jerk (1979), Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987), Roxanne (1987), Parenthood (1989), L.A. Story (1991), Father of the Bride (1991), and Bowfinger (1999). He currently stars in Hulu’s Emmy Award-winning series, “Only Murders in the Building.”
Ramping up for Season 5, “Only Murders in the Building” is Hulu’s most-watched comedy series and has won seven Emmys of 56 nominations, including Martin’s nominations for Best Comedy (as producer), Writing for a Comedy Series (shared with co-creator John Hoffman) and Lead Actor in a Comedy.
In addition to his work in TV and film, Martin is also a five-time GRAMMY Award-winning bluegrass banjoist and composer, a New York Times bestselling author, and a Tony Award-winning playwright. He also performs to sold-out crowds across the continent with longtime collaborator Martin Short on their comedy tour.
One of roots music’s most celebrated multi-hyphenates, Alison Brown is a GRAMMY-winning musician, producer, composer, former investment banker and co-founder of the internationally acclaimed, Nashville-based Compass Records Group which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025.
The first woman to win an instrumentalist of the year award from the International Bluegrass Music Association, Alison is considered one of today’s most innovative banjo players. She is known for taking the instrument beyond its Appalachian roots by blending elements of bluegrass, jazz, pop and folk influences into a unique sonic tapestry that has earned praise from national tastemakers including The Wall Street Journal, CBS Sunday Morning and The New York Times.
Alison is the 2025 recipient of the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Louise Scruggs Memorial Forum award, recognizing outstanding female executives in the music industry. She has also received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the IBMA as well as the USA Artists Fellowship in Music. She was inducted into the American Banjo Museum’s Hall of Fame in 2019. She currently serves as the President of the Nashville Board of Governors of The Recording Academy.
IBMA World of Bluegrass, in partnership with Chattanooga Tourism Co. and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, runs September 16-20, 2025. The week, the most important in bluegrass music, encompasses four events
- The IBMA Business Conference, Sept. 16-18 at the Chattanooga Convention Center
- The IBMA Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases taking place Sept. 16-18 in local Chattanooga venues
- The 36th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, presented by Get It Played, scheduled for Thursday evening, September 18 at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium
- IBMA Bluegrass Live!, Sept. 19-20, a two-day festival of live performances and fan experiences.
Tickets are now on sale for all IBMA World of Bluegrass events; visit worldofbluegrass.org for details.