Kristin Scott Benson who released "Second Season" on Pinecastle Records was named the 2009 IBMA Banjo Player of the Year.

Pinecastle Records is all aglow over the label’s 20th anniversary observance during the recent International Bluegrass Music Association’s Fan Fest — and company executives have more reasons to smile with IBMA award winners and current successes on the bluegrass charts.

Pinecastle gave away more than 1,200 CDs, T-shirts and various other goodies from its booth at the fan gathering in Nashville.

“It was our great pleasure to get to meet with and talk to so many fans, DJs, artists and industry professionals,” the label said in a news release.

In addition to Pinecastle’s festive and generous mood, two of the label’s artists won major honors at the annual IBMA awards show. Josh Williams took home the award for Guitar Player Of The Year and Kristin Scott Benson won Banjo Player Of The Year. It was the second year in a row that both artists won awards on their instruments.

Williams heads up his own band and Scott Benson plays banjo for The Grascals.

Meanwhile, Pinecastle is pointing out its current chart climbers. On the October National Bluegrass Survey of Singles, published in Bluegrass Unlimited, Special Consensus is holding the No. 9 spot with “Gone to Carolina” and also claiming No. 19 with “Signs,” the title cut of Special C’s latest Pinecastle CD. Grasstowne’s new Pinecastle single, “Big, Big Heartaches,” is the chart’s No. 16 single this month.

Bluegrass Music Profiles’ chart of Top 30 singles puts “Gone to Carolina” at No. 10. Two other Pinecastle artists are also on the magazine’s charts: David Parmley’s “Three Silver Dollars” stands at No. 13 and “Big, Big Heartaches” holds the No. 21 spot.