Burlington, MA - Rounder Records is pleased to announce that its artists garnered 13 awards at the 34th annual SPBGMA [Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America] Music Awards show held Sunday in Nashville.

Rounder artists were the top winners overall, including seven awards for Rhonda Vincent & the Rage and three for The Grascals. Vincent was voted Entertainer of the Year and Best Contemporary Female Vocalist while she and her band won Vocal Group of the Year. The Grascals scored three awards including Bluegrass Band of the Year and Instrumental Group of the Year. J.D. Crowe & The New South won Song of the Year for “Lefty’s Old Guitar,” the title track from their Grammy® nominated (Best Bluegrass Album) release.

For a second time, NewFound Road and Alecia Nugent picked up their respective awards for Gospel Group of the Year (Contemporary) and Female Vocalist of the Year (Traditional) while James King returned to the throne of Male Vocalist of the Year (Traditional).

Below is the complete list of Rounder Records’ SPBGMA award winners:

Entertainer of the Year

• Rhonda Vincent

Song of the Year

• “Lefty’s Old Guitar” - J.D. Crowe & The New South

Bluegrass Band of the Year (Overall)

• The Grascals

Instrumental Group of the Year

• The Grascals

Vocal Group of the Year

• Rhonda Vincent & The Rage

Gospel Group of the Year (Contemporary)

• NewFound Road

Female Vocalist of the Year (Contemporary)

• Rhonda Vincent

Female Vocalist of the Year (Traditional)

• Alecia Nugent

Male Vocalist of the Year (Traditional)

• James King

Mandolin Performer of the Year

• Danny Roberts (member of The Grascals)

Fiddle Performer of the Year

• Hunter Berry (member of Rhonda Vincent & The Rage)

Banjo Performer of the Year

• Kenny Ingram (member of Rhonda Vincent & The Rage)

Bass Fiddle Performer of the Year

• Mickey Harris (member of Rhonda Vincent & The Rage)

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Virginia-based bluegrass band Nothin’ Fancy won the top accolade of the evening during the 34th Annual National SPBGMA (Society For The Preservation Of Bluegrass Music In America) Awards when the band was named “Entertaining Group Of The Year” by the organization’s members. The awards were held at the Music City Sheraton Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. on Sunday, February 3rd.

The band has been nominated several times in this particular category and were visibly surprised when they were announced as the recipient of this prestigious award. “We have a trophy case at home that’s been waiting for us to put somethin’ in it”, stated Gary Farris, the band’s guitarist and tenor singer. It was easy to see the the camaraderie within the band as they took the stage for their acceptance speech. Mike Andes, lead vocalist and mandolin player for the group thanked the crowd for their votes and said “Standing up here with me are four of the most fun and wonderful guys you could ever ask to work with”.

Nothin’ Fancy was formed as a bluegrass band in September of 1994 with the sole purpose of competing in the East Coast Bluegrass Championship in Crimora, Virginia. After winning their auspicious debut, they have grown in popularity, released 7 full length albums and one CD single, played the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the Lincoln Center in New York City, and the Birchmere in Alexandria, Virginia. They have successfully hosted the Nothin’ Fancy Bluegrass Festival annually since 2001 in Buena Vista, Virginia.

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Donna Ulisse wants to invite all the fans attending SPBGMA in Nashville at the end of January to stop by her booth #3-B in the Plantation Ballroom to register for a free iPod nano. The drawing will be held at the end of the day on the last day of the event and the winner does not need to be present to win.

The iPod nano will be loaded with all the songs on Ulisse’s current release “When I Look Back” that features 14 songs written by Ulisse, as well as some publicity photos of her.

Donna plans to be in the booth as much as possible to visit with attendees and sees the iPod giveaway as a small way of saying thanks to all the bluegrass fans for giving her such a warm welcome over the past several months with her first release in the genre of bluegrass.

For more information on Donna you can visit www.donnaulisse.com or www.myspace.com/donnastanleyulisse

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The Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPBGMA) has announced the nominees for it’s annual Bluegrass Music Awards Show which happends during the annual SPBGMA convention and festival held Jan. 31 - Feb. 3 at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville Tenn.

Below is a partial listing of this years nominees. For a complete list of all the 2008 SPBGMA Awards Show Nominee’s please visit the SPBGMA website. More details on the convention can be found here.

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Rhonda Vincent and the Rage is the featured act at the 24th Midwest Convention of the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America.The confab will be held Jan. 11-13 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Convention Center in Jefferson City, Mo.

Room reservations are already being accepted at 573-635-1234.

The Williams & Clark Expedition will be hosts for the convention’s annual awards show, which starts at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. In addition, the band will give performances that day at 4 and 10 p.m.

Mark Poe will serve as master of ceremonies.

Besides Saturday evening’s awards gala, concerts will be given at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. Saturday and at 10 a.m. Sunday for a gospel sing.

Vincent and the Rage will perform at 4 and 9 p.m. Friday.

Other bands on the weekend playbill are Green Valley Grass, Highway Home, Sharon Graeff & Heritage, the Martin Family, the Rowden Review, Midnight Flight, Arlington, Bull Harman & the New Bull’s Eye, Bluegrass Brigade, the Link Family, the Faris Family and Possum Trot.

Information on groups and tickets is availabale from SPBGMA, PO Box 271, Kirksville, MO, 63501 or by calling 660-665-7172.

The email address is spbgma@kvmo.net.

Information, including a flier, is available at www.spbgma.com.

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