Critically Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter Rod Abernethy wins top honors in the 17th Annual IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards). He also won Best Folk/Americana/Roots Award as well.

From Raleigh, NC, Rod Abernethy is a unique blend of an authentic southern folk troubadour, master acoustic guitarist and award-winning composer for film, TV and video games. Grand Prize Winner of American Songwriter's Bob Dylan Song Contest, his last album "The Man I'm Supposed To Be" includes both songs and instrumentals that revolve around family, friends and places across the Deep South. Rod's new album "Normal Isn't Normal Anymore" produced by Grammy nominated producer Neilson Hubbard (Mary Gauthier, Ben Glover, Kim Richey) was recorded at Skinny Elephant Recording in Nashville TN and released February 5, 2021.

"I was blown away today to find out I won these top awards from the IAMA. Being recognized among some of the world's most talented music artists is such an honor. The competition this year in all categories was incredible and I still can't believe I won the Overall Grand Prize and the Best of Folk/Roots. It's a day that I'll never forget - thank you IAMA!", said Rod Abernethy, this year’s top winner.

NOTABLE WINNERS AND FINALISTS
Other notable winners include Grammy award winning songwriter and artist Frank J. Myers; he won Best Country/Bluegrass. Virtuoso Guitarist Al Di Meola, Alex Sino & Leonid Agutin received finalist placement in the Best Group category. Hit Artist Bertie Higgins also received a finalist placement in the Best Folk category.

Here is the list of winners of the 17th Annual IAMA:

Overall Grand Prize Winner
Rod Abernethy “My Father Was a Quiet Man” by Rod Abernethy

INSTRUMENTAL
FIRST PRIZE: “Fourteen Days” by John McMillan
RUNNER-UP: “A Thousand Days Like This” by David Clarke

OPEN
FIRST PRIZE: “Full Moon” by Diane Patterson
RUNNER-UP: “Glass Ceilings” by Joanie Leeds

AAA/ALTERNATIVE
FIRST PRIZE: “Bed of Waves” by Marco Perfetti
RUNNER-UP: “Lighthouse” by Simon Söfelde

FOLK/AMERICANA/ROOTS
FIRST PRIZE: “My Father Was a Quiet Man” by Rod Abernethy
RUNNER-UP: “Say Can You See” by Scott Cook

BEST GROUP/DUO
FIRST PRIZE: “Thar sem enginn fer” by Árstíðir
RUNNER-UP: “Jesus Had The Blues” by Danny Brooks & Lil Miss Debi

BEST MALE ARTIST
FIRST PRIZE: “The Last Cowboy in Hutchinson County” by James Baker
RUNNER-UP: “Lose Your Soul” by Dave Berg

BEST FEMALE ARTIST
FIRST PRIZE: “Not The Only One In This Town” by Brooke Hatala
RUNNER-UP: “Petticoat Whalers” by Éilís Kennedy

COUNTRY/BLUEGRASS
FIRST PRIZE: “God’s Got This” by Frank Myers
RUNNER-UP: “Cold November Rain” by Downhill Bluegrass Band

ABOUT IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards)
IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards) promotes the art and artistry of acoustic music performance and artistry. In its 18th year, IAMA has a proven track record of winners going on to get signed and hit the Billboard Charts. Notable winners include Ellis Paul, Jonatha Brooke, David Francey, AJ Croce and more. Meghan Trainor was discovered by IAMA nine years ago and is now a global phenomenon with #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts with "All About That Bass" (#1 for 8 weeks) and #1 on The Billboard 200 Charts with her debut album "Title", won for a Grammy award for Best New Artist. 2nd Annual IAMA winner Zane Williams’s winning song was recorded by country music star Jason Michael Carroll, that song hit #14 on Billboard Country Charts and #99 on Billboard Hot 100 Charts. Jeff Gutt, finalist at the 9th Annual IAMA was a runner-up on X-Factor USA. Charlie Dore (known for her hit “Pilot of the Airwaves”) was the top winner in 2008. Information on winners and finalists, go to:
https://www.inacoustic.com/winners

Critically Critically Acclaimed folk artist Dom Flemons wins top honors in the 20th Annual IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards) with his song “Traveling Wildfire”. He also won Best Folk/Americana/Roots Award as well with his song “Traveling Wildfire”. He also made history as the first African American to ever win the top award in IAMA’s 20 year history.

Chicago, Illinois based Dom Flemons is an American old-time music, Piedmont blues, and neotraditional country multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. He is a proficient player of the banjo, fife, guitar, harmonica, percussion, quills, and rhythm bones. He is known as "The American Songster" as his repertoire of music spans nearly a century of American folklore, ballads, and tunes. He is a member of the Folk music group “Carolina Chocolate Drops” from their inception in 2005 until 2013. Flemons has released five albums in his own name, although two of those were collaborations with other musicians.

With Carolina Chocolate Drops, he won the Grammy Award for Best Traditional Folk Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. Dom Flemons also received a Grammy nomination this year’s 66th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Folk Album for his album "Traveling Wildfire".
 
“It is a great honor to win the Overall Grand Prize as well as the Best Folk/Americana/Roots category at the International Acoustic Music Awards. Over the past 25 years, it has always been my goal to create music that entertains, educates and inspires people of all communities.  Using a variety of instruments and old-time music styles it has also been my mission to make sure the music that I inherited from my friends and mentors lives on into the present. Thanks to my team and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings for all of their support in making this prize a reality”, said Dom Flemons, this year’s top winner.
 
Dom Flemons is signed to Smithsonian Folkways Records. Smithsonian Folkways is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution. It is a part of the Smithsonian's Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, located at Capital Gallery in downtown Washington, D.C.

Here is the list of winners of the 20th Annual IAMA:

Overall Grand Prize Winner
“Traveling Wildfire” by Dom Flemons
 
INSTRUMENTAL   
FIRST PRIZE: “Atlas” by Karlijn Langendijk   
RUNNER-UP: “Roll Over O’Carolan Carolan’s Concerto” by Edward EJ Ouellette    

OPEN   
FIRST PRIZE: “Teaching Vincent Van Gogh” by SONiA disappear fear     
RUNNER-UP: “Won’t Be Around” by Terry Blade

AAA/ALTERNATIVE   
FIRST PRIZE: “Lisbon” by Luke James Shaffer
RUNNER-UP: “Soft on the Shoulder” by Arielle Silver    

FOLK/AMERICANA/ROOTS   
FIRST PRIZE: “Traveling Wildfire” by Dom Flemons   
RUNNER-UP: “Mary Dyer” by Todd Hearon

BEST GROUP/DUO   
FIRST PRIZE: “I am a Wolf” by Violet Bell    
RUNNER-UP: “Breathe!” by Eric Dick & Celleste   

BEST MALE ARTIST   
FIRST PRIZE: “Beautiful Universe” by Francois Klark    
RUNNER-UP: “Blue Canadian Rockies” by  Christian Parker    

BEST FEMALE ARTIST   
FIRST PRIZE: “The Well” by Alex Mabey
RUNNER-UP: “Memphis Moonlight” by Deb Ryder   

COUNTRY/BLUEGRASS   
FIRST PRIZE: “Barranco” by Crowes Pasture    
RUNNER-UP: “Chasin’ Indigo” by Carley Arrowood

ABOUT IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards)
IAMA (International Acoustic Music Awards) promotes the art and artistry of acoustic music performance and artistry. In its 21st year, IAMA has a proven track record of winners going on to get signed and hit the Billboard Charts.

Ricky Kej (1st Prize Winner 2018 IAMA, instrumental category) , based out of Bengaluru, India won the Grammy last year for ‘Divine Tides’, in the best immersive audio album category.

Notable winners include Ellis Paul, Jonatha Brooke, David Francey, AJ Croce and more. Meghan Trainor was discovered by IAMA eleven years ago and is now a global phenomenon with #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts with "All about That Bass" (#1 for 8 weeks) and #1 on The Billboard 200 Charts with her debut album "Title", won for a Grammy award for Best New Artist. 2nd Annual IAMA winner Zane Williams’s winning song was recorded by country music star Jason Michael Carroll, that song hit #14 on Billboard Country Charts and #99 on Billboard Hot 100 Charts. Jeff Gutt, finalist at the 9th Annual IAMA was a runner-up on X-Factor USA. Charlie Dore (known for her hit “Pilot of the Airwaves”) was the top winner in 2008. Information on winners and finalists, go to:
https://www.inacoustic.com/winners