Kathy Mattea & Hot Rize to Host 20th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards

Grammy Award winner Kathy Mattea and well-known bluegrass band Hot Rize will host the 20th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards. The awards will be held at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7:30 p.m.

Both Mattea and Hot Rize have won several awards and accomplishments that make them the ideal candidates for hosting the show. Mattea, a Grammy Award winner who is known for her hit songs such as "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" and "Where've You Been," has recently had much success on the bluegrass charts. Her current album, Coal, stayed at No. 1 on Billboard's bluegrass charts for two weeks and remained on the chart for a total of 26 weeks.

Hot Rize took home the title for Entertainers of the Year at the very first IMBA awards show in 1990. Pete Wernick and Tim O'Brien have both served as president of the IMBA. Fellow bandmate Bryan Sutton was Guitar Player of the Year for IMBA in 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, and the band won Song of the Year in 1991 for "Colleen Malone."

The two acts make a great pair for this event as Mattea has collaborated with the band on several occasions. Cindy Baucom, the co-producer of the show, said, "Kathy Mattea and Hot Rize are a perfect fit as our hosts.  With their long musical history, the chemistry between them gives us the elements for a fun show." 

The awards will be syndicated to more than 300 radio stations across the country and around the world and will be broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. For more information, visit www.imba.org.