NASHVILLE MUSIC AWARDS NOMINATE THE GRASCALS 'KEEP ON WALKIN'

(Nashville, TN) -- Nominations keep coming in for The Grascals 2008 Rounder Records release, ‘Keep On Walkin.’ Nashville Music Awards gave The Grascals a nomination for Bluegrass Album of the Year and will be holding a private reception on Wednesday, October 7th to honor the nominees and announce the winner. Originally produced and presented by Leadership Music from 1995-2000, the awards have been revived through a partnership between Next Big Nashville and Leadership Music to recognize outstanding contributions in all genres of music, celebrating the diversity and quality of artists and music professionals who call Nashville their home. Contenders for NMA Bluegrass Album of the Year include:Dale Ann Bradley – “Don’t Turn Your Back” (Compass Records)Dailey & Vincent – “Brothers from Different Mothers” (Rounder Records)The Grascals – “Keep On Walkin’” (Rounder Records)The Infamous Stringdusters – “The Infamous Stringdusters” (Sugar Hill Records)The Steeldrivers – “The Steeldrivers” (Sugar Hill Records) The VIP Reception is for NMA Nominees, NBA Badge holders, Leadership Music Alumni and media. The Next Big Nashville showcase is open to the public following the reception. The Next Big Nashville conference kickoff and showcase begins at 8:00pm at the Cannery Ballroom, featuring Ten Out of Tenn. ‘Keep On Walkin,’ released July 15th, 2008, is The Grascals 3rd studio album on Rounder Records and debuted #1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Album Chart for the week of August 2, 2008 and remained #1 for 5 consecutive weeks. Their 4th album on Rounder is due out 1st quarter 2010 and will be The Grascals 1st studio album with Kristin Scott Benson, their very own 2009 IBMA Banjo Player of the Year. The Grascals recently launched a brand new website (www.grascals.com) Fans can sign up for their free online community and connect with other Grascals fans. The Grascals ‘Keep On Walkin’ and 2010 release gives a tantalizing glimpse into the group's obvious talent and musical potential. A few highlights to look forward to include a colorful cover of Eric Clapton’s ‘Lay Down Sally’ and a very special collaboration with Hank Williams Jr., who will be featured singing lead vocals on Hank Sr. tune ‘Blue and Lonesome.’ Visit www.grascals.com for more updates. About Nashville Music Awards: NMA awards are limited to persons and organizations residing in Davidson County and surrounding counties, including Williamson, Wilson, Rutherford, Sumner, Robertson, Cheatham, Dickson, Maury, Hickman, Bedford and Montgomery counties encompassing such communities as Franklin, Murfreesboro, Lebanon, Dickson, Gallatin, Hendersonville, Goodlettsville, Ashland City, Shelbyville, Columbia and Clarksville, as well as Nashville. Honorees must have resided in the NMA area for more than half of the eligibility period. Part-time residents are eligible, but must maintain a Nashville-area profile in the judgment of the nominating committee. The nominees were chosen by a volunteer committee of industry leaders, some expert in specific musical genres and others whose knowledge was broader. The committee included individuals familiar with both the recording and live music scene here. The nomination period is for projects which were active in the marketplace between January 1, 2008 through June 30, 2009. About Leadership Music: Leadership Music, Inc. is an educational non-profit 501c3 organization founded in 1989 whose mission is to nurture a knowledgeable, issue-oriented community of music industry professionals through an annual educational program and events. This is accomplished through the identification and exploration of topical issues in an annual series of off-the-record educational seminars (the Program), and continued alumni nurturing and education, including an annual digital music conference; the Leadership Music Digital Summit. Over the past 20 years, Leadership Music has graduated more than 785 music industry leaders. http://www.leadershipmusic.org and http://www.digitalsummit.org. About Next Big Nashville: A nationally recognized music festival and conference begun in 2006, NBN serves as an annual destination for artists, innovators and business leaders in the creative community at large and continues to provide a deserving spotlight to the depth and diversity of the music and business “Made in Music City.” NBN 2009 will feature over 200 performers ranging from unsigned singer songwriters to major label artists playing at over a dozen of Nashville’s most prestigious venues. Over 15,000 people attended the festival in 2008 and 2009 is expanding to include even more daytime events, parties, interactivity and exciting opportunities for the participating artists. http://nextbignashville.wordpress.com

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