Greg Blake Wins 2025 IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year
Two-time honoree celebrates Special Consensus’ 50th anniversary and a landmark year for bluegrass in Chattanooga
Chattanooga, TN (September 29, 2025) – Acclaimed bluegrass artist Greg Blake has been named the 2025 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Male Vocalist of the Year, marking his second career win after first receiving the honor in 2023.
The award was presented during the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show on September 18, 2025, at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the organization’s first year hosting World of Bluegrass® week in its new home city. The ceremony was hosted by actor, comedian, and banjo player Steve Martin alongside Grammy-winning banjoist Alison Brown of Compass Records, capping a week that also included the IBMA Business Conference, IBMA Bluegrass Ramble, and the IBMA Bluegrass Live!® Festival.
Born and raised in West Virginia, Blake is widely hailed as “a singer’s singer,” praised for a voice that marries tenderness and strength. He is the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Grammy-nominated Special Consensus, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary with the Compass Records release Been All Around the World.
“I’m deeply honored and grateful,” said Blake. “IBMA has been my musical family for decades. Thank you to my bandmates in Special C, my friends at Turnberry Records and Compass Records, the DJs and fans who keep this music alive, and my wife Joy Sue for believing in every note.”
In addition to his band work, Blake’s solo projects, Songs of the Heart and Home and People, Places, and Songs (Turnberry Records), have earned acclaim for authenticity and connection to tradition. A five-time SPBGMA Guitarist of the Year winner, Blake is respected not only as a premier vocalist but also as a skilled instrumentalist.
Blake tours internationally with Special Consensus, leads Greg Blake & Hometown, and frequently appears with other top ensembles. He continues to release music rooted in Appalachian storytelling, including the fan-favorite “Bluefield Mountain Wind,” featuring the sibling harmony of Tim O’Brien and Mollie O’Brien. The song, written by Mark “Brink” Brinkman and David Stewart, was released earlier this year on Turnberry Records. Blake’s latest single, “Nora McNally,” written by Milan Miller, is currently #4 on Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine’s National Bluegrass Survey Top 30 Chart, and #26 on the Bluegrass Today Top 30 song chart.
For more information on Greg Blake, visit gregblakemusic.com.
