The Neil Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award
Forecasted
The Neil Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award supports developing academic scholars through an award for outstanding conference-accepted papers on bluegrass music, elevating research within higher education.
Funder: IBMA Foundation
Due Dates (Anticipated): June 2027 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: $1,000 honorarium plus admission to the next IBMA Business Conference and Awards Show
Summary: An annual award recognizing a developing academic scholar’s outstanding conference-accepted paper on bluegrass music.
Key Information: Applicants must be current MA or PhD students, or PhD graduates within five years of degree completion.
Description
The Neil Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award is an annual cash award administered by the IBMA Foundation for the developing academic scholar who presents the best paper accepted by a juried academic conference on an aspect of bluegrass music. The program seeks to elevate bluegrass research within higher education and recognizes scholarship by graduate students and recent doctoral graduates.
Alongside the honorarium, the recipient receives admission to the next IBMA Business Conference and Awards Show, connecting academic scholarship with bluegrass industry events. Originally known as the IBMA Academic Prize, the award was first presented in 2011. The foundation assumed responsibility in 2018 and renamed it in honor of Neil Rosenberg, the bluegrass music historian, author, and Bluegrass Hall of Fame member.
