he International Bluegrass Music Association Awards Ballot for 2011 is official.  The Grascals' head into the final voting with a total of four nominations:  Entertainer of the Year,  Song of the Year,  Recorded Event of the Year and band member Kristin Scott Benson, reigning three-timeInstrumental Performer of the Year (Banjo), is in the running for that honor again this year.  Winners will be announced at the organization's 22nd annual awards show, scheduled for September 29, 2011 (7:30 p.m. CDT), at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium.  The ceremony will be broadcast live on SiriusXM's Bluegrass Junction. 

"It's always an honor for us to be nominated for any award," says Jamie Johnson, co-founder of The Grascals. "It's especially gratifying to know these votes came from our peers."  Johnson, one of the writers of "I Am Strong," adds:  "The kids at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital really touched our hearts.  I'm just so proud that the song seems to resonate with so many folks, and we were so fortunate that Dolly agreed to join us on the record."  The track is from THE GRASCALS & FRIENDS - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin disc (on BluGrascal Records), a special project produced in conjunction with (and sold only in) Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® and online at www.crackerbarrel.com. Cracker Barrel donated a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each CD to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The disc reached the #1 spot on Billboard's Bluegrass Albums Chart, and has held a position on that chart for 27 weeks.   

The Grascals are a Grammy-nominated group founded in 2004 by Terry Eldredge, Jamie Johnson, Danny Roberts and Terry Smith.  The band has a shelf-full of awards already, including: IBMA Entertainer of the Year 2006 & 2007, 2011 SPBGMA Instrumental Group of the Year, and 2010 SPBGMA Bluegrass Band of the Year.  They've made over 100 Grand Ole Opry appearances, and some of this year's media coverage includes:Better TV, The Talk, Fox & Friends, GAC-TV's On the Streets, The Daily Buzz, CMT's Southern Fried Flicks With Hazel Smith, RFD-TV's Larry's Country Diner, and Inside Music Row. 

The band is enjoying its busiest touring season to date, headlining festivals and fairs in the U.S. and Canada, including: Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival; Rudy Fest; Red, White & Bluegrass Fest; Western Kentucky State Fair; Stewiacke (Nova Scotia) Bluegrass Festival; Craven Country Jamboree (Saskatchewan); Blueberry Bluegrass & Country Festival (Alberta); Missouri State Fair; Rogersville Bluegrass Festival (New Brunswick); New Richmond Bluegrass Festival (Quebec), and the Heroes Music Festival coming up in September.

Fans can watch the "I Am Strong" video, join The Grascals' mailing list and more at www.grascals.com.