Marty Stuart will host the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Awards ceremony in Nashville on Sept. 28. Tickets go on sale to the public on Aug. 11. The show will be held at the Grand Ole Opry House. "The IBMA has become an event that presents some of the greatest musicians in the world," said Stuart. "I'm honored to have been asked to host the event, and I'm counting on an evening of magic." The IBMA Awards were held in Nashville for the first time last year.

Folksinger, songwriter, author and radio show host Michael Jonathon's weekly syndicated radio program, Woodsongs Old-Time Radio Hour, which reaches over a million listeners each week via 477 public radio stations, will soon morph into Woodsongs Old-Time TV Hour. Beginning in October, the show, which is recorded in front of a live audience at his Kentucky farm, will be also available as a TV series to PBS stations nationwide. The first 13 episodes include appearances by Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, Odetta, Roger McGuinn, Marcia Ball, Town Mountain, The John Cowan Band and others.

The DVD, which is being produced by label co-owner Rob Miller, will include a variety of artists who have recorded for the irreverent alt-country label over the past 12 years, including Ryan Adams, Neko Case, Alejandro Escovedo, The Blacks, Kelly Hogan, Bobby Bare Jr., Scott H. Biram, The Deadstring Brothers, Robbie Fulks, Wayne Hancock, Jon Langford, The Meat Purveyors, Trailer Bride, The Waco Brothers, The Sadies and more. Look for live performances, interviews and other unique footage to be included.

Americana radio is always in need for the tools of the trade: CDs, promo copies for giveaways, liners and phoners. With Americana offering some artists their only airplay, labels and promoters need spins and back-announcing more than ever. At the upcoming Americana Music Conference, happening Sept. 20-22 in Nashville, a panel moderated by WNCW/Asheville-Spindale, NC MD Martin Anderson and featuring New West Records' Jeff Cook, Compass Records' David Haley, Al Moss Promotions' Al Moss and Shout! Factory's Jenni Sperandeo will discuss the boundaries on this playing field and ways relationships with Americana radio can become stronger. Look for more info about all the panels in the coming weeks.

With 43 new and original songs, Vince Gill's forthcoming These Days -- a four-CD set! -- will feature a range of musical styles from traditional country and bluegrass to jazz and rock. Collaborating on the package are Sheryl Crow, Phil Everly, Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, Buddy Emmons, Emmylou Harris, Diana Krall, Del McCoury Band, Bonnie Raitt and many others ... Bluegrass music passed a major milestone on July 14 as the publication Bluegrass Unlimited celebrated its 40th anniversary. They marked the occasion with a special retrospective issue that included a bound-in reproduction of Volume 1, Number 1 -- a nine page mimeographed newsletter. In addition, the monthly’s editor, Sharon McGraw, announced that the magazine will begin its second 40 years with a complete redesign ... Cross Canadian Ragweed is planning a Red Dirt Roundup on Sept. 3 in the Ft. Worth Stockyards. Joining CCR will be Robert Earl Keen, Randy Rogers Band, Stony LaRue, Wade Bowen and the Drive-By Truckers, with more to come.

Singer-songwriter Guy Clark will serve as the Country Music Hall of Fame's artist in residence in 2006 and will perform shows there on Sept. 6, 13 and 27. Known for compositions such as "Desperados Waiting for a Train," "Heartbroke" and "L.A. Freeway," Clark was elected into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2004. He follows Cowboy Jack Clement, Earl Scruggs and Tom T. Hall as the museum's fourth artist in residence. In addition, Clark will release a new album, Workbench Songs, on Sept. 19 on Dualtone Records.

On Tuesday, July 18, CMT launched a new broadband network called CMT Loaded. Featuring thousands of country music videos and hundreds of exclusive performances and interviews, CMT Loaded provides the largest online video collection designed specifically for country and Americana music. Fans will also have access to tens of thousands of music videos from across all genres.

The service is available free and on-demand at www.cmt.com. CMT Loaded complements the network's television channels, including the recently established digital channel CMT Pure Country. It also joins the MTV Overdrive and VH1 Vspot broadband networks established by CMT's sister channels.

KWRP/Santa Fe, NM -- owned by the husband-wife team of Steve Bumpous and Kathleen Brandon -- has signed a one-year LMA with Broadcast Partners LLC for sales and programming. The Americana/Triple A hybrid station is now being programmed by PD/MD Sam Ferrara, who is based in Ft. Collins, CO, and has been rebranded as "Indie 101.5, Free-Range Radio For Santa Fe" with a more pronounced mix of Alternative and Triple A music while still retaining a significant percentage of Americana. The station is also streaming online via www.indie1015.com.

Ferrara, who also serves as PD for KLBU (Blu 102.9)/Santa Fe, can be reached at 4006 Moss Creek Drive, Ft. Collins, CO 80526; 505-984-1029 x108; and sam@blu1029.com. Call times are noon-2pm Tuesdays.

Rodney Crowell and Alejandro Escovedo will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards for Songwriting and Performing, respectively, at the fifth annual Americana Honors & Awards on Friday, Sept. 22 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Both will perform that evening.

Hosted by perennial favorite Jim Lauderdale, the Americana Honors & Awards again will feature an all-star house band led by Buddy Miller and performances by nominees James Hunter; Kieran Kane, Kevin Welch & Fats Kaplin; Delbert McClinton; James McMurtry; Robinella; Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives and many more. Additional special award recipients, performers and presenters will be announced soon.

Acousticfriends.com is a new, free, online-community site describing itself as "the social space for acoustic music" for fans, musicians and others interested in Americana, bluegrass, folk, Irish-Celtic, old-time string bands and singer-songwriters. On the site, artists can post their music, videos and tour information, as well as network to find others to jam, form groups, offer lessons, exchange songs and travel together.

Based in Casper, WY, creator Stephen Weih says, "People in these music genres are more comfortable going to a place where there are others with likeminded interests."