West Michigan bluegrass star Billy Strings wins third Grammy Award for best bluegrass album
The virtuoso guitarist Bill Strings won his third Grammy Award on Sunday, this time for best bluegrass album for 2025’s acclaimed “Highway Prayers.”
IONIA — For Billy Strings, it’s déjà vu all over again.
The virtuoso guitarist from Ionia County who’s ascended to the apex of the bluegrass world won his third Grammy Award on Sunday, this time for best bluegrass album for 2025’s acclaimed “Highway Prayers.”
It follows his wins for best bluegrass album in 2021 (“Home”) and 2025 (“Live Vol. 1”).
“Thank you to all the Grammys folks for naming ‘Highway Prayers’ best bluegrass album,” William Apostol, aka Billy Strings, wrote on Facebook. “And congratulations to all the nominees. It’s an honor to be recognized along with such fine musicians.”
Those “fine musicians” nominated for the award included legendary artists such as Alison Krauss & Union Station (“Arcadia”) and Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter (“Carter & Cleveland”), along with Sierra Hull (“A Tip Toe High Wire”) and The Steeldrivers (“Outrun”).
The bluegrass award was presented during the Grammy Awards’ afternoon “Premiere Ceremony,” which preceded the much-ballyhooed, nationally televised show at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, where hip hop’s Kendrick Lamar was the big winner, taking home five awards, including record of the year for “Luther” with SZA. Bad Bunny won album of the year honors, with Billy Eilish and Finneas earning honors for song of the year.
View the full list of nominees and award winners online at grammy.com.
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Billy Strings’ win earned a flood of congratulatory comments from fans on Facebook, including the likes of Keb’ Mo’ and other musicians. SavingCountryMusic.com called the winning album “a full-throttle road trip into 20 original and traditional bluegrass tracks, with some killer tunes, surprisingly involved writing, while still delivering the spellbinding improvisation that is at the heart of Billy’s unique appeal.”
The Grammy honors came just a few days after the guitarist and his band announced their summer tour, which closes Aug. 28-29 with hometown shows at the Ionia County Fairgrounds, with tickets going on sale for those appearances on Feb. 13. You can sign up for the on-sale online at billystrings.com.
— Find more Michigan music news and concert listings at LocalSpins.com. Email John Sinkevics at john@localspins.com.
