IBMA observes #TheShowMustBePaused

THE International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) announces:

In solidarity with music organizations across the world, IBMA will be observing #TheShowMustBePaused on Tuesday, June 2nd. This pause in every corner of the music industry is intended to be a 'day to take a beat for an honest, reflective, and productive conversation about what actions we need to collectively take to support the Black community'.

As a commitment to our long held value statement to encourage diversity and inclusion in bluegrass music, the IBMA will add its support of #TheShowMustBePaused by:

• Closing its offices for all official business and communications. This is not a day off. In fact, it is a day of harder work to listen to and support those who are marginalized in our community.
• Sharing Rhiannon Giddens’ powerful keynote speech from 2017. She provides a brilliantly researched and delivered reflection on the history of Black people’s strong influence on bluegrass music and how it was subsequently hidden from public view.
• Postponing sending second round IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards ballots to Wednesday, June 3rd.