The all-female bluegrass vocal outfit Sister Sadie did what had never been done before at the 2020 IBMA Awards. They won Entertainer of the Year — the first time an all-female group has received the award in the IBMA’s three-and-a-half-decades.

It seems only fitting, since in 2019 Sister Sadie became the first-ever all-female group to win Vocal Group of the Year, which they once again took home in 2020.

Speaking about the accomplishment, vocalist/mandolinist Tina Adair shares, “We’re proud of this honor. There’s a lot of purity and traditionalism in this genre, but a lot of progressivism, too.”

Gena Britt adds, “We love getting to contribute new perspectives to a style of music that has shaped us all.” …

Country-rock singer-songwriter Stokoff recently released the music video for “Fuego & Hielo” — fire and ice.

Born in Germany, Stokoff grew up in Colombia. A physicist by profession, in 1998 he represented Colombia at a festival in Viña del Mar Chile, singing “Cantaré.” Broadcast live on international television, Stokoff wowed viewers.

In 2005, he released his debut single, “Tan Solo Humano,” the title track from his first album. He followed with Juego de Pasion and Evolucion, a 10-track album of avant-garde pop music, a sound Stokoff calls “pop in evolution.”

2017 saw him release an acoustic album, Stokoff Al Natural, followed by a country-pop album, whose first single, “Pensando En Ti” soared to the top of the charts. The second single, “Quiero Ser,” steered a similar course, rising to the summit of the charts. …

Alternative artist BELLSAINT, aka Caroline Brooks, introduces her latest potent anthem, “WFNEO,” — ‘we fucking need each other.’

Written, produced, and mixed by BELLSAINT and her husband, Kyle Moore, in the midst of the heat and fires in Los Angeles, “WFNEO” echoes the feelings engendered by bouts of depression brought on by the pandemic. The cover artwork, Love and Terror, was painted by her sister Kathryn Gohmert.

A song about choosing concord rather than discord and schism, on “WFNEO” BELLESAINT rends the veil between opposing groups to announce the simple truth with clarity: we fucking need each other.

BELLSAINT explains, “We desperately need leaders who don’t demonize/demean people who disagree with them. We can’t give in to hopelessness and let our hearts harden. We need change, and we really need each other.” …

Following on the heels of his recently released self-titled EP, as well as a standalone single, “Snakechild,” a song dripping with smoldering, risky energy, synth-pop artist Local Nomad drops “Karen,” a song alluding to the kitschy stereotypical, self-entitled middle-class white woman sporting a bob hairstyle and a hoity-toity attitude.

Local Nomad is the stage name of Michael Desmond, who hails from Long Island, New York. …

Nashville pop-rock singer-songwriter Kate Tucker, referred to by Music City’s press as “one of Nashville’s indie music gems,” recently released the music video for “A Little Bit Of Love,” a song about maintaining a buoyant attitude despite the circumstances — such as the current pandemic.

Essentially, according to Kate Tucker a little love goes a long, long way.

A self-taught musician, Kate grew up hitting ‘rewind’ on tapes of The Cranberries on MTV Unplugged to learn chords on a guitar her godfather built for her. …

Electrifying, inspiring pop music.

Meet rising pop star Jillian Rossi, who unveils the music video for “So What,” a song underscoring the significance of self-love in the face of the internet’s belittling of women’s bodies.

On “So What,” Jillian hooks up with TikTok Gen Z influencers like Brooklynne, musician @daniellecohn (18.3M fans), creator @elliezeiler (7.6M fans), risk taker @hope_schwing (8.2M followers), self-experimenter @coltyy (8.1M followers), CEO of the squirrel dance @siennamae (8.6M followers) and more than twenty other popular and admired influencers.

Jillian’s objective is to foster body positivity and encourage others to stand fast when confronting harmful viewpoints about female bodies, a posture supported by celebrities such as Lizzo, Chrissy Teigen, and Demi Lovato, who have raised their voices to endorse self-esteem by means of affirmative messages. …

Australian singer-songwriter John Lingard releases his latest crossover pop single, “Broken Receiver.”

“Broken Receiver” came to life when John traveled to Nashville, where he collaborated with music city’s gifted songwriters.

Born in the U.K., John’s family moved to Australia when he was 10-years-old. Later, modeling himself after his father, he began playing guitar and writing songs. At age 16, he attended a John Mayer concert. Before the concert was over, John realized his passion for music was boundless — music was his lifeblood.

John made a big splash in 2014, appearing on The Voice, followed by taking a few steps back to hone his singing and songwriting abilities. …

Internationally celebrated artist Manika Kaur releases a new album, Yoga Ambient Remixes, via United Sound Records/Six Degree Records.

Collaborating with musician, artist, and producer Martin “Youth” Glover, the album’s transcendent six-tracks blend the numinous sound of Manika’s ethereal voice and music with the magical echoes of dub into exquisite sonic confections taking listeners across the vast expanses of space to Celestial Dharma or what others call the Empyrean.

Presently a member of Killing Joke, Glover has worked with artists such as Kate Bush, Sir Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Jah Wobble, David Tibet, Pete Murphy, The Skids, and Roger Eno.

On her part, originally from Australia, Manika’s music mirrors the devotional singing of shabads — Kirtan, merging traditional savors with tints of jazz, velvety textures of dream-pop, and hues of sophisti-pop. …