Nebraska Country Music Foundation

2008 "Keepin' it Country"

Festival Results

Division 1

Professional Male Vocalist 1^st place:  Bob Ayres,  Holdrege NE

Professional Male Vocalist 2^nd place:  Ron Grimes,  Central City, NE

Professional Female Vocalist 1^st place:  Sarah Chlarson,   Parker, CO

Professional Female Vocalist 2^nd place: Angela McLean,  Aurora, NE

Professional Male Gospel 1^st place: Dale Beye,  Grand Island, NE

Professional Male Gospel 2^nd place:  Ron Grimes, Central City, NE

Professional Female Gospel 1^st place: Sarah Chlarson, Parker, CO

Professional Femal Gospel 2^nd place:  Alexa Whipple, Arapahoe, NE

Professional Best Gospel Entertainers: Willie Harris Gospel Singers, Chicago, Illinois

Professional Duet 1^st place: Denim N Lace Patti & Michelle Mahoney,  Columbus, NE

Professional Duet 2^nd place: Lonnie & Jessica Musil, Grand Island, NE

Division 2  Semi-Professional Most Promising

Semi-Professional Female Vocalist Country 1^st place:  Angie Gill,  Juniata, NE

Semi-Professional Female Vocalist Country 2^nd place:  Valerie Leising, Holbrook, NE

Semi-Professional Gospel Female Vocalist 1^st place:  Angie Gill, Juniata, NE

Semi-Professional Gospel Female Vocalist 2^nd place:  Valerie Leising, Holbrook, NE

Division 3

Amateur Male Vocalist 1^st place: Rich Gion, Hastings, NE

Amateur Male Vocalist 2^nd place: Mike Alloway, Harvard, NE

Amateur Female Vocalist 1^st place:  Krista Finley, Hastings, NE

Amateur Female Vocalist 2^nd place: Chrissy Johnson, York, NE

Amateur Teen 1^st place: Katie Goesch, Grand Island, NE

Amateur Teen 2^nd place: Courtney Murman, Glenvil, NE

Amateur Youth 1^st place: Jennifer Edmisten, Hastings, NE 

Amateur Youth 2^nd place: Kathleen Juhl, Shelton, NE

Division 4

Instrumentalist 1^st place:  Orville Meyer, Blue Hill, NE

Instrumentalist 2^nd place:  Angela McLean, Aurora, NE

Jr. Instrumentalist 1^st place:  Dylan Larson, Herman, NE

Jr. Instrumentalist 2^nd place: Gage Larson,  Herman, NE

Division 5  Open Category

Open Gospel Male 1^st place:  Darren Forbes, Juniata, NE

Open Gospel Male 2^nd place: Mike Alloway

Open Gospel Female 1^st place: Katie Goesch, Grand Island, NE

Open Gospel Female 2^nd place: Jennifer Edmisten, Hastings, NE

Open Duet 1^st place:  Jena Lautenschlager-Stroud & Nikki Mizner, Kearney, NE

Open Duet 2^nd place: Orville Meyer & Ruth Hayes, Blue Hill NE, Hastings NE

Division 6

Professional Country Songwriter 1^st place:  Jim Calhoun, Claflin KS

Professional Country Songwriter 2^nd place: Ron Grimes, Central City, NE

Amateur Country Songwriter 1^st place: Alexa Whipple, Arapahoe, NE

Amateur Country Songwriter 2^nd place: Sarah Chlarson, Parker, CO

Professional Gospel Songwriter 1^st place: Ron Grimes, Central City, NE

Professional Gospel Songwriter 2^nd place: Myrna Rae Booth, Cainsville, MO

Amateur Gospel Songwriter 1^st place:  Kathleen Hickman, Aurora, CO

Amateur Gospel Songwriter 2^nd place: Donna White, Lexington NE

Non-Division Awards Youth & Teen

Most Promising Youth 2008,  Jordan Morgan,  Arvada, CO

Most promising Teen 2008, Riki Hinkel, Hastings, NE

Special Awards

Mayors Award:  Darren Forbes, Juniata, NE

Governors Award:  Chris Calhoun, Claflin, KS

Presidents Award:  Geri Hinkel, Hastings, NE

Golden Oldie Country Song of the Year: Sarah Chlarson, Parker, CO

People's Choice Award:  Alexa Whipple, Arapahoe, NE

Songwriter of the Year Award: Alexa Whipple, Arapahoe, NE

Entertainer of the Year Award:  Katie Goesch, Grand Island, NE

Hall of Fame Inductees: Randy Ketelsen, Arvada CO, Gary Phipps, North Platte, NE,  

                                        Lonnie Musil, Grand Island, NE

Youth Award 2008 presented by Michael Martin Murphey: Dylan Larson, Herman NE

Teen Award 2008 presented by Michael Martin Murphey, Katie Goesch, Grand Island, NE 

Congratulations to all receiving awards, and thank you to everyone that attended the Nebraska Country Music Fundation 2008 Keepin' it Country" Festival.

NCMF Board of Directors: Deb Shaw, Lorie Bell, Chris Nielsen, Mike Anderson,

                                                Ron Griess, Geri Hinkel, & Jennie Barkhoff

NCMF Festival Band: Jim Hyatt, Neut Larson, Jon Dailey, Randy Ketelsen, Bruce