Akulina Joy Shamanov plays guitar, sings lead and harmony, and serves as the bandleader of the Alaskan Sunnyside Sisters. At just 15 years old, she has already performed roughly 250 shows, including appearances at the legendary Grand Ole Opry.

Akulina is also gaining recognition for her vocals. She was nominated for JMA Vocalist Under 18 and is a 2026 IBMA Momentum Vocalist nominee, an exciting recognition of her growing presence in bluegrass music.

She began her musical journey on piano at age five before discovering the guitar, which quickly became her main instrument. She also plays fiddle, mandolin, bass, and banjo, although guitar and fiddle are her primary instruments in the band. One of her signature fiddle pieces is “Ashokan Farewell.”

Akulina performs on both Collings Guitars and Gallagher Guitars and brings a Martin D-18 as a backup guitar. She uses D’Addario XS phosphor bronze strings and a BlueChip TP 60 pick, and she is known for obsessively checking her instruments to make sure everything is just right before playing.

As the bandleader, Akulina helps lead rehearsals, shape arrangements, develop set lists, and guide the Alaskan Sunnyside Sisters’ overall sound. She focuses closely on timing, harmony, energy, and making sure every performance runs smoothly. Her musical influences include bluegrass legends Alison Krauss and Doyle Lawson, while artists such as Lauren Daigle and Stella Lefty also inspire her as a vocalist and performer. Drawing inspiration from both traditional and modern bluegrass, as well as other styles of music, Akulina is developing her own sound and approach to singing, songwriting, and performing.

She is currently working on more than a dozen original songs and strives to write music that energizes audiences, inspires creativity, and connects people through story, harmony, and feeling.

Offstage, Akulina is funny, friendly, and full of personality. While she may appear focused and serious during a performance, she is quick to make jokes, pull funny faces, and laugh at herself. She enjoys reading historical fiction and mysteries, writing songs, and spending time with her sisters. Her quirky habits include humming while practicing, experimenting with harmonies, and sometimes overthinking every little detail—but she always keeps things fun.

Her favorite foods include ice cream, pizza, radishes, noodles, and soup, and she enjoys mango juice and water. She loves mornings for running and getting things done, afternoons for practicing music or completing schoolwork, and evenings for walks, baking, or watching movies with her sisters.

Being homeschooled allows Akulina to balance academics with her busy musical career, although math—especially geometry—is definitely not her favorite. Her daily life is a mix of music, school, songwriting, social media, creative work, rehearsals, and preparing for upcoming performances.

If she weren’t pursuing music, Akulina would consider performing with the U.S. Navy Band’s Country Current or spending more time baking and creating in the kitchen. Whether through music, food, or humor, she loves bringing joy to other people and seeing audiences respond to what she creates.

Her long-term goal is to help grow the Alaskan Sunnyside Sisters into a full-time national touring group and perform on major stages such as Red Rocks and the CMA Awards. To Akulina, success isn’t defined simply by the number of shows she performs—it is about the connections she creates with an audience and the energy she shares through music.

She wants every listener to leave feeling inspired, energized, and entertained—one chord, one laugh, and one perfectly timed harmony at a time.

Fun Facts

Favorite Color: Navy Blue

Favorite Instruments: Guitar and fiddle

Favorite Guitars: Collings Guitars and Gallagher Guitars

Favorite Singers/Artists: Lauren Daigle and Stella Lefty

Cherylann Shamanov plays bass for the Alaskan Sunnyside Sisters and brings a steady, grounding presence to the band—whether she looks like it or not. At 12, she has already performed on stages such as the Grand Ole Opry, standing on the far right with her bass, focused and calm, keeping everything right where it needs to be. She started on piano and picked up the bass about a year ago, quickly finding her place in the band. She enjoys walking bass lines and slower, driving songs like “Blue Side of the Mountain” and “Clinch Mountain Backstep,” where she can really settle into the groove. While she may not be moving around much (because… bass), she’s always locked in, watching her sisters and keeping everything together. On stage, Cherylann is serious, focused, and has what the band calls her “bass face.” But if you look closely, you’ll catch little moments—like a quick smile, or when she laughs at herself after a mistake and immediately looks over at Akulina… who is definitely already looking back. Then she just keeps going like nothing happened. Calm. Professional. Totally planned (not really). Off stage is where things change completely. Cherylann goes from quiet and focused to talking nonstop—like nonstop. She makes funny faces, switches into random accents (including a very committed English one), and keeps everyone laughing with her chaotic energy. One of her classic moments is putting her sparkly hat on her head and then asking, completely seriously, “Where is my hat?” as if it just disappeared. She also loves startling people, acting dramatic for no reason, and being just unpredictable enough to keep her sisters on their toes. When she’s not playing music, Cherylann loves reading—especially historical fiction, fantasy, and mystery—and could easily spend all day on her bunk bed with a book. She also enjoys drawing, running, playing outside, and playing games like chess. She likes having a routine and staying organized (more than her sisters), but still manages to be one of the most chaotic people in the house when she feels like it. Food-wise, she’s all about comfort and favorites—creamy potato soup, popcorn, mango ice cream, and omelets with hot sauce. She mostly sticks to water, simple and reliable, just like her playing. Even though she may not always be the loudest on stage, Cherylann is a huge part of what makes the band work. She’s steady, observant, and always exactly where she needs to be—while somehow also being one of the funniest and most unexpected personalities off stage. Fun Facts: Favorite color; violet  Favorite instrument; Bass Favorite Bass; Kay