This year has already been pretty extra, but the stakeholders behind the Steve Martin Banjo Prize just said, "Hold my beer." According to a No Depression article today, five banjo players have won the 2020 award.
You may recall that after the 2019 award was announced, there was some uncertainty as to whether the prize would continue. In August, which according to the calendar I have here was only two months ago, the non-profit FreshGrass Foundation signed on to continue awarding the prize into its second decade.
You may recall that after the 2019 award was announced, there was some uncertainty as to whether the prize would continue. In August, which according to the calendar I have here was only two months ago, the non-profit FreshGrass Foundation signed on to continue awarding the prize into its second decade.
In the past, there was only one winner per year, with a cash prize of $50,000. With FreshGrass taking the reins, the organization announced that the prize would an annual award of $25,000 to one or more banjo players across the stylistic spectrum including both five- and four-string banjo masters.
"However, in light of the tremendous need in the musical community this year, the 2020 prize will be $50,000 split equally between five banjo players," according to the FreshGrass website. This year's winners are:
- Jake Blount, a clawhammer banjo player, fiddler and scholar who specializes in the music of Black and indigenous communities. I reviewed his debut album Spider Tales in June.
- Catherine “BB” Bowness, a Scruggs-style player who was born in New Zealand and trained at the New Zealand School of Music and the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. She is a member of Mile Twelve, which won Best New Artist at this year’s IBMA awards.
- Matthew Davis, a 21-year-old member of the “chambergrass” band Westbound Situation and progressive bluegrassers Circus No. 9. He won the National Banjo Championship at age 17 and studied jazz at University of Michigan.
- Gerry O’Connor, a Dublin, Ireland-based tenor banjo player who is known for experimenting with elements from bluegrass to African to Asian and back to Irish again. He has played with many artists, including Joe Bonamassa, and played on the Lord of the Dance soundtrack.
- Buddy Wachter, regarded as one of the most influential four-string plectrum banjo players, Wachter has played more than 7,000 concerts to audiences in 130 countries.
In these wild and crazy times, it's great to see the Steve Martin Banjo Prize continuing on and recognizing a more diverse crop of musicians.
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