2016 Galax Old Fiddlers Convention winners

The names of the winners in the various competition categories at the 81st annual Old Fiddlers Convention have been posted. The convention ran all last week at Felts Park in Galax, VA.

This year’s big winners were The Trailblazers from North Carolina, who performed with special guest Ivy Phillips from Nashville. The band won 1st in the bluegrass band contest, Ivy won 1st in bluegrass fiddle, and their mandolinist Jonah Horton won that competition. Will Thrailkill also took 3rd in the bass category, and Ivy was named Best All Around Performer.

Here’s video of them competing on Saturday.

There was a plethora of young players taking top prizes, especially in Bluegrass Fiddle where almost all of the top 10 were in their teens or early 20s. Several other young bands placed in the Bluegrass Band category as well.

2016 competitions placement follows:

Old Time Fiddle

1. Jake Krack – Marlington, WV
2. Richard Bowman – Mt. Airy, NC
3. Billy Hurt – Boones Mill, VA
4. Eddie Bond – Fries, VA
5. Nathan Leath – Taylorsville, NC
6. Henry Barnes – Columbus, OH
7. Andrew Small – Elizabeth City, NC
8. Stephen Fraleigh – Raleigh, NC
9. Andrew Vogts – Chadds Ford, PA
10. Rod Jones – Charleston, WV

 

Dobro

1. Eddie Marrs – Princeton, WV
2. Doug Smith – Medway, OH
3. Stephen Moller – Elgin, IL
4. Donnie Scott – Mt. Airy, NC
5. Alex Donahue – Roanoke, VA
6. Randy Pasley – Eagle River, AK
7. Robert Ellis – Mockesville, NC
8. Alan Jolley – Gastonia, NC
9. Marvin Farmer – Hillsville, VA
10. Maggie Anderson – Woodlawn, VA

 

Mandolin

1. Jonah Horton – Wilkesboro, NC
2. Liam Purcell – Deep Gap, NC
3. Ryan Blevins – Marion, VA
4. Patrick Lindsey – Galax, VA
5. Taylor Baker – Winchester, VA
6. Ricky Ellis – Bedford, VA
7. Giri Peters – Nashville, TN
8. Chris Martin – Wirtz, VA
9. Rodney Hodges –
10. Tara Linhardt – Taylortown, VA

 

Bluegrass Fiddle

1. Ivy Phillips – Chapmansboro, TN
2. Corrina Stephens – White Creek, TN
3. Aila Wildman – Floyd, VA
4. Danny Knicley – Taylorstown, VA
5. Carson Peters – Piney Flats, TN
6. Casey Driscoll – Mt. Airy, NC
7. Kitty Amaral – Elk Creek, VA
8. Carley Arrowwood – Union Mills, NC
9. John Hoffman – Thomasville, NC
10. Marissa Colter – Clemmons, NC

 

Dulcimer

1. Sharon Boyd – Colonial Heights – VA
2. Jimmy Edmonds, Galax, VA
3. Kendra Ward – Bidwell, OH
4. Dot Christenson – Lexington, KY
5. Dick Lamb – Keezeltown, VA
6. Clarence Roberts – Galax, VA
7. Gail Webber – Greensboro, NC
8. David Parks – Dublin, VA
9. Tim Thorton – Shawsville, VA
10. Lark Dunton – Roanoke, VA

 

Bluegrass Banjo

1. Jeremy Stephens – White Creek, TN
2. Trajan Wellington – Jefferson, NC
3. Steve Barr – Galax, VA
4. Andy Lowe – Winston-Salem, NC
5. Brennen Ernst – Boones Mill, VA
6. Bobby Whitlock – Collinsville, VA
7. Steve Chrisley – Wytheville, VA
8. Lee Dunbar – Eagle Rock, VA
9. Timothy Mills – Pilot, VA
10. Danny Bowers – Winston-Salem, NC

 

Clawhammer Banjo

1. Victor Furtado – Front Royal, VA
2. Seth Boyd – Martinsville, VA
3. Brien Fain – Stuart, VA
4. Madison Shepherd – West Jefferson, NC
5. Kelley Breiding – Crumpler, NC
6. Jared Boyd – Laurel Fork, VA
7. Jessica Muller – Christiansburg, VA
8. Daniel Boyer – Fries, VA
9. Trevor Hammons – Arlington, WV
10. Nancy Sluys – Westfield, NC

 

Autoharp

1. Ronnie Burroughs – Keysville, VA
2. Lois Shumaker – Olin, NC
3. Frederick Douglas – Chapel Hill, NC
4. Vicki Boyd – Laurel Fork, VA
5. Jo Ann Redd – Galax, VA
6. Penny Kilby – Mouth of Wilson, VA
7. Judy Pagter – Standsville, VA
8. Bobbi Roberts – Galax, VA
9. Virgil Adams – Galax, VA
10. Doug Pratt – Cary, NC

winners list continues on page 2…