2023 Galax Youth Competition winners

Youth band competition at the 2023 Old Fiddlers Convention – photo © G. Nicholas Hancock

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One hundred thirty-eight contestants between the ages of eight and fifteen participated in the 87^th Annual Galax Old Fiddlers Convention Youth Competition on Monday, August 7, at Felts Park in Galax, VA.

Youth Competition is for contestants 15 years or younger, with categories including old-time fiddle, bluegrass fiddle, mandolin, clawhammer banjo, bluegrass banjo, guitar, and band.

Winners were announced and awards were presented beginning shortly before 11:00 p.m. on Monday. In addition to the ribbon rosettes awarded, each first-place winner in each individual instrument category received a $250.00 scholarship provided by the Don Wilson Memorial Scholarship Fund and the Galax Moose Lodge #733. The scholarships must be used for music classes, workshops, or private lessons.

Winners announced Monday night were:

Old time fiddle

1. Sam Wilkerson – Lowgap, NC
2. Hunter Hiatt – State Road, NC
3. Maxwell Brown – Wilmington, DE
4. Silas Wilkerson – Lowgap, NC
5. Ola Moeckel – Floyd, VA

Bluegrass fiddle

1. Hollace Oakes – Snowville, VA
2. Josephine Walker – Todd, NC
3. Cheyenne Grantham – Boones Mill, VA
4. Madalyn Jarrett – Falls Mills, VA
5. Alice Goud – Savannah, GA

Mandolin

1. Atti Dyer – North Wilkesboro, NC
2. Sarah Rose Norris – North Wilkesboro, NC
3. Blane Young – Roanoke, VA
4. Charlie Tolbert – Purlear, NC
5. Callie Hall – Powhatan, VA

Clawhammer banjo

1. William Moeckel – Floyd, VA
2. Bayla Davis – Leicester, NC
3. Wyatt Grantham – Boones Mill, VA
4. Margo MacSweeney – Floyd, VA
5. Wren Hello – Floyd, VA

Bluegrass banjo

1. Berkley Stewart – Saltville, VA
2. Levi Lindblom – Bloomingdale, GA
3. Luciya Sullivan – Evanston, IL
4. Chet Rickman – Augusta, WV
5. Elijah Ellenburg – Liberty, SC

Guitar

1. Graydon Shepherd – West Jefferson, NC
2. Croft Wilson – Jacksonville, FL
3. Judah Davis – Leicester, NC
4. Gabe Mark – Belmont, NC
5. JonPaul Sepulveda – Travelers Rest, SC

Band

1. The Brothers Five – Bloomingdale, GA
2. Newfound Gap – Leicester, NC
3. Old Time Rowdies – Floyd, VA
4. The Biscuit Eaters – Lowgap, NC
5. Carolina Detour – Pinnacle, NC

Best All Around Performer: Silas Wilkerson – Old-time Fiddle – Lowgap, NC