2026 Abingdon Fiddlers Convention results

Travis Watts & Mountain Blessings, 1st Place Adult Bluegrass Band, at the 2026 Abingdon Fiddlers’ Convention – photo © G. Nicholas Hancock

Everyone in attendance agreed the weather was excellent for the 5th annual Abingdon Fiddlers’ Convention this past weekend at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Abingdon, VA. Thirty bluegrass and old-time bands, and 125 individual contestants competed for a total of $7,000 in cash and prizes, which included unique handcrafted ironwork trophies made by Melissa Conner.

Tim White of the Song of the Mountains PBS television show and Dale Morris, veteran MC of the Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention, Grayson County Fiddlers’ Convention, among others, served as the Abingdon event MCs. Day Sound Productions of Rural Hall, NC provided the sound system for the weekend.

Some much-needed rain fell during the Thursday evening fiddlers’ convention pre-party barbecue and music jam held at the historic Martha Washington Inn & Spa in downtown Abington. The jam session was moved inside to the Edith Wilson Parlor of the inn. Tyler Hughes, director of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, conducted a slow jam for novices on the porch of the inn, and the jam in the parlor consisted of a dozen or more experienced jammers and pickers including Ethan Ratliff, guitarist for Newfound Road.   

Friday night was devoted to a bluegrass and old-time gospel band competition and a vocal duet competition, which was added to this year’s event. After the gospel competition, Grammy Award-winning Shelby Means and her band provided an hour of entertainment while the judges tallied the scores. 

In addition to the regular bluegrass and old-time competitions on Saturday, the Abingdon Fiddlers’ Convention awarded five Asher Hurley Memorial Youth Music Scholarships of $300 each to Orson Cornett of Boone, NC; Harlan Gladson of Sneedville, TN; Eamon Russell of Abingdon, VA; Alina Hess of Floyd, VA; Silas Walls of Vale, NC; and Sarah Walls of Vale, NC. The scholarships must be used for traditional musical instrument lessons, tuition for traditional music camps, or college music courses.

Abingdon luthier Keith Hurley, father of Asher Hurley, made an acoustic guitar, valued at $4,000, for which raffle tickets are sold to raise additional money for the Youth Music Scholarships. According to Jennifer Blankenship, convention organizer, $4,450.00 was raised with the guitar raffle this year. The winning ticket holder this year was Gus Velarde of Emory, VA.

Sam West and Austin Greer hosted a youth jam following the youth awards on Saturday at the education tent set up outside the registration building. Tim White & Troublesome Hollow provided music and entertainment during the lunch break on Saturday.

Also, Dr. Mark Handy, Abingdon physician, founding member of Leftover Biscuits old-time band, and board member of the Carter Family Fold and Music Center, along with multi-instrumentalist and radio DJ Ivy Sheppard, conducted a clawhammer banjo and fiddle workshop in the conference room of the fairgrounds from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday.

Mrs. Blankenship said the 6th edition of the event will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 18-19, 2027.

“We are so grateful to all the volunteers, sponsors, musicians, bands, and spectators who have turned out each year to support this event,” she said.

“We always welcome suggestions to help us make this event better, but after this fifth year I think things went extremely well. And I want to add a special thanks to my parents, John and Janet Berry, because this wouldn’t happen if it were not for them.”

Winners at this year’s competition were:

Youth Fiddle (Bluegrass)

1. Lydia Walls – Vale, NC
2. Alexis Osborn – Bristol, VA 
3. Jeremiah Rasnake – Abingdon, VA
4. Oliver Cornett – Boone, NC

Youth Fiddle (Old Time)

1. Lindy Gladson – Sneedville, TN
2. Orson Cornett – Boone, NC
3. Alina Hess – Floyd, VA
4. Shepard Culbertson, Atlanta, GA

Youth Guitar

1. Truett Wagner – Kernersville, NC
2. Mason Blevins – Chilhowie, VA
3. Elliot King – Carthage, NC
4. Brett Helton – Richlands, VA

Youth Mandolin

1. Eamon Russell – Abingdon, VA
2. Lemuel Gladson – Sneedville, TN
3. Sarah Walls – Vale, NC
4. Isaac Eggers – Zionville, NC

Youth Banjo (Clawhammer)

1. Analiese Hess – Floyd, VA
2. Orson Cornett – Boone, NC
3. Hannah Boggs – Clarksville, GA

Youth Banjo (Bluegrass)

1. Shawn Rippel – Pilot Mountain, NC
2. Dewey Brown – Burlington, NC
3. Silas Walls – Vale, NC

Youth Miscellaneous 

1. Misha MacSweeney (bass fiddle) – Floyd, VA 
2. Ricky Caudill (bass fiddle) – Mount Airy, NC 
3. Corban Walls (Dobro) – Vale, NC 
4. Analiese Hess (harmonica) – Floyd, VA 

Youth Folk Song

1. Lindy Gladson – Sneedville, TN
2. William Boggs – Clarksville, GA
3. Hollace Oakes – Snowville, VA
4. Sarah Walls – Vale, NC

Youth Band (Old-time)

1. Floyd Hooligans – Floyd, VA

Youth Band (Bluegrass)

1. Denim & Plaid – Snowville, VA
2. Gladson & Company – Sneedville, TN
3. 4 Walls – Vale, NC

Best All Around Performer (Youth)

• Lindy Gladson – Sneedville, TN

Adult Fiddle (Bluegrass)

1. Hollace Oakes – Snowville, VA
2. Orson Cornett – Boone, NC
3. Carson Glass – Lewisburg, VA
4. Shawn Rippel – Pilot Mountain, NC

Adult Fiddle (Old Time)

1. Dan Kessinger – St. Mary’s, WV
2. Hollace Oakes – Snowville, VA
3. Lindy Gladson – Sneedville, TN
4. Grayson McGuire – Todd, NC

Adult Guitar

1. Elliot King – Carthage, NC
2. Tucker Conner – Fleetwood, NC
3. Robin Kessinger – Point Pleasant, WV
4. Cody McGrady – Galax, VA

Adult Bass

1. Andy Blevins – Chilhowie, VA
2. Lloyd Richardson – Warrensville, NC
3. Ricky Caudill – Mount Airy, NC

Adult Mandolin

1. Claire Childress – Big Stone Gap, VA
2. Chris Golliher – Marion, VA
3. Orson Cornett – Boone, NC
4. Lemuel Gladson – Sneedville, TN

Adult Banjo (Clawhammer)

1. Robbie Herman – Taylorsville, NC
2. Logan Thompson – Rural Retreat, VA
3. Claire Childress – Big Stone Gap, VA
4. Debbie Yates – Konnarock, VA

Adult Banjo (Bluegrass) 

1. Berkley Stewart – Saltville, VA
2. Travis Watts – Mount Airy, NC
3. Billy Ray Summerlin – North Wilkesboro, NC
4. Kevin Love – Kingsport, TN

Adult Miscellaneous

1. Paul Byrum (Dulcimer) – Kingsport, TN
2. Jonathan McHone (Dobro) – Danbury, NC
3. Holger Olesen (Dobro) – Elizabethton, TN
4. Todd Gladson (Dobro) – Sneedville, TN

Adult Folk Song

1. Nikki Garent – Independence, VA
2. Michele Glass – Ronceverte, WV 
3. Tucker Conner – Fleetwood, NC
4. Juliet Gladson – Sneedville, TN

Adult Flatfoot Dance

1. Forrest Doyle – Asheville, NC
2. Lindy Gladson – Sneedville, TN
3. Todd Gladson – Sneedville, TN
4. Stomper White – Independence, VA

Adult Band (Old Time)

1. Gladson Family – Sneedville, TN
2. Yates Family – Konnarock, VA
3. Kessinger Brothers – St. Mary’s, WV

Adult Band (Bluegrass)

1. Travis Watts & Mountain Blessings – Mount Airy, NC
2. New River Line – Galax, VA
3. Denim & Plaid – Snowville, VA

Best All-Around Performer

• Elliot King – Carthage, NC

Bluegrass Gospel Band

1. Gladson Family – Sneedville, TN
2. Holston River Boys – Abingdon, VA
3. Calvary’s Chosen – Bristol, VA

Vocal Duet

1. Lindy & Harlan Gladson – Sneedville, TN
2. Todd & Juliet Gladson – Sneedville, TN
3. Jessie & Bailey Allison – Chilhowie, VA