2026 Seagrove Fiddlers’ Convention results

Granite City Bluegrass, 1st Adult Band, ’26 Seagrove Fiddlers’ Convention – photo © G Nicholas Hancock

Seagrove Fiddlers’ Convention, held in the central North Carolina town of Asheboro, was the place to be last Saturday night for great musical entertainment. Celebrating its 71st year, the local acoustic talent contest relocated from the elementary school to Southwestern Randolph High School to afford more space for the ever-expanding annual event.

Hundreds of attendees poured into the gymnasium to hear over six hours of bluegrass music performed by 13 bands, two dozen adult individuals and almost a dozen youth individuals. All were vying for the over $2,500 in cash prizes, ribbons, medallions, and musical merchandise provided by sponsors within the bluegrass community. Winners received such industry perks as strings, T-shirts, USBs, signed CDs, and caps, plus a music camp scholarship. Competitors ranged in ages from 6 to 85 years old.

Special awards were presented in memory of individuals who impacted the Seagrove Fiddlers’ Convention. In January, Maxton Byrd and Pammy Lassiter, two integral members of the convention committee, passed away. Byrd was remembered with a new award presented in his memory. The first recipient was Mark Waisner, an employee of the school and a valuable member of the convention committee. The Pammy Lassiter Memorial Foundation sponsored the adult dobro prizes to continue her legacy of promoting music.

Other annual memorial awards were presented including the Alan Perdue Memorial Award, given to Grayson and Lettie Auman for their over 50 years of service with the Seagrove Fiddlers’ Convention. The award was presented by Alan’s family in memory of Perdue who competed regularly at the convention in his youth. As an adult, he played with numerous professional bands including Junior Sisk, IIIrd Tyme Out, and Mountain Heart. 

The Greg Corbett Memorial Youth Banjo Award, which included a plaque and $100, was presented by Greg’s children, Calvin and Kensy. The recipient was Silas Walls, young banjoist with the 4 Walls family band. Seagrove was the first fiddlers’ convention that Corbett competed in as a child. He went on to play professionally with the Country Gentlemen. Both of these fine musicians passed away far too soon while in their 40s.

The contest began with a prayer by John Gunter, a local pastor and convention committee member, followed by the singing of the national anthem by the Southwestern Randolph Chorus, who also manned the convention’s concession stand.

The night featured several A-listers within the bluegrass community. MCs for the evening were Crystal Richardson, banjoist with Sweet Potato Pie, and Vivian Pennington Hopkins, former president of the North Carolina Bluegrass Association. The fiddler featured in the dance competition was Nathan Aldridge of the Dan Tyminski Band. Recording artists Kenny & Amanda Smith were present to support their daughter, Annabelle, who competed in her first vocal competition. Her dad of kennysmithguitar.com backed her as she belted out Getaway, an original song written by Katelyn Ingardia of the South Carolina-based band, Backline. Dobroist David Nance, formerly with Jimmy Martin, was also present, as were Kevin Richardson, guitarist with Daniel Grindstaff & the Uptown Troubadours, and Joel Maness, original mandolinist with The Bass Mountain Boys.

Greg Luck, former member of JD Crowe & the New South, IIIrd Tyme Out, Grasstowne, and others, was there with wife, Courtney, and family. They were later joined by Trent Callicutt, Matt and Melissa Hinson Love (1st place bass winner), William Britt, and others for one of many powerhouse jams around the campus. Trent has played banjo with Kenny & Amanda Smith and Dailey & Vincent. Matt traveled a year on the road with Darin & Brooke Aldridge while Melissa was bassist with her sibling group, The Hinson Girls, before marrying and having children. One of those children, 6-year-old Wyatt Love, won 1st place in the youth mandolin category, sponsored by Alan Bibey (not present). In addition to the mandolin prize, Wyatt received a scholarship to Bibey’s mandolin camp. It all comes full circle.

The audience, talent and staff all seemed to embrace and appreciate the amenities of the new venue, with ample restrooms, a dedicated concessions area, and much-improved spaces for competing bands to practice. The spacious cafeteria area was continuously in use for multiple jams, including collaborative ones between members of competing bands, a testament to the camaraderie within the bluegrass community. Good sportsmanship was on full display the entire night. Additional jams abounded throughout the seemingly endless hallways, as they were in many areas outdoors in the warm spring weather. One attendee remarked that the event captured the flavor of fiddlers’ conventions of past decades with awards presentations finishing after midnight!

Attendees and sponsors of the event included promoters Karen Miller of Denton FarmPark & the Malpass Brothers’ Festival, Jeff Branch of the Big Lick Bluegrass Festival, and Milton Harkey of Bluegrass First Class. Rising songstress, Olivia Jo, was also in the audience. Professional audio was provided by Geoffrey Keyes. Honored guests included Bobby Franklin, longtime bluegrass radio DJ, festival MC, and first recipient of the Alan Perdue Award.

As a nonprofit organization, the Seagrove Fiddlers’ Convention helps support various entities of Southwestern Randolph High School. Home baked cakes and pies were auctioned during intermission. Over $500 was raised for the choral program, and a 50/50 raffle benefited the Future Farmers of America program.

Competition was stiff and several of the categories resulted in ties.

Winners for the 2026 Seagrove Fiddlers’ Convention were:

Youth

Band – 4 Walls

Fiddle

1. Charis Roth
2. Benjamin Ferranti
3. Lydia Walls

Banjo

1. Eliana Cornett
2. Silas Walls

Mandolin

1. Wyatt Love
2. Sara Cornett
3. Sara Walls

Guitar

1. Elliot King
2. Corban Walls

Vocal

1. Chelsea Edenfield
2. Annabelle Smith
3. Elliot King

Harmony Blend

1. Chelsea & Courtney Edenfield
2. 4 Walls

Adult

Band

1. Granite City Grass
2. Franklinville Express
3. No Smoking

Fiddle

1. Alec McCallister
2. Henry Noel
3. Adam Burrows

Banjo

1. Ronnie Hatley
2. Andy Hunt
3. Joe Grooms and Benny Blackwelder (tie)

Mandolin

1. Alexander Meredith
2. Shawn McKee
3. Randy Willard

Guitar

1. Isaiah Goforth
2. Tommy Chandler
3. John Michael Hill and Adam Truell (tie)

Bass

1. Melissa Love
2. Daniel Perry
3. John Fogleman

Dobro

1. Hayes Smith
2. John Murdock and Daniel Smith (tie)
3. Sandy Hatley

Vocal

1. Kyna Gunter
2. Stacey Stuart
3. Natalie Ingram

Harmony Blend

1. Doug & Stacey Stuart
2. No Smoking
3. Franklinville Express and River Ridge Bluegrass Band (tie)

Miscellaneous

1. Gene Smith (harmonica)
2. Danny Casstevens-dulcimer
3. Kenny Welch (harmonica) and Dennis Cash (autoharp) (tie)

Dance

1. Andy Hunt

Plans are already underway for the 72nd annual Seagrove Fiddlers’ Convention to be held the third Saturday in March ,2027, returning to its new venue, Southwestern Randolph High School.