The festivities have been concluded at the 2026 Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS, including their prestigious National Flat Pick Guitar Championship and other important contests.

We’ll have a more detailed report from Nick Hancock later this week, with more images, but wanted to get a winners list up, and share some of the beautiful photos Jeremie Stephens has shared from the park. In an interesting twist of fate, Winfield is Jeremie’s hometown, so he was able to visit with his dad as well as take in the festival this year.

And the 2026 winners are:

2026 National Flat Pick Guitar Championship

1. Dillon Hodges – The Shoals, AL (Preston Thompson Custom D-MA guitar as prize)
2. Anthony Howell – Kosciusko, MS
3. Nick Norris – Nashville, TN

2026 Old Time Fiddle Championship

1.  Edith Sigler – St. Louis, MO
2.  Bonnie Norris – Nashville, TN
3.  Mary Parker – Mountain View, AR

2026 National Mandolin Championship

1. Anthony Howell – Kosciusko, MI (Bulas Mandolin as prize)
2. Ezekiel Green – Walnut Ridge, AR
4. Myles Thompson – Hendersonville, TX

2026 National Bluegrass Banjo Championship

1. Joey Gipson – Manchester, TN
2. Alex Davis – Machester, TN
3. Brian Anderson – Rancho Cordova, CA

2026 National Hammer Dulcimer Championship

1. Daniel Jordan – Austin, TX
2. Ilace Mears – Saddlebrooke, MO
3. Deb Jones – Black River Falls, WI

2026 International Finger Style Guitar Championship

1. Henry Ferland – New Paltz, NY (Taylor Builder’s Edition 814ce guitar as prize) 
2. Brandon Green – Walnut Ridge, AR
3. Nick Norris – Nashville, TN

2026 International Autoharp Championship

1. Loriann Clayton-Bethard – Kansas City, MO (Whippoorwill Acoustics 15-Bar Diatonic Autoharp as prize)
2. Fredona Currie – Heber Springs, AR
3. Michael Poole – Chapel Hill, NC

2026 National Mountain Dulcimer Championship

1. Adam Cantor – Houston, TX (McSpadden TearDrop Baritone Mountain Dulcimer as prize)
2. Lydia Houston – Bokchito, OK
3. Elijah Wright – Kennard, Texas

Here’s a large gallery of photographs from Jeremie Stephens.

The post Winners and photos from Walnut Valley 2026 appeared first on Bluegrass Today.

Between Kentucky and Me was written by Mike Richards and David Morris, and is sung here by Hammaville guitarist, Daniel Seabolt. He lends his plaintive voice to this song of woe, which the band takes at a nice medium tempo.

Helping out in the studio were bandmates Corey Rackley on mandolin, David Carroll on banjo, and Blaze Hammer on bass. Aaron Ramsey provides guitar and Nathan Aldridge adds fiddle. David and Corey sing harmonies.

Since forming in 2023, Hammaville has made deep inroads in contemporary bluegrass through their appealing stage performances, and the catchy new songs they record.

Give Between Kentucky and Me a listen to see why.

Between Kentucky and Me is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

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It’s a Pick Club subscription service, where subscribers sign up to automatically receive new picks monthly. And not a grab bag of what’s leftover, either. Subscribers will receive a link each month to choose what they get, and will also receive the best per-pick price ever offered by ToneSlabs.

These picks are lovingly made by players who realized that rather than spend hours shaping and re-shaping picks themselves, they should instead manufacture some to the standards they demand. Formed from compounds shown to deliver natural tone (Darthtone, Torlon, Fonz, and OG Standard) ToneSlabs have found devotees among both guitarists and mandolinists, with many notable artists being among their endorsers.

With a normal selling price of $35-$40, the Pick Club subscribers can receive them for as little as $13.54/pick.

To wit:

Subscriptions are available now online for all three tiers.

This sounds like a great way to try out the variety of sizes, shapes, and materials offered by ToneSlabs to find what suits you best, and once that’s determined, to lay in a good supply at steeply discounted prices.

You can learn more about ToneSlabs by visiting their web site.

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This past weekend, Breaking Grass returned to the stage performing at SkinnyFest in West Union, OH.

Banjo player Jody Elmore has switched to guitar, with the rest of the band remaining as was: Zach Wooten on mandolin, Tyler White on fiddle, and Britt Sheffield on bass. They’ve just recently added Luke Ford on banjo, and are delighted to be out on the road once more.

Here’s some video from SkinnyFest.

Welcome back Breaking Grass!

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Guitarist Jonathan Buckner says that each of them recognize the importance of this appearance.

“To have the opportunity to stand on that stage and represent bluegrass music is something we don’t take lightly. There have been some incredible bluegrass artists represented at the Dove Awards through the years, but opportunities to actually take this music onto the main televised performance stage have been few and far between. We understand how special that is.”

Put on by the Gospel Music Association, the Dove Awards recognize excellence in recorded gospel music in all its many styles and sub-genres. Bluegrass is one of those, with an award category for Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year, and Chosen Road is one of the nominees this year.

The full list of nominees for Bluegrass Recorded Song for 2026 are:

• A God Thing – Chosen Road – writers Lee Black and Gina Moe
• Above The Clouds – Eighteen Mike – (writer) Hallie Ritter
• Broken Angels – The Grascals with Dolly Parton – (writers) Dolly Parton and Jamie Johnson
• Camel Train – Becky Buller with Ricky Skaggs, Sharon White, and Cheryl White – (writer) Hansel Vibbert
• I Am the One – Jeff Tolbert & Primitive Road – (writer) Richard VanCleve

Buckner says that the band also feels the weight of representing bluegrass on the show, and intend to hold it up high.

“We’re proud of where we come from. There are generations of musicians who have carried this music and opened doors for those of us who get to play it today. When an opportunity like this comes along, you want to walk through that door in a way that represents the genre well.

If somebody is watching the Dove Awards who has never really listened to bluegrass music and hears a banjo, mandolin or dobro that night and thinks, ‘I need to hear more of that,’ then that’s a win for all of us. We want people to see that this music belongs on a stage like this.”

In addition to Jonathan, Chosen Road is his co-founder Zachary Alvis on mandolin, Tyler Robertson on banjo, Chris Stockwell on reso-guitar, and Bradley Parsons on bass.

The 2026 Dove Awards will be held on October 6 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The show will then be broadcast on TBN October 9 at both 7:30 and 10:00 p.m. Viewers will also be able watch the show on the TBN+ app.

Congratulations to Chosen Road, and best of luck to all the nominees!

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Sunday was a day of remembrance for a beloved member of our close-knit bluegrass family. Allen Mills, founding member of Lost & Found, was remembered for his mellow voice, personable MC work, impactful songwriting, and his kind spirit. Held at Atkinson Farms in Danville, VA, the three-hour gathering saw a huge turnout of who’s whos in the bluegrass music industry, who all came to celebrate Allen Mills’ legacy.

Allen’s widow, Deb, started the celebration of life with a little introduction and background information on Allen. She was followed by Pastor Jeff Dalton who spoke on I Corinthians 13. 

After reading the scripture, the preacher stressed, “Allen loved everybody and he bore many qualities of love. He didn’t expect love in return. The most important love he had was for his Lord and Savior. We should all love like Allen did.”

Then the music began. Various ensembles picked and sang. Historic instruments played included Allen’s bass fiddle and Dempsey Young’s Hutto mandolin. Pickers included family members: Deb’s brother, Charlie Moore on dobro; and her nephews: Bailey Moore on banjo and Darren Moore on doghouse bass. 

Songs played included signature Lost & Found tunes such as Love of the Mountains (Allen’s best known composition), Wild Mountain Flowers for Mary, Sawmill Road, Leftover Biscuits, and Leaving You and Mobile Too. Bubba Chandler sang The Rabbit Song. Tom Gray joined in to play Old Train and sang Muddy Waters. 

There were many Lost & Found alums in attendance, including founding member, banjo player extraordinaire, Gene Parker. Other former band mates in attendance included: Chandler, Steve Thomas, Scott Napier, Barry Berrier, Jody King, Roger Handy, Dan Wells, and Lynwood Lunsford, to name a few. The Larry Stephenson Band made the trek from Tennessee and performed I See God per Deb’s request. 

Other notable musicians in attendance included: Sammy Shelor, Junior Sisk, Dale Reno, Mike Anglin, Johnny Ridge, Jeanette Williams, and Olivia Jo. Promoters present included Milton Harkey and Mike Wilson. MCs and radio personalities there were Sherry Boyd and Buddy Michaels. There were also many other movers and shakers throughout the crowd there to pay their respects to Allen.

A slide-show with a lifetime of photos ran throughout the afternoon. The Celebration was held in a beautiful venue in the rolling hills of southern Virginia, an area that Allen dearly loved. As guests departed, a rainbow appeared in the sky. Everyone smiled and felt Allen was there.

Deb reflected at the close of the day…

“The Celebration of Life for Allen was incredible! So many friends and family came, and I thoroughly enjoyed the music! I would like to thank everyone for coming. 

Also, thanks to J.R. Atkinson for having us at his beautiful venue, and to Eddie and his staff for the wonderful food and set up!”

R.I.P., Allen Mills

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Once again, the band has teamed up with electric guitarist Rod Riley for more of their “Telegrass” sound, on a new song with a bluesy twist called Hit The Nail On The Head.

Sung by mandolinist Adam Miller, it’s one that banjo man and band leader Sammy Shelor says completely fit the bill when they were wrapping up the recording.

“We were looking for a different feeling song to complete the project, and this one from Mark Brinkman and my lifelong friend, Frank Poindexter, definitely fit the bill. We put some swing to it and I was so pleased with how it turned out!”

Adam lays out this extra lonesome heartbreak number, which Shelor on banjo, Jesse Smathers on guitar and harmony vocal, Mike Hartgrove on fiddle, and Kameron Keller on bass. We also hear Riley adding some fine country guitar.

Have a listen.

Hit The Nail On The Head is available now from popular download and streaming services online, and to radio programmers via AirPlay Direct.

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Covers of traditional songs are not at all unusual in bluegrass, and some tracks in this collection are not new to the bluegrass world, but others are drawn from more unexpected country, pop, and jazz sources. Blue Summit puts their own stamp on each song.

“Sometimes you’ll see bands do ‘bluegrass’ covers of pop or country songs where they just speed it up or add some banjo,” says fiddler Jan Purat. “That never really interested us. Our goal has always been to do something special with the arrangements, to make them our own.”

The album gets off to a great start with a joyful version of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s late-eighties country hit, Fishing in the Dark. The very catchy song is a fun choice and a nice vehicle for AJ’s bluesy voice. It’s easy to see why she is currently nominated for IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year. 

The core band (AJ Lee on mandolin, Jan Purat on fiddle, Sullivan Tuttle on guitar, and Sean Newman on bass) are joined on this track by Max Cowan playing tasteful keyboard and Scott Gates on guitar, clearly having a ball with the infectious beat.

The Sheryl Crow hit, Soak Up the Sun, seems like another great idea in the same vein, but even for a good-time summer beach song, the lyrics don’t hold up that well when removed from the original glossy pop setting.

On the other hand, Emmylou Harris’ heart-breaking Red Dirt Girl is a beautiful piece of songwriting that deserves to be more widely heard. Jerry Douglas’ resonator guitar and lap steel provide a perfect setting for AJ’s plaintive voice.

Who Walks In When I Walk Out is a 1930s jazz number recorded by Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong as well as Bob Wills & his Texas Playboys. Here, guests Trey Hensley on guitar and Anh Phung on flute take it for a swinging gypsy jazz ride.

Wish I Could Say was first recorded by progressive bluegrass band Cadillac Sky. Blue Summit keeps the original drive but tones down a bit of its wildness, to good effect.

Covers of more conventional bluegrass songs include straight-ahead readings of Drivin’ Nails in My Coffin, featuring East Nash Grass’s Cory Walker on banjo, and the Mel Tillis song, Matterhorn, introduced to bluegrass by the Country Gentlemen and more recently covered by Ronnie Bowman. It Takes One To Know One, by legendary Nashville songwriters Harlan Howard and Freddie Hart, is slower than the classic Jimmy Martin version but just as melancholy.

Gillian Welch’s Tear My Stillhouse Down, also recorded by the Nashville Bluegrass Band, gets a more updated treatment with Lindsay Lou trading soulful vocals, with AJ and Tim Bluhm contributing fuzz-tone electric guitar.

Getting even farther out, Sullivan Tuttle sings lead on a jammy take on Bob Dylan’s Meet Me in the Morning, while Glendale Train (featuring banjoist Kyle Tuttle—no relation to Sully) starts out conventionally, but soon morphs into a nearly nine-and-a-half-minute exploration befitting the song’s Jerry Garcia roots.

If you haven’t been able to catch AJ Lee & Blue Summit at one of their many live shows (or if you have and want to relive those memories), read this one “cover to cover” for a nice tribute to the songs that inspired the group over the years.

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The university has acquired Alton’s typewriter and original autobiography manuscript on loan from the Country Music Hall of Fame. The exhibit will also feature the brothers’ awards, photographs, records, and other memorabilia from Athens State’s Delmore Brothers Collection. Much of the memorabilia comes from a 2008 collection donated by Alton’s daughter, Debby Delmore, and it is usually on display in the university’s Delmore Brothers Museum. According to museum curator Lisa Hoffman, “This will be the first time the collection has moved from its original home in McCandless Hall since 2008, and is being curated in a fresh and exciting way.”

The Delmore Brothers grew up in Limestone County, Alabama, and made their public debut as a musical duo at the Athens Fiddlers Convention in 1926. They are members of the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and their song, Blues Stay Away From Me, is in the Grammy Hall of Fame. The new exhibit will coincide with the annual Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention, held each year at Athens State during the first week of October.

Truth is Stranger Than Publicity – Delmore Brothers 100th Anniversary will be open to the public on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Extended hours will be available during the Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention. Admission is free.

For more information, contact Museum Curator, Lisa Hoffman at 256-233-8184 or lisa.hoffman@athens.edu.

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In fact, the family band was launched in response to Jeremiah’s enthusiasm for the music. The Penny Family is led by dad, Brent, on guitar, and Mom, Sonia, on bass, with 15-year-old Leah on fiddle, and 10-year-old Silas on mandolin. They perform regularly at churches and revivals throughout North Carolina and surrounding states, basically learning how to be a band as they went.

With a lot of hard work and trial-and-error education, they have recently released their first album, self-titled, with a debut single offered for everyone to hear. It’s Master of the Wind, written by Joel Hemphill, which will be familiar to folks who follow gospel music.

It shows what determination, discipline, and family loyalty can do, and Jeremiah sounds great on lead guitar. The sound is straightforward bluegrass gospel, with no frills.

Check it out.

Master of the Wind, and the full The Penny Family album, are available now from popular download and streaming services online, and on audio CD wherever they perform live. Radio programmers will find the tracks at AirPlay Direct.

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