Annual Prize is Extended Beyond It’s Initial 10 Year Mission and Announces
Two New Partners, The Freshgrass Foundation and Compass Records Group
SAN FRANCISCO – In a year with more than its share of bad news, here’s something to celebrate: The Steve Martin Banjo Prize has returned.
Originally conceived of and launched in 2010 by comedy legend and banjo player Steve Martin, the Banjo Prize has put half a million dollars into the banjo community over the past decade with an unrestricted $50K award given annually to a master bluegrass or old time banjo player. Past winners are some of the instrument’s brightest stars and include Rhiannon Giddens, Noam Pikelny, Jens Kruger and Kristin Scott Benson, among others.
At the end of 2019, having fulfilled its initial mission of giving ten awards, Martin and the board determined that the Banjo Prize needed a new vision and infrastructure to move forward. That’s when the Freshgrass Foundation stepped in to co-fund the prize and provide the administrative backend to help carry the prize into its second decade. Pairing the Banjo Prize with the Freshgrass Foundation seems especially fortuitous; the Freshgrass Foundation is a San Francisco based non-profit dedicated to the furtherance of roots music and is a committed benefactor of the roots music community through its grants, commissions, contests and festivals as well as through its media properties No Depression and Folk Alley.
“I’m doing a handstand thinking that the prize will continue on. Thanks to Freshgrass and Compass Records for bringing such enthusiasm into the prize,” said Martin.
Chris Wadsworth, founder of the Freshgrass Foundation, comments: “Freshgrass is thrilled and honored to play a part in this next iteration of the Steve Martin Banjo Prize. As a 501(C)3 whose mission is to preserve, support and create innovative grassroots music, we can’t think of a better way to fulfill our mission than to assist in carrying on the amazingly generous and cool tradition that is the Steve Martin Banjo Prize.”
The initial funders of the Banjo Prize will be Steve Martin, who will also serve as Chairman Emeritus, The Freshgrass Foundation, and The Compass Records Group, whose co-founders, Alison Brown and Garry West, will serve as board co-chairs.
While the prize was formerly known as the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, moving forward it will simply be called the Steve Martin Banjo Prize. The new name alludes to the broader scope of the prize: banjo players of all styles, 4 string as well as 5 string banjo, will be considered. The original board, which consisted almost exclusively of legendary banjo players, has been expanded to include stakeholders from other corners of the banjo community.
Joining original board members Béla Fleck, Noam Pikelny, Tony Trischka, Pete Wernick, Alison Brown, Anne Stringfield, and Steve Martin will be Jamie Deering (CEO, Deering Banjos), Johnny Baier (Executive Director, American Banjo Museum), Paul Schiminger (Executive Director, International Bluegrass Music Association), Roger Brown (President, Berklee College of Music), banjoist and banjo scholar Dom Flemons, previous Banjo Prize winner Kristin Scott Benson, Chris Wadsworth (Freshgrass Foundation), and Garry West (Compass Records Group).
The new Banjo Prize will be an annual award of $25K to one or more banjo players. But, in light of the tremendous need in the musical community this year, the 2020 prize will be $50K split equally between 5 banjo players. The winners of the 2020 Steve Martin Banjo Prize will be announced at the end of September when The FreshGrass Festival is typically held.
For more about The Steve Martin Banjo Prize: https://freshgrassfoundation.
For more about The Freshgrass Foundation: https://