PRESENTED BY
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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2024
GRAND CHAMPION FIDDLE OFF WINNER
99th Celebration of the Mountain City Fiddlers Convention goes International!
Timon Veelenturf - Rotterdam, Holland
The 2024 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention brought in competitors from three states plus two countries. One of those international competitors, Timon Veelenturf from Holland, impressed the audience and judges who awarded him the Grand Champion of the Fiddle Off. With youth and adult categories, judges remarked about the level of talent and competition for this year's convention produced by The Kody Norris Show.
"What a weekend! We couldn’t have had asked for a more perfect weekend. The weather was great, the fans were all excited and the contestants were all ready for friendly competition," stated Mary Rachel Norris. "Our mission for the Mountain City Fiddlers Convention is to combine the culture and heritage of Mountain City all while growing the awareness of our past! I feel this year we stepped that up a notch by bringing in three national touring music acts whose roots stem to the very first Fiddlers Convention but also fiddlers and band that have paved their own way in the industry! We want to preserve and grow!"
This was the second year the Mountain City Fiddlers Convention was produced by The Kody Norris Show in collaboration with the Johnson County Tourism Office. Funding for the convention was underwritten through corporate sponsorships and individual donors, as well as grants from the East Tennessee/Johnson County Community Foundation, Tennessee Arts Commission and Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. Skyline National Bank/Johnson County Bank provided the Title Sponsorship for this year's two-day event which included a Friday Opening Night concert featuring The Tennessee Bluegrass Band, Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys, and Appalachian Road Show at Heritage Hall Theatre.
In 2025, the Mountain City Fiddlers Convention will celebrate it's 100th Anniversary with performances by leading Old Time and Bluegrass performers along with our exciting competitions for emerging amateurs. Visit our website often and follow our Facebook page for updates as we unveil the incredible plans for this year's festivities. Sponsorship Opportunities are now available.
Download the information and contact us today to secure your spot!
The Kody Norris Show takes a moment after performing on Fox & Friends on Saturday, March 15, 2025, to show the 1925 Gold Coin - First Prize for the 2025 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention - to Fox News Anchor Chanley Painter. Painter is also an Arkansas State Fiddler!
GRAND PRIZE FOR THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONOF THE MOUNTAIN CITY FIDDLERS’ CONVENTION ANNOUNCED!
In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the Mountain City Fiddlers Convention, The Kody Norris Show has announced that the Grand Champion Fiddle-Off Prize for this year’s competition will be a 1925 Gold Piece, currently valued at over $3,000. This generous contribution was made by an anonymous donor.
Nearly a century ago, “Fiddlin’ Dud” (Dudley Vance) from Bluff City, Tennessee, won the First Prize of a $20 gold piece for his performance of “Twinkle Little Star” at the 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention. Vance, a pioneer in the emerging recording industry, was renowned throughout the Southeast and held championships in Tennessee, Florida, and Oklahoma. G. B. Grayson, a native of Johnson County, also received recognition for his rendition of “Cumberland Gap.” This contest significantly influenced the music of East Tennessee and, alongside the Bristol recording sessions of 1927 and the Johnson City sessions of 1928 and 1929, is considered instrumental in launching the modern country music industry.
Maintaining the traditions of the inaugural convention, this year’s event is anticipated to attract amateur Old Time and Bluegrass artists from across the United States and internationally. With categories for both youth and adults, performers will compete for nearly $12,000 in cash and prizes, a substantial increase from the $40 awarded back in 1925.
Enthusiasts of the Mountain City Fiddlers Convention will have the opportunity to purchase a vinyl re-release of the original 1925 “A Fiddlers’ Convention in Mountain City” by Rebel Records during the event or through the Kody Norris Show. The opening celebrations are scheduled for Friday, October 3, with free concerts featuring prominent Old Time and Bluegrass musicians, storytellers, and cloggers as part of the 2025 convention on Saturday, October 4 at Heritage Hall Theatre in Mountain City.
The Mountain City Fiddlers' Convention was held in the East Tennessee town of Mountain City in May 1925. The convention was attended by many acclaimed Appalachian musicians who are considered pioneers of bluegrass and country music, such as G. B. Grayson, Charlie Bowman, and Al Hopkins.
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