The Grand Master Fiddler Championship is a showcase for some of the best fiddle players in the world.  Each year, the Contest Committee invites many top Fiddle Players around the world to compete in the contest.

A Preliminary round is held and open to any and all fiddle players regardless of age or nationality.   Pre-registration for this round will be available April 01 each year.  Anyone who pre-registers will have the option to SKIP the draw for numbers and play LAST after all the onsite registrations.  After onsite pre-registration closes, no additional registrations will be accepted.  Any exceptions or appeals must be made to the Contest Committee and decision will be made based on the number of registered contestants and the time needed for the round.  Click here to access the form.  You may print the form and mail or fax in to take advantage of pre-registration.  Any contestants who pre-register MUST check-in before 10:00 am the morning of the contest or your registration is void.

The Top 5 to 15 fiddle players are selected from this round to join the Finalist Round.  In addition several more players may be selected by the judging committee to also compete as a finalist.  After this round, 10 players are then chosen to compete in the Championship round.  Making the Championship round will guarantee a player's selection as an invited Finalist for the next year.  Contestants from as far away as Japan and Australia have competed as finalists.   In support of our educational goals, the Contest Committee occasionally selects additional players from this round to compete in the Finals round based in the number of Finalists.  We take the Top 3 players from the Championship round for the "Round Robin".

In the Round Robin, all three fiddlers will be seated on the stage.  The GMFC Staff Accompanists will be on stage for backup.  All 5 judges will move to the front of the stage.  Each score will count, no scores are thrown out.  The judges will call for a category of tune, say a breakdown.  The first fiddler will play a breakdown and then sit.  The second player will play a breakdown and sit, following by the third fiddler playing a breakdown.  No contestant leaves the stage during this entire Round Robin.  The judges will call for a second category of tune and the three fiddlers will do something from that category, then the judges will call for a third, then fourth and then fifth category of tune.  All scores will be added and the finish of the Top 3 is determine ONLY by the scores of this Round Robin - NO earlier scores are considered.  This will be fast paced and will reward the fiddler who has a wide knowledge of tunes and is able to perform well under pressure.  Having the judges out front will allow them to judge the entire PERFORMANCE and not necessarily only the technical perfection.  No tunes from previous rounds can be replayed by a contestant and the rules are the same as the earlier rounds.

There are five judges all of whom are Champion Fiddlers.  They are hidden from view, can not see the contestants and are not told who is playing (except during the Round Robin).  There will be entertainment between the rounds by Grand Ole Opry stars and other musicians.

Right after the competition ends, the newly named Grand Master Fiddler Champion will make an appearance on the Grand Ole Opry and perform on the IBMA Main Stage later that night.

The Accompanist contest returns again this year.  Accompanists are the unsung heroes of the fiddling contest world and spend countless hours helping fiddlers perform to their best abilities.  The Accompanist contest is open to guitar and piano backup players but no GMFC fiddle participants can enter this division, and visa versa.  Details on this division are available in the Details and Prizes section.  The competition plays five places.

The Grand Master Traditional Fiddler Championship return and is expanded this year.  This category is designed to recognize fiddlers who play a fiddling style outside the recognized US “contest” or “Texas” styles, or Canadian “contest” styles.   If you play the competitive style heard at places such as Weiser, Shelbourne, or Hallettsville then you should not enter this category.  Contestants playing in those styles in this competition will be disqualified – if in doubt ask the contest coordinators before you enter this category.  Details on this division are available in the Details and Prizes section.

The GMFC provides some hotel discounts rooms at the Nashville Downtown Hilton hotel for invited Finalists and otehr interested folks on a first-come, first-served basis.  Hotel discounts for other people interested in attending the contest are available through the IBMA World of Bluegrass event - please see below.

2011 Contest Schedule and Times

Thursday, September 29 - Renaissance Hotel – Level 2

Friday, September 30, 2011  -  Nashville Convention Center – Room 205/206, Convention Center Second Floor

  8:30 - 10:00a     Contestant Registration
10:00 - 10:15       Welcome and National Anthem
10:15 - 10:45       Entertainment - Carpenter & May
10:45 -   1:00p     Preliminary Open Round Competition (open to all)
  1:00 -   1:30      Entertainment – Rockin’ Acoustic Circus
  1:30 -   1:45      Open Finalist Announcements
  1:45 -   3:00      Preliminary Traditional Round Competition (open to all)
  3:00 -   3:30      Entertainment - Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice
  3:30 -   3:45      Traditional Finalist Announcements
  3:45 -   4:45      Grand Master Fiddler Accompanist Contest
  4:45 -   5:15      Entertainment - Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike
  5:15 -   5:45      Entertainment - Suzy Bogguss
  5:45 -   6:00      Awards Presentations - Grand Master Fiddler Accompanist Contest
  6:00 -   6:30      Entertainment - Volume Five 

  9:00 -   1:00a    GMFC Open Jam Session - Hilton Hotel – Mezzanine Level

Saturday, October 1, 2010  -  Nashville Convention Center – Room 205/206, Convention Center Second Floor

  8:30 - 10:00a      Contestant Check-in
10:00 - 10:15        Welcome and National Anthem
10:15 - 12:45        Open Finals Round Competition
12:45 -   1:15p       Entertainment - Della Mae
  1:15 -   1:30        Announcement of Top 10, Awards to 11th through 20th place
  1:30 -   2:15        Traditional Championship Round Competition
  2:15 -   2:30        Presentation - Dr. Perry Harris F. Award Presentation
  2:30 -   3:00        Entertainment - The Whites
  3:00 -   4:00        Open Championship Round Competition, Top 10 Compete
  4:00 -   4:30        Entertainment - Crystal Plohman Youth Fiddling
  4:30 -   4:45        Awards Presentations - Grand Master Traditional Champion, 
                           Announcement of Open Top 3
  4:45 -   5:30        Grand Master Fiddle Champion Round Robin - Top 3 Compete
  5:30 -   5:45        Presentation - Charlie Bush Award
  5:45 -   6:00        Awards Presentations - Grand Master Open Champion 

  7:30 -   7:40        GMFC Champion performs – IBMA Main Stage

10:00 -  10:30       GMFC Champion performs - Grand Ole Opry

  9:00 -  3:00a       GMFC Open Jam Session - Hilton Hotel – Mezzanine Level

All Grand Master Fiddler Championship judges will be experienced and knowledgeable fiddlers and musicians.  The five Judges for the 2011 Grand Master Fiddler Championship are:

Hotels bookings are available through the IBMA who has reserved rooms at several downtown Nashville hotels.  People interested in attending can reserve rooms through the IBMA or call the hotels directly.  The preferred hotel for the GMFC is the Hilton Nashville Downtown (121 4th Avenue South, Nashville, TN, USA 37201, +1 (615) 620-1000) and invited musicians will have rooms reserved at this hotel.  Click here for the IBMA list of hotels and info to make reservations.

NOTE: The GMFC CAN NOT BOOK HOTELS - please go through the IBMA or contact the properties directly. 

There are other hotels in downtown Nashville, all within a few blocks of the Nashville Convention Center and these can be booked directly by you.

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