GRAND PRIZE FOR 100TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF 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.

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!

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.

Get more information at MountainCityFC.com and on their Facebook page!