Kentucky State Fiddle Championship

March 15th & 16th, 2025

Join us for the Kentucky State Fiddle Championship on March 16th & 17th, 2024! With multiple categories and cash prizes, the Kentucky State Fiddle Championship will take place at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky. There is no fee to enter the contest. Doors will open at 8 am, and the contest will begin at 10 am. Online pre-registration is now open, and you can still sign up for free on the day of the contest.

Contestant Info:

All contestants must check-in upon arrival at the CONTESTANT CHECK-IN table located in the lobby of the Hall of Fame. Contestants and accompanists will receive a wristband that will allow access to the Hall of Fame throughout the day. Drawing for position will take place at the CONTESTANT CHECK-IN table. The emcee will call for registration for a category to close when there are 4 contestants left in the previous category. No one can register for the category once the drawing starts (See Rules, General Section, #1). It is the contestant’s responsibility to be aware of when drawing occurs. If a contestant misses the drawing they will be assigned any leftover number or a number will be drawn for them. Any contestant missing their performance in a category will be disqualified.

Spectator Info:

On the day of the competition, there will be spectator tickets available for $10 each and includes access the museum area to tour the exhibits. Spectator tickets allow for viewing of the contest in our theatre and access to tour the exhibits in the museum space. Seating will be on a first come first served basis. Additionally, we’ll reserve the first four rows in the theatre for the friends and family of competitors in the current category performing on stage.

2024 Results:

Championship Fiddle-Off - Kerry Varble

• Jr Jr Fiddle - McKenna Petersen

• Jr Fiddle - Noah Gobel

• Adult Fiddle - Kerry Varble

• Senior Fiddle - Mark Ralph

• Championship Fiddle-Off - Kerry Varble

• Jr Dancing - Elizabeth Clark

• Sr Dancing - Mary Parker

• Old Time Singing - Mary Parker

• Dulcimer - Rob Pearcy

• Flatpick Guitar - Luke Lovejoy

• Mandolin - Luke Lovejoy

• Old Time Banjo - Lillyan McCool

• Bluegrass Banjo - Jordan Riehm

2023 Results:

Championship Fiddle-Off - Joel Whittinghill

• Jr Jr Fiddle - McKenna Petersen

• Jr Fiddle - David Lin

• Adult Fiddle - Joel Whittinghill

• Senior Fiddle - Randy Elmore

• Championship Fiddle-Off - Joel Whittinghill

• Jr Dancing - Elizabeth Clark

• Sr Dancing - Angela Wood

• Old Time Singing - Jackie Tarrance

• Dulcimer - Tyler Andal

• Flatpick Guitar - Tyler Andal

• Mandolin - Tyler Andal

• Old Time Banjo - Tyler Andal

2022 Results:

Championship Fiddle-Off Winner: Natalie Padilla - Montana

• Jr. Jr. Fiddle - Noah Goebel - Kentucky

• Jr. Fiddle - David Lin - Kentucky

• Adult Fiddle - Natalie Padilla - Montana

• Senior Fiddle - Mark Ralph - Kentucky

• Flatpick Guitar - Justin Branum - Tennessee

• Mandolin - Tyler Andal - Tennessee

• Bluegrass Banjo - Jordon Riehm - Kentucky

• Dancing - Junior - Amelia Brown - Tennessee

• Dancing - Senior - Larissa Hurm - Indiana

2021 Results:

Championship Fiddle-Off Winner: Joel Whittinghill

Overall Kentucky State Fiddle Champion – Joel Whittinghill (Kentucky)

• Jr Jr Fiddle Champion (Ages 12 and under) - Noah Goebel (Kentucky)

• Jr Fiddle Champion (Ages 13 to 17) - Nathan Pedneault (Texas)

• Adult Fiddle Champion (18 to 49) - Joel Whittinghill (Kentucky)

• Sr Fiddle Champion (50 and over) - Mark Ralph (Kentucky)

• Mandolin Champion - Joel Whittinghill (Kentucky)

• Flatpick Guitar Champion - Ivy Phillips (Tennessee)

• Bluegrass Banjo Champion - Rance Fouts (Illinois)

• Dancing - Junior (Ages 17 and under) - Emily Brown (Tennessee)

• Dancing - Senior (Ages 18 and over) - Ivy Phillips (Tennessee)

Video Recap: