Freshgrass is always looking for ways to help out artists and the community. The announcement of the Whippoorwill Arts/Freshgrass Foundation Awards this week is a wonderful example of that.
The winners received an unrestricted grant and a place on the 2018 lineup for Freshgrass Fest in September. Over our years attending it has become one of our favorites and ticket prices go up in just a couple weeks time. So head on over and get yours at a discount TODAY.
Read more below from the Foundation and a huge congrats to both Molly and Keith!
From Whippoorwill Arts/FreshGrass Foundation Awards:
Extraordinary talent, sparkling community spirit, a creative soul — and unrestricted $25,000 grants to keep it all happening. We teamed up with Whippoorwill Arts, founded by Jim Nunally and Nell Robinson, to celebrate an emerging artist and a master musician in bluegrass and roots music. “We want to inspire others to support artists directly,” states Robinson. “We may go back to the days of individuals personally supporting musicians and artists. We need these folks, they heal us, and their music and work help us make sense of our internal worlds. If you love music, respect musicians, let’s find creative ways to nurture their creativity.” So, with a spot in the FreshGrass 2018 lineup and cash in hand, we’re thrilled to announce the honorees of theWhippoorwill Arts/FreshGrass Foundation Awards.
Keith Little, Master Artist Award
Throughout a career spanning forty years, musician, vocalist, recording artist, composer, and producer Keith Little has recorded and toured with the likes of Country Gentlemen, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, David Grisman, Lonesome Standard Time, Rose Maddox, Dolly Parton, and California bluegrass pioneer Vern Williams. His dexterous pickin’ skills and high lonesome voice can be heard on three Grammy-winning albums — but it might be his most recent project, the LittleBand, that elevates him to a conversation about true bluegrass legends
Molly Tuttle, Emerging Artist Award
A virtuoso multi-instrumentalist and award-winning songwriter with a sweet-as-honey voice, Molly Tuttle began performing on stage when she was 11, and recorded her first album, The Old Apple Tree, at age 13. Since then, she’s appeared on A Prairie Home Companion and at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, was featured on the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine, won first place in the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest, and received a Momentum Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association. She most recently won the 2017 IBMA Award for Guitarist of the Year, becoming the first woman to win the award.