Steve Martin Banjo Prize

Tray Wellington is one of the most important new voices on 3-finger style banjo. He takes a forward-thinking approach to the instrument, subverting the whitewashed cultural touch points associated with the 5-string banjo by incorporating elements of jazz, bebop and hip-hop alongside his bluegrass roots. The result is an original vision for the instrument that blurs musical boundaries.

Tray honed his skills playing bluegrass and old-time music in the southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina. He won the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Momentum Award in 2019 and, upon the release of his debut album Black Banjo, earned critical praise from tastemakers including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. In his live shows and on recordings, he charts new territory for the instrument through his original compositions and incorporation of unlikely covers.

He says “Exploring had always been part of my personality since I was a kid! Music is the same way for me. Since I started playing banjo at 14, I had ideas for how I could constantly expand my musical vision and make my personality shine through banjo. Every day I am still on that journey and cannot wait to continue this pursuit.”