Back in the 1990s, Milton Harkey facilitated the Pizza Hut International Bluegrass Showdown on an international level. It was quite the adventure and it left a big mark on the genre of bluegrass music. Advance forward 35+ years: Harkey has decided to bring the Showdown back, with proceeds donated to the IBMA Foundation.
The Bluegrass Showdown, a professional talent search designed to identify the brightest new artists in bluegrass music, will make a return in 2026 at the 31st Annual Bluegrass First Class in Asheville, North Carolina. It offers emerging bluegrass artists the opportunity to showcase their talents and provides hardworking bluegrass bands the chance to earn the exposure they deserve and advance their careers.
“The Bluegrass Showdown creates an equitable platform to help make the path to the top easier for all bluegrass bands, not just a single champion,” according to Harkey, president for the event. “Every band that enters benefits from the opportunity to meet and perform before knowledgeable members of the bluegrass industry. In addition, at the event’s conclusion each band is provided with a fair, honest, and constructive professional evaluation. A tournament style approach is used to maximize a developing band’s exposure to an increasingly wider audience at every level of play. The Bluegrass Showdown is designed to generate the kind of positive competition that brings out the very best in every player.”
Director of Operations, Vicky Hutchens states, “We are in the early stages of bringing back The Bluegrass Showdown, and I am excited to be a part of such a historical event. I look forward to watching this unfold in today’s bluegrass world.
“The champion band of the first Bluegrass Showdown in Ashevillewill perform on the main stage at Bluegrass First Class in February 2027,” Hutchens said. “At its heart, The Bluegrass Showdown is about developing the future of bluegrass music, which is why we’re also giving back through a donation to the IBMA Foundation.”
RETURN to the February 2026 issue of The Cornerstone.
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