Picking for the Prize is a flatpicking guitar contest like no other! Five finalists will be selected from a pool of online submissions to compete live at 2026 IBMA World of Bluegrass® in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Think you’ve got what it takes to compete in Picking for the Prize? Submit your entry below before Sunday, September 6 at 11:59 PM CT!
Eligibility:
- Open only to legal U.S. residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia.
- Entrants must be at least eighteen (18) years old to apply and compete.
Submission Guidelines:
- Entrants must submit one video of themselves that is no longer than three (3) minutes. The submission must include the entire instrument within the frame. If any edits, cuts, pick-syncing, or speed-ramping is detected, the entry will be disqualified.
- Entrants must perform one traditional bluegrass fiddle tune on acoustic guitar played acoustically and using a flatpick. Vocal songs, original composition fiddle tunes, or modern fiddle tunes will be disqualified.
- Entrants may also post their submission via Instagram or YouTube with the hashtag: #pickingfortheprize and tag @intlbluegrass, @martinguitar, and @lukeblack_music.
Please note that finalists must be able to travel at their own expense to IBMA World of Bluegrass® in Chattanooga, Tennessee, taking place October 20-24, 2026.
The Grand Prize:
- A brand new Martin D-18 Molly Tuttle acoustic guitar, generously donated by our partners at Martin Guitar
- Guaranteed entry into the 2027 Walnut Valley Association National Flat Pick Guitar Championship in Winfield, Kansas
And that’s not all—all finalists will receive a variety of exciting prizes!
Got questions? Contact IBMA Business Development Director, Amy Combs, at acombs@ibma.org. Good luck!