Brandon Green, from Johnson City, Tennessee, won the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas, in 2014 and again in 2024. He has been a fixture in the bluegrass scene of West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia for decades. He has played in Chosen Road and leads Strings of Green.
Why Green matters
Green’s two Winfield titles, ten years apart, place him among the nine players who have won the banjo contest more than once. He is a working band player in the Appalachian bluegrass scene.
Life and career
Green won the Winfield banjo contest in 2014 and 2024, both times entered from Johnson City, Tennessee. He joined the band Chosen Road and later formed Strings of Green, whose single Man in the Middle drew notice from Bluegrass Today. He has also played on recordings for the Altar Fellowship’s music ministry in Johnson City.
Signature tunes and songs
Man in the Middle, Strings of Green.
Awards and honors
National Bluegrass Banjo Championship, Walnut Valley Festival, first place (2014) National Bluegrass Banjo Championship, Walnut Valley Festival, first place (2024)
What to learn from Green
Learn a contest tune and play it the same way ten times in a row without a mistake. The technique to steal is consistency over time. Green won Winfield ten years apart.
Sources
Walnut Valley Festival winners archive, alphabetical (PDF) Brandon Green archives, Bluegrass Today
Related players
See the banjo players hub and the bluegrass banjo guide for more pickers. Steven Moore and Mike Sumner are also multiple Winfield banjo champions.