Sept. 6-Sammy Shelor of Meadows of Dan, VA (Patrick County) has won the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, which comes with $50,000. Sammy heads up the Lonesome River Band.

NY Times September 6, 2011, 4:00 pm Steve Martin Honors Another Banjo Player By DAVE ITZKOFF Though it hasn’t been a great year, economically, for almost anyone, Steve Martin continues to do what he can to spare bluegrass musicians the worst of the lingering downturn. On Tuesday Mr. Martin, the actor, comedian and cultural omnivore, announced that Sammy Shelor, the banjo player and leader of the Lonesome River Band, is the second winner of his Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, which comes with $50,000. In a telephone interview Mr. Martin said that Mr. Shelor – who has been named the International Bluegrass Music Association’s banjo player of the year four times – did not necessarily need further recognition from his musical peers. “He already is somebody,� Mr. Martin said. Comparing Mr. Shelor to Noam Pikelny, the musician who was the first winner of the Steve Martin Prize, Mr. Martin said Mr. Pikelny “represented a little more avant-garde-type player, with jazz influences, although he came from bluegrass.� He added: “Sammy Shelor represents more of a traditional, Earl Scruggs-type influenced player, who’s very hard-core bluegrass. But Sammy Shelor influenced a lot of players. In fact, accidentally, I found out that our last winner was heavily influenced by Sammy Shelor. He was the No. 1 influence in his youth.� Nominees for the Steve Martin Prize are chosen by a board that includes Mr. Martin, Mr. Scruggs, Pete Wernick, Tony Trischka, Béla Fleck and others. Mr. Martin said that “five or six very worthy names� were narrowed down to two or three final candidates on the basis of “anecdotal factors and emotional factors, that are very hard to define and probably wouldn’t bear up in a trial.� Mr. Shelor was then chosen by unanimous vote, he said, to receive the prize, which also comes with a bronze sculpture created by the artist Eric Fischl. Additionally, Mr. Shelor and the Lonesome River Band will perform with Mr. Martin on “Late Show With David Letterman� on Nov. 3. Mr. Martin, who with his bluegrass band the Steep Canyon Rangers is up for five International Bluegrass Music Awards at the end of the month, said he was greatly encouraged to continue the Steve Martin Prize after receiving a letter from Mr. Pikelny, who said it made possible the release of his latest album, “Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail.� “That was heartwarming,� Mr. Martin said. “I guess, at the bottom of my heart, that’s what it’s meant to do.� Still, Mr. Martin said he wasn’t thinking too much about whether the Steve Martin Prize would define his legacy. “I don’t really trust legacies,� he said. “I just do what I do. I’ve often thought my headstone would read, ‘Enough.’�