Cynthia Sayer and Terry Baucom have been named as the 2023 recipients of the Steve Martin Banjo Prize for Excellence in Banjo & Bluegrass, the annual award administered by The Freshgrass Foundation, The Steve Martin Charitable Foundation, and Compass Records. The recipients will each receive a $25,000 cash prize.
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Baucom, of North Carolina, passed away at the age of 71 from Lewy body dementia on December 7, just days after being notified he was one of the winners. The prize is being accepted on his behalf by his family. While the award goes to banjo players across different styles, Sayer and Baucom are known for their 5-string bluegrass and 4-string plectrum banjo styles. “Once again, we are all honored to acknowledge these dedicated and highly skilled musicians,” Martin said in a press release.
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Baucom started playing the banjo at age 10 after watching The Beverly Hillbillies, according to the release. In addition to playing in his father’s band, Baucom later formed the bands The Dukes of Drive and Boone Creek, the latter also featuring Ricky Skaggs and Jerry Douglas. He was a part of several other bands in addition to releasing solo albums, including Never Thought of Looking Back in 2013, which featured guests including Sam Bush, Marty Raybon, and Tim Stafford.
A resident of New York City, Sayer has worked with artists ranging from bassist and photographer Milt Hinton to the late actor George Segal, who, like Martin, was an accomplished banjoist and played with the comic actor. She’s also performed with the New York Philharmonic and The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. In 2006, she was inducted into the National Four-String Banjo Hall of Fame.
Martin launched the Banjo Prize in 2010 with the goal of awarding 10 prizes and putting $500,000 into the banjo community over the course of a decade. Past winners include Rhiannon Giddens, Jake Blount, and Jens Kruger. In 2019, the Banjo Prize adapted by partnering with the Freshgrass Foundation, a nonprofit that works to “preserve, support and create innovative grassroots music,” according to their mission statement. The Banjo Prize is now awarded annually to one or more players at $25,000 each.
Photo by Joe Kohen/WireImage for New York Post
