NASHVILLE, TN - Compass Records artist Noam Pikelny has been announced as the winner of the first annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. Pikelny, together with Steve Martin and Punch Brothers, is scheduled to perform on the Late Show with David Letterman on November 4th.

Pikelny was selected to win the award, which includes an unrestricted cash prize of fifty-thousand dollars, funded by the Steve Martin Charitable Foundation, by a board consisting of Earl Scruggs, Alison Brown, Pete Wernick, Tony Trischka, Anne Stringfield, Neil V. Rosenberg, Bela Fleck, and Steve Martin.
Pikelny’s first solo album In the Maze was released on Compass Records in 2004.  In 2006, Noam was recruited by mandolinist, Chris Thile, for his How to Grow a Woman from the Ground album, eventually leading to the formation of Punch Brothers. Pikelny currently resides in Brooklyn, New York and his most recent work can be heard on the Punch Brothers’ Antifogmatic released this year on Nonesuch Records.

Pikelny is slated to appear on David Letterman tomorrow night (Friday Nov 5 at 11:35). 

And if you miss the Late Show,  you can hear at least one cut from Pikelny on the Folk Show,  Sunday from 12-2.  ( I’m hosting then,  so I know I’ll be broadcasting something from In the Maze—other Folk Show hosts may be giving Pikelny some spins this weekend too….)

PS Pikelny was orig sched. for Letterman tonight,  but the appearance was rescheduled for Fri night….