Tyler Andal has done it again!
The Nashville musician has again claimed bragging rights as the Grand Champion of the Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree and Crafts Festival capturing the event’s biggest fiddling prize, the Berry C. Williams Memorial for the second year in a row. Its his third title overall. He had previously won the fiddling championship in 2015.
As the 2025 Grand Fiddle Off Champion, Andal will again be invited by the Grand Ole Opry to play a ‘fiddle tune’ for the Opry square dancers’ LIVE performance during a selected show. The Opry has partnered with the Smithville Jamboree since 2022 to offer this exciting opportunity to the fiddle champion, as a way to honor the tradition and talent of country music fiddlers.
Kim Luton, President and Coordinator of the Smithville Fiddlers Jamboree and Crafts Festival presented the award to Andal at the conclusion of the festival which ended at around 12:15 a.m. this morning (Sunday).
By winning the Junior fiddling contest, Andal edged out two other competitors for a right to advance to the fiddle-off and he out fiddled the senior winner Bonnie Norris of Nashville to claim the overall fiddling title.
This is the 14th year in a row (not counting the 2020 virtual jamboree) that a Junior Fiddler has beaten the Senior Fiddler to for the top honor.
In addition to the Grand Champion Fiddling Title, Andal’s won three others awards for the weekend including First Place for Junior Fiddling, Flat Top Guitar, and Contest Fiddle (The Neil Dudney Memorial Award).
Winners in the Saturday session of the Fiddler’s Jamboree are as follows:
Junior Old-Time Appalachian Flatfoot Dance (Ages up to 39)-sponsored by Gayla Hendrix, Attorney at Law: First Place- Jacob Campbell of Smithville; Second Place- Matthew Campbell of McMinnville; and Third Place Trebel Chunn of Greenbrier
Senior Old-Time Appalachian Flatfoot Dance (Ages 40 & Over)-sponsored by Cheryl’s Beau Bees: First Place- Jason Wade of Smyrna; Second Place- Ann Bane of Smyrna; and Third Place-Shawna Taylor of Murfreesboro
Senior Buck Dancing (Ages 40 & Over)-sponsored by Fiesta Jalisco: First Place-Ann Bane of Smyrna, Tennessee; Second Place-Shawna Taylor of Murfreesboro; and Third Place- Anthony Harrell of Mount Juliet
Senior Clogging (Ages 40 & Over)-sponsored by Evins Mill Resort and Retreat: First Place-Jason Wade of Smyrna; Second Place-Heather Brown Curry of Springfield; and Third Place- Anthony Harrell of Mount Juliet
Bluegrass Banjo-sponsored by Deering Banjo: First Place-Chuck Holcomb of Winchester; Second Place- Joey Gipson of Manchester; and Third Place-Derek Stone of Chattanooga
Bluegrass Band- sponsored by the IBMA: First Place- The Rambler Band of Nashville; Second Place-Dave Edgington of Nashville and the Blue Moon Strings Band; and Third Place- The Center Hill Collective of Smithville
Flat Top Guitar-sponsored by The Purple Door: First Place- Tyler Andal of Nashville; Second Place-Nick Norris of Nashville; and Third Place-Rob Pearcy of Smyrna
Contest Fiddle (Neil Dudney Memorial Award)-sponsored by the Dudney Family: First Place- Tyler Andal of Nashville; Second Place-Bonnie Norris of Nashville; and Third Place- Summer Edington of Nashville. The Neil Dudney Award was presented to Andal by two of Dudney’s grandchildren, Ethan and Brandon Shaw and great grandson Carson Shaw. Dudney, who passed away in October 2018 served as President and Coordinator of the Fiddlers Jamboree for 16 years until he stepped down in 2008.
NCHC Precision Dancing sponsored by Magnolia Roots: First Place- Tennessee Stompers of Greenbrier; Second Place-Triple Star Sterling of Hurricane Mills.
Traditional Line Dancing sponsored by The Male Room Brotique: First Place- Guyan River Cloggers of Ranger, West Virginia; Second Place-Tennessee Dance Alliance of Mount Juliet; and Third Place- Triple Star Eclipse of Hurricane Mills.
Junior Fiddlers (Ages 13-39) sponsored by the Smithville Review: First Place-Tyler Andal of Nashville; Second Place- Sarah Hathaway of Bowling Green, Kentucky; and Third Place-Summer Edgington of Nashville
Senior Fiddlers (Ages 40 & Over) sponsored by WJLE: First Place- Bonnie Norris of Nashville; Second Place-Joseph Overton of Smithville; and Third Place Brent Frailicks of Lebanon
Square Dancing-Sponsored by TN Entertainment Commission: First Place-Smithville Select of Smithville; Second Place- Rocky Top Revue of Franklin; and Third Place- Tennessee Dance Alliance of Mount Juliet
Fiddle-off Champion (Berry C. Williams Award)- sponsored by the Berry C. Williams Family: Tyler Andal of Nashville