Kody Norris Show wins Bluegrass awards, gain new member

The Kody Norris Show earned five accolades at the 2026 National Bluegrass Awards, but the most memorable thing they took home was a new member. Jim Hinsley, 14, plays banjo and has been traveling with the Kody Norris Show since his predecessor, Josiah Tyree, left the band in July 2025. Kody Norris invited Jim to become a permanent member on Jan. 23, during a performance at the national convention of the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA). "I've been thinking on something serious I want to ask you," Norris told Jim. "If I was to offer you a job in this band tonight, would you take it?" "Yeah!" Jim replied before the two exchanged a handshake. Norris told The Tomahawk he held "numerous, numerous" try-outs for the position, all while Jim was traveling with the group. "A few weeks passed by and I just looked around, and me and Mary Rachel kind of had a déjà vu moment," Norris said. "This kid is better than anyone I've tried — he's just so well-versed and knows the instrument, knows what to do with it, and can sing the harmony," Norris told Jim he wouldn't make a decision until midwinter. He even retried some people once they learned the material, yet Jim remained the best pick in his mind. Norris said he first met Jim, who lives in northeastern Kentucky, a few years ago at Ralph Stanley's Bluegrass Festival. "We couldn't be happier to have him," Norris said. "He can play three or four instruments, so I don't exactly know what all his duties will entail before it's over with." SPBGMA 2026 Awards SPBGMA held its 2026 National Bluegrass Awards on Jan 24. Norris said SPBGMA decides who is nominated for each award, but fans vote on the winners during the convention "That's the main thing that really gets me emotional," Norris said. "To know that [the fans] think that much of what we do, and the way we do it, just means a tremendous amount to me." For the fifth year in a row, the Kody Norris Show won "Entertainers of the Year." They also won "Band of the Year," and their song "The Auctioneer" won "Bluegrass Song of the Year." Norris himself won "Guitar Performer of the Year" and "Male Vocalist of the Year." That's five awards in total, but Norris said it's not the most they've ever won during a convention; he believes they won seven one year. Additionally, this year the band was nominated for "Instrumental Group of the Year" and Mary Rachel Nelley-Norris was nominated for "Fiddle Performer of the Year." Norris said that at one point during the convention, a snowstorm knocked out the power. He commended the hotel and awards staff for doing a "phenomenal job" despite the setback. "I've been going to the SPBGMA convention since I was a teenager," Norris said. "It's great to see everybody from across the country and across the world...come to Nashville every year to be together and just celebrate Bluegrass music."