Woody Platt Honored with 2025 North Carolina Award for Fine Arts

On November 13, 2025, at the historic Grove Park Inn in Asheville, Woody Platt was officially recognized with the 2025 North Carolina Award — the highest civilian honor the state bestows. NC DNCR+1

Platt, a Grammy-winning guitarist, vocalist, songwriter, and producer, is a founding member of the western North Carolina–based bluegrass and roots band Steep Canyon Rangers. Over decades, he helped define modern bluegrass, earned multiple Grammy nominations, received awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA), and toured with actor/banjo-player Steve Martin for more than a decade. NC DNCR+1

Beyond music, Platt is committed to environmental stewardship: he has worked with the conservation nonprofit Conserving Carolina and other partners to restore a section of the East Fork of the French Broad River near his home in western North Carolina. NC DNCR

The 2025 awards ceremony — the first time the event has been held outside Raleigh — also served as a fundraiser: proceeds support recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene. NC DNCR+1

Congratulations to Woody Platt for a richly deserved honor — and for continuing to shape North Carolina’s cultural and natural legacy.