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Noam Pikelny

Musician · b. 1981 · Chicago, Illinois · noampikelny.com · Also a recording artist
Best known for Banjo

Noam Pikelny is one of the most acclaimed banjo players of his generation, founding member of Punch Brothers, the inaugural recipient of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass, and a two-time IBMA Banjo Player of the Year.

  • Born February 27, 1981 in Chicago, Illinois; raised in Skokie. Started banjo at age 8 at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music; later studied with Greg Cahill of Special Consensus.
  • Played with Leftover Salmon (2002–2004) and the John Cowan Band (2004–2006, on the album New Tattoo) before joining Chris Thile's circle.
  • Founding member of Punch Brothers; the quintet's debut album Punch was released on Nonesuch on February 26, 2008.
  • Inaugural recipient of the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass in 2010; the prize was launched specifically to recognize him, and Martin and Pikelny appeared together on Late Show with David Letterman on November 5, 2010 in a comedic "Dueling Banjos."
  • Won IBMA Banjo Player of the Year in 2014 and 2017; won the Grammy for Best Folk Album with Punch Brothers' All Ashore in 2019; nine total Grammy nominations.
  • Released solo records including In the Maze (2008, Compass), Beat the Devil and Carry a Rail (2011, Compass), Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe (2013, Rounder — IBMA Album of the Year), Universal Favorite (2017, Rounder), and Plays Solo (2024).
  • Co-founded the bluegrass supergroup Mighty Poplar in 2023 with Chris Eldridge, Andrew Marlin, Alex Hargreaves, and Greg Garrison.
  • Inducted into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame in 2025 in the Five-String Performance category.

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