Sponsored by Ozark Mountain Music Association, the contest is about legacy as much as it is about competition.

Rather than turning students away, OMMA—a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving and passing on the traditional music of the Ozarks—made the decision to expand.

Ozark Mountain Music Association reminds area residents and visitors to Branson to get your tickets for the Youth in Bluegrass Contest, to be held on Saturday, May 23, 2026. The competition is in its third year of being sponsored and hosted by OMMA, and again this year, the host venue is the Branson Event Center, 2527 St. Hwy. 248 in Branson. Bands will compete for a total of $7,500 in prize money, thanks to generous sponsors and supporters, and in addition, students will

For decades in the Ozarks, one of those traditions has been to gather for an evening of music, dancing and fellowship following a hard week of work, and continuing such legacies can help bring families, friends and neighborhoods together.

Some of the contestants originally met and began playing together while attending Ozark Mountain Music Association summer camps, including fourth-place winners MoArk6...

In addition to competition, Youth in Bluegrass offers plenty of fun and opportunities to meet—or reconnect with—other youth...

Another Ozark Mountain Music Association Youth Bluegrass Camp is in the books, and it was a great one, with at least 89 youth in attendance

Young bands traveled across the Ozarks and several states to the Event Center at Branson Meadows

Saturday’s competition will include two rounds, at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.