| Contest | Place | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship | First | 2011 |
| National Flat Pick Guitar Championship | First | 1992 |
| National Flat Pick Guitar Championship | Third | 2015 |
| Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship | Third | 2008 |
2015 - Another former winner in this contest placed third this year. John Shaw of Lincoln, NE placed first back in 1992 and made the top five last year. Along with playing guitar, John is a master of the fiddle having won the Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship in 2011. Over-all, John has placed 3rd once each in Flat Pick Guitar and Fiddle along with winning the Flat Pick and Fiddle contests once each. John is a musician and a home theater AV designer. John is a very common face around the contest stage. He started playing the guitar at the age of 17 and has been playing ever since. Between contests, John, along with his brother Jason play in a band called “Sandy Creek Bluegrass.” Music and firearms are his two hobbies.
He won the 3rd Place Trophy and a Gallagher Guitar model G-55 Special made by J.W. Gallagher and Son of Wartrace, TN.