Sara Watkins (CA)

After spending nearly two decades as singer and fiddle player for the Grammy Award-winning bluegrass-folk hybrid (and family) band Nickel Creek, Sara Watkins stepped away from that marquee name, alone. Watkins then spent two years on the road with her new band, making stops at events such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Newport Folk Festival. The transition to soloist proved relatively effortless for her easygoing virtuosity. Sarah has formidable chops as a multi-instrumentalist, playing the guitar and ukulele as well s the fiddle. She’s just as versatile, and breathtakingly mature as a singer. Her music incorporates bluegrass, folk, country, gospel and pop into a seamless and rich whole. As the BBC put it, “Watkins’ time in the spotlight is a triumph with her agile playing and the kind of voice that gives your goose bumps the shivers.”