Meet the 2026 Telluride Blues Challenge Finalists
The Telluride Blues Challenge has quickly grown into one of the Southwest’s premier music competitions, drawing rising blues talent from across the nation. Each year, musicians submit their best songs for a shot at the finals—and a chance to launch their careers on a bigger stage. Presented by Telluride Music Company and Telluride Blues Society, the Challenge offers incredible prizes: a 20-minute Main Stage set at the Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, a feature on the 2026 Durango Blues Train, a premium Martin guitar, a cash prize, and national recognition.
This year’s response was remarkable, making the judges’ job anything but easy. After careful review, the specialists at Telluride Music selected six standout finalists. These artists will face off live at the Blues for Breakfast event on Saturday, September 13, from 9:00 am to Noon at the Telluride Elks Lodge.
Meet the Finalists
Michelle Castillo - Michelle is a singer songwriter and guitarist from Denver, Colorado. She has carved out a significant presence in the songwriter community, becoming a celebrated artist known for her authenticity and soulful expression. Her style intertwines her deep roots in Blues and Americana with a unique twist that reflects her Latin heritage.
Jackson Magyar - Jackson Magyar is a roots, blues, and Americana singer-songwriter and a four-time Telluride Blues Challenge finalist based in Southwest Colorado
Jeff White - Jeff White is an American acoustic roots soul artist from New Smyrna Beach, FL. A Singer, Songwriter, Surfer & Soul Adventurer. His rootsy blend of Funk, Jazz , and hand crafted Blue-eyed Soul is what the world needs right now.
Zach Village - Zach Village leans into soulful, acoustic, and traditional genres like folk, bluegrass, and acoustic blues. He is known for intricate acoustic guitar fingerpicking and evocative storytelling.
Kody Shade Harrell - Kody Shade Harrell is quickly becoming a force in the world of modern blues and Americana. Drawing inspiration from legendary bluesmen such as R.L. Burnside and Mississippi Fred McDowell, but also contemporaries like North Mississippi Allstars and The Black Keys, Kody blends the raw juke joint soul of rural country blues with psychedelic guitar improvisation and relatable writing on the Southern experience. Kody uses an array of unique instruments — including handcrafted 6-string and 4-string cigar box and license plate guitars (by Junkpile Guitars of Acton, CA) — to create a sound that pays homage to the deep traditions of rural country blues, his Mississippi roots, and the classic rock soundtrack.
Brendan Forrest - Brendan Forrest is a Southwest Colorado-based Folk/Americana/Bluegrass artist whose music draws on bluegrass, folk, Celtic tradition, and Americana without neatly fitting into any one lane. Born into an Irish-American family on Chicago’s North Side, Forrest writes songs shaped by movement, memory, place, and tradition — from city streets and mountain towns to long stretches abroad.
How to Watch
The Telluride Blues Challenge Finals will be held on Saturday, September 19 from 9 am - Noon, at the Telluride Elks Lodge (472 W Pacific Ave). The contest happens as part of Blues for Breakfast, a special event complete with a breakfast spread and full bar including breakfast cocktails during the event. Breakfast menu will feature classics like pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausages, biscuits and gravy. Coffee, orange juice and breakfast bar drinks will also be available.
Admission is free! Breakfast for adults will be $15 and Kids 10 & under are $5, Bloody Mary’s, Mimosas, and other breakfast bar drinks are extra.
This event is a great way to see up-and-comers in the blues genre while starting your Saturday morning off before the music starts in the festival grounds. Watch as competitors perform 20 minute sets that will be judged on the quality of their overall live performance, instrument use, vocals, and presentation.
Competition Prizes
Winner
A premium Martin guitar provided by Telluride Music Company
20 minute set to perform on the Main Stage at the 2026 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
60 minute set to perform on the Blues Stage at the 2027 Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
2 nights to perform on the 2027 Durango Blues Train
$300 cash prize
Runner Up
$200 cash prize
A performance set for the 2026 Blues for Breakfast on Sunday of the festival
All six competitors will receive a Telluride Blues & Brews Festival T-Shirt, a 3-Day Festival Pass, and a $25 gift certificate provided by sponsor Telluride Music Company.