Tray Wellington

Trajan Allen "Tray" Wellington (born 1998 or 1999) is an American bluegrass banjoist from North Carolina. He received the International Bluegrass Music Momentum Award (IBMA) in 2019 for instrumentalist of the year and had been a finalist for the New Artist of the Year for two consecutive years, 2023–2024.

Early life Wellington was born in Ashe County, North Carolina. During his childhood, he developed an interest in music and learned to play the electric guitar. Wellington cites his grandfather as having introduced him to classic country music. During his time in the university, Wellington played alongside his band, Cane Mill Road

Career The Tray Wellington Band performs at the John C. Campbell Folk School Wellington is known for being a part of the black reclamation of banjo music. His debut album, Black Banjo, recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic while maintaining an emphasis on showcasing the black roots of the music. In 2024, he released a seven song project, Detour to the Moon which also draws inspiration from jazz, hiphop and blues and includes a cover of Kid Cudi's Pursuit of Happiness sung in a bluegrass style. In the same year, Wellington received the Steve Martin Banjo Prize for his new approach to bluegrass music.