Tag: Shelby Williamson

Justin Hiltner Departs BGS After a Decade of Sharing His Many Talents

Posted on by Editor

Sometimes a person becomes so intrinsically engrained in something, it’s hard to distinguish how it worked before or what it might be like after them. Such is the case with our own Justin Hiltner, who has been an essential part of the BGS team for the past 10 years, most recently serving as editorial director.

Whether you realize it or not, if you’ve been part of the BGS community at any point in the last decade, you’ve interacted with Justin’s talent. From reading one of his in-depth interviews or thousands of social media posts, to seeing him emcee special events and even occasionally guesting on the banjo at a BGS Jam, there’s a good chance your life has overlapped with Justin’s work in some way.

Justin concluded his editorial tenure with BGS on July 31, though he will continue to contribute writing and assisting with the team transition until the end of August before moving on to a new career path. In a special statement to BGS readers, Justin wrote:

“After nearly 10 years working with BGS, it’s more than bittersweet to have reached the end of my time with this amazing team and the start of something new. But I am so excited for what’s next and endlessly grateful to my BGS family for their support as I leave the company and begin a new adventure in music.

“Since my time with BGS began in 2016 we’ve cracked 100k, 300k, and now are quickly approaching 600k followers across platforms. We produced shows at Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, the Theatre at the Ace Hotel, and across the country and around the world. We founded a new vertical, Good Country, produced the first-ever diversity showcase in bluegrass history, and were recipients of the IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award, the organization’s second-highest honor. After nearly a decade, these and many more accomplishments, and hundreds and hundreds of bylines, I can say without hesitation I’m most proud of the people behind BGS. Ed, Amy, Craig, Shelby, and all of the incredible folks I’ve worked with during my time here are incomparable daily reminders of why bluegrass means so much to me – because of the people who love it, make it, and lift it up.

“I’m saddened to end my time at BGS, but I know this isn’t ‘goodbye.’ And I know I wouldn’t be who I am today, stepping into this new opportunity, without BGS and these fine folks.”

In his stead, former BGS editor Craig Shelburne returns to the editorial role, supported by creative director Shelby Williamson and co-founder/executive director Amy Reitnouer Jacobs, alongside other team members.

No doubt Justin will continue to make an impact on the bluegrass community and the world around him as he has done daily during his tenure here. We at BGS are proud to have been part of his story, and can’t wait to see what the next chapter might bring.

Lead image: (L-R) Ed Helms, Justin Hiltner, Bryan Sutton; Elli Lauren Photography

BGS Announces Behind-the-Scenes Staff Changes

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

On the heels of being awarded IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award, the BGS team is excited to announce a few staff changes in our organization that took effect earlier this summer. Our incredible Managing Editor of 4+ years, Craig Shelburne, was recently offered an opportunity for a once-in-a-lifetime project – more details to come – and consequently has had to end his time with BGS. While we miss him dearly, with his unending dedication to and love of roots music, his singular journalistic perspective, and his legendary puns lighting up our lives, we are so thrilled for him in this next chapter of his career and the entire team wishes him the best.

With Shelburne’s departure, we are absolutely delighted to have longtime BGS team member Justin Hiltner back in the fold, now acting as our Managing Editor. Justin Hiltner is a queer and disabled banjo player, songwriter, and music writer known from Peabody Award-winning podcast Dolly Parton’s America. He recently completed a national tour of Broadway’s Tony Award-winning revival of Oklahoma! and played banjo and guitar for a limited run of the musical Bright Star at the Miracle Theatre in Miami. His debut solo album, 1992, was released in December 2022 and was a Best of 2022 selection by NPR Music, Slate, and more. (We covered the project here.) Hiltner has been nominated for Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year, Momentum Industry Involvement, Writer of the Year, and Collaborative Recording of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA). In 2016 he co-founded Shout & Shine, a showcase, column, and video series celebrating representation and inclusion in bluegrass with BGS before going on to become our social media director and, later, Digital Brand Director. He also helped found – and currently sits on the board – for Bluegrass Pride, a non-profit with a mission of uplifting LGBTQ+ folks in roots music, and recently he served on Folk Alliance International’s Cultural Equity Council.

Lonnie Lee Hood, BGS Social Media Editor

In addition, we’ve also had the joy of recently adding Lonnie Lee Hood to our team as our Social Media Editor. Lonnie is a journalist and writer located in Middle Tennessee. They are currently working on their debut book, Redneck Revolution, with the West Virginia University Press. They live with their potbelly pig and look forward to building a small, sustainable homestead in the mountains.

Former BGS media director and executive assistant Shelby Williamson has also moved into a new position within our staff, stepping into the newly created Creative Director role. Williamson has overseen many aspects of BGS’ outward facing brand over the past handful of years, from our Instagram channel and email newsletter to the ever-expanding BGS Podcast Network, leading production and development of shows such as Harmonics with Beth Behrs and Carolina Calling. As Creative Director, Williamson will oversee a visual branding refresh coming to BGS soon and will also co-edit a new country-geared vertical within the BGS brand with Hiltner, to be announced soon.

Rounding out the BGS staff are co-founder and executive director Amy Reitnouer Jacobs and web and audience development expert Joe Klingl, in addition to our BGS family of contributors, writers, and creatives. Our team is already enjoying this latest evolution of BGS and we’re excited to continue connecting with our community in this new chapter.