Martinez Native Wins Music Award

Melody Walker, long a fixture on the local music scene, won the prestigious Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at MerleFest. She joins past winners like  Gillian Welch, Tift Merrit and last year's Bay Area winner, Molly Tuttle. 

Walker, who performed her winning song "Black Grace" with partner Jacob Groopman in April at this year's MerleFest music festival in Wilkesboro, N.C., took first place out of over 700 contest entries. Walker took first place in the Gospel/Inspirational category with a song, "Black Grace," which she has often described as a "secular hymn".

Walker and Groopman have been touring the United States promoting Walker's first album, 2012's "Gold Rush Goddess." They also play in the progressive bluegrass band Front Country that won the RockyGrass band competition in Colorado last summer.  

Walker described "Black Grace" as a hymn, but she never thought would win a gospel music award.

"It's an odd song," she said. "Some very religious folks love it and say it's their favorite song, and then other folks think it's controversial and that we should be careful who we play it for. I've found that most people can relate to the message and find their own meaning in the song."