Hand Weston Stewart, 21, a banjo and he will return the favor with a pick and a grin. Although, the young Anderson native has already made a name for himself in the bluegrass circuit, he’s more than willing to share his God-given talent with others.

For Weston, it was a dream that started at age 10 when he begged his momma for a banjo — an aspiration that has since brought him the acclaim of being named banjo champion in five different states eight times. He has taken the title twice in Georgia, Kentucky, and Mississippi and once in Tennessee and Indiana. He was also named the banjo champion of the 2010 Old Time Fiddlers Convention in Athens as well as a two-time Bobby Thompson Bluegrass Champion at Uncle Dave Macon Days. Since he started competing, Stewart has won more than 50 banjo competitions.

One of his latest accomplishments meant dominating the Merlefest Banjo Contest in Wilkesboro, N.C. in late April and bringing home a brand-new Deering Eagle banjo valued at $2,400 along with other prizes including a gift certificate to Jackson’s Music.  Stewart put his fingers to the strings picking out the tune “Little Rock Getaway” for the win.

“I wasn’t expecting to win at Merlefest,” Stewart said. “There are a lot of great banjo pickers there.”

He plans on heading back to Merlefest next year as a judge of the competition.

But the buck doesn’t stop there for Stewart. He also took first fiddle — well banjo — at the 2011 Mississippi State Championship at the Down From the Hills Festival last month in New Albany, Miss.

His latest plans are to travel to the Smithville Fiddlers’ Jamboree in Smithville, Tenn., for his next competition. “I’ve never been there before,” he said. “That is about the only one I haven’t been to because it falls near the Fourth of July.”

Stewart, the son of Maria and Chuck Stewart of Anderson, started playing the banjo when he was 13 after saving $200 to purchase his first instrument. He credits the Old Time Fiddlers Convention in Athens for giving him the inspiration.  “I saw a banjo and liked the way it looked,” Stewart said. “They were strange looking. They didn’t look normal like a guitar does.”

He added when he heard “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” on the Beverly Hillbillies it made him want to play one even more.

“My parents started taking me to competitions when I was 13,” he said.

He was 15 when he won his first competition.

“I started winning and when that happened they started bringing me farther,” Stewart said.

He credits a well-known Tennessee Valley musician for teaching him what he knows. “Scooter Muse was my mentor and he taught me a lot,” Weston said.  Robert “Scooter” Muse is a Florence native who has played with Alabama Bluegrass Hall of Famer Jake Landers, Clair Lynch, Vassar Clements and a host of others. Muse plays in the Celtic band “Henris Notions.”

When it comes to playing the banjo, Stewart said. “You gotta love it and be willing to spend a lot of time doing it.”

Stewart plans to compete this year in the National Banjo Championship in Winfield, Kan.

In 2007, banjo maker Tom Nechville of Nechville Musical Products endorsed him along with banjo string maker Ernie Ball. He has four banjos, but said the Nechville is the one he plays most often.

Weston played with The Bluegrass Soul Pickers on an album “If I Ever Get Home,” recorded by Tom T. and Dixie Hall’s label Blue Circle Recording. The album made it to number 14 on the Cashbox Magazine monthly bluegrass charts.

Stewart has played with members of Brad Paisley and Brooks and Dunn’s bands as well as a number of bluegrass legends.

His favorite tunes to play are “Little Rock Getaway” and “Shuckin’ the Corn.”

Stewart is a 2008 graduate of Lexington High School. He attends Athens State University and is majoring in elementary education. When asked if he plans to teach music, he replied, “I’d teach banjo lessons right now if anyone was interested.”