Class Winners

The Tom Turpin Award

Best Trumpet Sound

Tom Turpin was an early pioneer in the development of quality turkey calls in both the trumpet style and box. With the Tom Turpin Award, the NWTF recognizes an outstanding call maker for turned-style trumpet calls each year. Turpin was a legendary call maker who started making turkey calls for personal and family use just before the turn of the 20th century. It was not until around 1915 that he started selling his calls commercially. He was also the first call maker to produce recordings to show hunters how to use his calls. He was best known for his yelper-type calls but also made other types of calls, including duck calls, box calls and crow calls. His callmaking tradition has impacted generations of turkey hunters and call makers.

2004 - Ralph Permar (Old Zionsville, PA)

2005 - Ralph Permar (Old Zionsville, PA)

2006 - Jerry White (Hazlehurst, GA)

2007 - Allan Sentell (Summerville, GA)

2008 - Ralph Permar (Old Zionsville, PA)

2009 - Dewey W. Johnson (Hazlehurst, GA)

2010 - Lon Trice (Bronwood, GA)

2011 - Brian Mero (Eau Claire, WI)

2012 - Matthew McLain (Tennessee Ridge, TN)

2013 - Jessie Newsom (Norman, OK)

2014 - Brian Mero (Eau Claire, WI)

2015 - Brian Mero (Eau Claire, WI)

2016 - Billy McCallister (Springfield, GA)

2017 - Brian Mero (Eau Claire, WI)

2018 - Brian Lawter (Rutherfordton, NC)

2019 - Andy Cobb (Harvest, AL)

2020 - Anthony Ellis (Chatsworth, GA)

2021 - Mark Prudhomme (Georgetown, SC)

2022 - Brandon Martin (Jacksonville, AL)

2023 - Clay Townsend (Fairmount, GA)

2024 - Seth Hamon (Mansfield, TX)