Brandi Carlile, a folk-rock and Americana singer-songwriter who was named Artist of the Year for a second time during the awards show that was presented at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee last September 22, is among the artists whose performances were captured for this special episode. Also featured — in order of appearance — are performances by Fisk Jubilee Singers with Leon Timbo, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan and Joe Henry, Allison Russell, The Highwomen (Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hembry, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires) with Yola, Jason Isbell, Valerie June and Carla Thomas, Emerging Act Award-winner Charley Crockett, Amythyst Kiah, Buddy Miller (the show’s musical director), and The Mavericks. The Fisk Jubilee Singers, The Mavericks and “Queen of Memphis Soul” Carla Thomas were recognized as Lifetime Achievement Award honorees last September.

The Americana Honors & Awards show is a centerpiece of the annual AmericanaFest, a multi-day celebration of American roots-inspired music put on by the Americana Music Association each fall. A combination festival and conference, it is filled with daytime panel discussions and seminars and evenings chock-full of artist showcases at venues throughout the Music City. Established in 1999, the Americana Music Association is a professional not-for-profit trade association whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world.

Here’s a link to an article about the Americana Honors & Awards that was posted on AcousticMusicScene.com on September 23, 2021.

Sturgill Simpson’s Cuttin’ Grass Vol. 1 (The Butcher Shoppe Sessions), his first bluegrass project, was named Album of the Year. It’s one of two albums that he released in 2020 featuring bluegrass interpretations of songs from his early solo recordings, as well as with his former band Sunday Valley. To date, Simpson, a Kentucky-bred and Nashville-based singer-songwriter who is often compared to outlaw country artists, has released seven solo albums — including The Ballad of Dodd and Juliana just last month. He was previously honored as Emerging Artist of the Year in 2014, while his “Turtles All the Way Down” was named Song of the Year in the 2015 Americana Honors & Awards. A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, his third studio album, received a Grammy Award for Best Country Album in 2017, while Simpson was named International Artist of the Year in the UK Americana Awards that year.

Fiona Prine, widow of the late John Prine and president of Oh Boy Records, accepted the award for Song of the Year on behalf of the late internationally acclaimed and revered singer-songwriter, who died in April 2020 at the age of 73 from complications of the coronavirus (COVID-19) Prine was recognized for “I Remember Everything,” a co-write with Pat McLaughlin, which was the last original song that he recorded. Earlier this year, Prine, who toured and plied his craft for nearly 50 years, posthumously received a Grammy for Best American Roots Performance for “I Remember Everything” and shared the Grammy for Best American Roots Song with McLaughlin. Carlile performed the song during the Grammy Awards Show telecast in his honor and was joined by Margo Price and Amanda Shires (with whom she is part of The Highwomen, the all-female group that dominated last year’s awards) in doing so during the Americana Honors & Awards show.

Known for his well crafted, observant, often humorous story songs featuring indelible characters and vivid imagery, Prine was a 2003 Americana Lifetime Achievement honoree for songwriting. He was named Artist of the Year in 2020 and was the big winner in 2019’s Americana Honors & Awards. His 2019 release, The Tree of Forgiveness, was named Album of the Year, while “Summer’s End” was voted Song of the Year. Prine, who previously won Grammy Awards for two of his albums, also was honored by The Recording Academy with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

Black Pumas, an Austin, Texas-based psychedelic soul band, was named Group/Duo of the Year after having been voted Emerging Act of the Year in 2020. Actor Kiefer Sutherland accepted the award on the band’s behalf since its members were unable to attend. Charley Crockett, an Americana, blues and neo-country singer-songwriter from south Texas, who has released ten albums since 2015, accepted the Emerging Act of the Year Award, while Kristin Weber, a Nashville-based fiddler who has been touring worldwide and recording for 14 years, was honored as Instrumentalist of the Year.

Recognized as Lifetime Achievement Award honorees were the Fisk Jubilee Singers (Legacy of Americana Award), The Mavericks (Trailblazer Award), Keb Mo’ (Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance), Trina Shoemaker (Lifetime Achievement Award for Producer/Engineer), and ‘Queen of Memphis Soul’ Carla Thomas (Inspiration Award).

Musical highlights from the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards show will be featured on a special episode of Austin City Limits that is set to air on PBS television stations in February 2022.

AmericanaFest, which began Sept. 22 and continues through Sept. 25, is a festival and conference filled with daytime panel discussions and seminars and evenings chock-full of artist showcases at venues throughout the Music City. Established in 1999, the Americana Music Association is a professional not-for-profit trade association whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. Visit americanamusic.org for more information.

The Highwomen, Brittany Howard and Tanya Tucker lead the nominees with three nods each. In addition, Brandi Carlile, a member of The Highwomen, was nominated for Artist of the Year and also co-produced Tanya Tucker’s album While I’m Living and co-wrote two of the nominated numbers for Song of the Year: “Bring My Flowers Now” (with Tucker and Phil & Tim Hanseroth) and “Crowded Table”(with Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna) for The Highwomen. Black Pumas, Drive-By Truckers, Nathaniel Ratliff and Aubrie Sellers each received nominations in two of the six Americana Music Association member-voted awards categories.

The Highwomen – comprised of Carlile, Amanda Shires, Maren Morris and Natalie Hamby – burst on the country-Americana scene during last summer’s Newport Folk Festival. The much-heralded quartet’s self-titled debut release received a nomination for Album of the Year, while one of its tracks (“Crowded Table”) is up for Song of the Year and The Highwomen are among the nominees for Duo/Group of the Year.Here’s a link to view the official video for “Crowded Table”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubNY-CPAp_I.

Singer-Songwriter Brittany Howard, who formerly was the lead vocalist and guitarist for Alabama Shakes, is among the nominees for Artist of the Year and also received nominations for both Album and Song of the Year for her debut release Jaime and “Stay High,” respectively. Here’s a link to view the official video for “Stay High”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfizQsGWOxI.

Tanya Tucker, who won two Grammy Awards earlier this year for Best Country Album and Song and has 10 additional Grammy nods to her credit, received nominations for Artist, Album (While I’m Livin’) and Song of the Year (“Bring My Flowers Now”). The singer-songwriter first drew attention at age 13 with her hit country song “Delta Dawn” in 1972.

Click on the video link below to watch Tanya Tucker and Brandi Carlile perform “Bring My Flowers Now”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oR5OZ-egXw.

Brandi Carlile, a folk-rock and Americana singer-songwriter, who was named Artist of the Year in 2019, also was the big winner in the American Roots Music Field during the 61st annual Grammy Awards presented by the Recording Academy in February at which her eighth album, By The Way, I Forgive You, was named Best Americana Album, while one of its tracks (“The Joke”) was named both Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song.

In addition to Carlile, Howard and Tucker, Artist of the Year nominees include the late revered John Prine and Yola, Prine, a songwriter’s songwriter, who died April 7 at the age of 73 from complications of the coronavirus (COVID-19), was the big winner in last year’s Americana Honors & Awards. His 2019 release, The Tree of Forgiveness, was named Album of the Year, while “Summer’s End” was voted Song of the Year. Prine, who previously won Grammy Awards for two of his albums, also was honored by The Recording Academy with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. Yola, a rootsy British singer-songwriter, was selected by AMA-UK members as UK Artist of the Year in January, while her critically acclaimed debut album Walk Through Fire was voted UK Album of the Year. She also was nominated for four Grammy Awards in 2019.

Here’s a listing of the nominees:

Album of the Year:

And It’s Still Alright, Nathaniel Rateliff, Produced by James Barone, Patrick Meese and Nathaniel Rateliff

Country Squire, Tyler Childers, Produced by David Ferguson and Sturgill Simpson

The Highwomen, The Highwomen, Produced by Dave Cobb

Jaime, Brittany Howard, Produced by Brittany Howard

While I’m Livin’, Tanya Tucker, Produced by Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings

Artist of the Year:

Brandi Carlile

Brittany Howard

John Prine

Tanya Tucker

Yola

Duo/Group of the Year:

Black Pumas

Drive-By Truckers

The Highwomen

Buddy & Julie Miller

Our Native Daughters

Emerging Act of the Year:

Black Pumas

Katie Pruitt

Aubrie Sellers

Billy Strings

Kelsey Waldon

Instrumentalist of the Year:

Ellen Angelico

Annie Clements

Brittany Haas

Zachariah Hickman

Rich Hinman

Song of the Year:

“And It’s Still Alright,” Nathaniel Rateliff, Written by Nathaniel Rateliff

“Bring My Flowers Now,” Tanya Tucker, Written by Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth and Tanya Tucker

“Crowded Table,” The Highwomen, Written by Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna

“My Love Will Not Change,” Aubrie Sellers featuring Steve Earle, Written by Billy Burnette and Shawn Camp

“Stay High,” Brittany Howard, Written by Brittany Howard

“Thoughts and Prayers,” Drive-By Truckers, Written by Patterson Hood.

The Americana Honors & Awards is usually a highlight of Americanafest, a six-day festival and conference celebrating American roots-inspired music that is put on by the Americana Music Association. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the professional not-for-profit trade association will not be hosting it this fall. However, the newly formed Americana Music Association Foundation will be presenting its first initiative at that time. More information will be posted on https://americanamusic.org as details become available.

Musical performances will be interspersed with reflections and remembrances from those who knew Prine and some previously unseen filmed footage of him in the virtual tribute produced by his family and Oh Boy! Records. Among the notables slated to appear, according to Rolling Stone, are Dan Auerbach, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Stephen Colbert, Peter Cooper, Iris DeMent, Vince Gill, Jason Isbell, Kacey Musgraves, Bill Murray, Margo Price, Bonnie Raitt, The Secret Sisters, Amanda Shires, Sturgill Simpson, Todd Snider, Billy Bob Thornton, and Sara Watkins – as well as Prine’s band.

Picture Show: A Tribute Celebrating John Prine, which takes its name from a song that appears on his 1991 release The Missing Years, also aims to raise funds for several charitable organizations: the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Make The Road New York (a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower immigrant and working class communities to achieve dignity and justice) and Alive Hospice, whose grief center provides free counseling to anyone in Middle Tennessee who has had a family member die of COVID-19.

As previously noted on AcousticMusicScene.com, Prine was known for his well crafted, observant, often humorous story songs featuring indelible characters and vivid imagery. In addition to recording his songs on his own albums — 15 of which made the Billboard 200 chart — many of them have been performed and recorded by a number of other artists. He won Grammy Awards for his albums The Missing Years (1991) and Fair and Square (2005). The Recording Academy honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020, while he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame last year and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003. He also was named Artist of the Year by the Americana Music Association in 2017 and received PEN New England’s Song Lyrics of Literary Excellence Award in 2016.

Prine’s The Tree of Forgiveness (2018) was named Album of the Year in the 2019 Americana Honors & Awards presented by the Americana Music Association, reached #5 on the Billboard 200 chart, and was the most-played album on folk radio during 2018 and again in April 2020. It was Prine’s first (and last) collection of new material since Fair and Square.

Prine released his self-titled debut album in 1971. It features such classic songs as “Sam Stone” “Hello In There,” and “Paradise,” which also were the first three songs he ever performed live on stage. While a 23-year-old mailman in 1970, Prine sang his songs every Thursday night for a couple of months at The Fifth Peg, a Chicago folk club. Then-young journalist Roger Ebert stopped in for a set one night and wrote a glowing review for the Chicago Sun Times that essentially launched Prine’s career, according to his official bio. Credit Kris Kristofferson as well. He and Prine became good friends and toured extensively together over the years. Kristofferson introduced Prine to New York folk fans in 1971 by inviting him on stage during his own gig at The Bitter End in Greenwich Village.

Yola, a 35 year-old rootsy British singer-songwriter, was selected by AMA-UK members as UK Artist of the Year, while her critically acclaimed debut album Walk Through Fire (produced by Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach) was voted UK Album of he Year. Yola — who showcased her talents at the Newport and Philadelphia Folk Festivals, SXSW, AmericanaFest and Farm Aid, as well as such notable venues as the Hollywood Bowl during 2019 – also was recently nominated for four Grammy Awards.

Here’s a link to view the official video for “Faraway Look,” a rack on Yola’s debut album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWTwuQ3LeH4.

Other recipients of AMA-UK member-voted awards included:

International Album of the Year: The Highwomen. The self-titled, Dave Cobb-produced debut album by the Nashville based all-female group of the same name that features Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires.

International Song of the Year: “Me and The Ghost of Charlemagne,” written and performed by Nashville-based singer-songwriter Amy Speace. Here’s a link to the official video for the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvQqHCguhQU

International Artist of the Year: Brandi Carlisle, an American folk-rock and Americana singer-songwriter, who also was the big winner in the American Roots Music Field during the 61st annual Grammy Awards presented by the Recording Academy last February during which she was recognized for Best Americana Album (By The Way, I Forgive You), while one of its tracks (“The Joke”) was named both Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song.

UK Instrumentalist of the Year: Sian Monaghan, a session drummer who has played with a number of artists and tours with UK country band The Wandering Hearts.

In addition to he AMA-UK member-voted awards, board members of the professional trade association that represents and advocates for the voice of American roots music in the United Kingdom, honored a number of folks with special awards. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Joan Armatrading, a British singer-songwriter whose recording career spans nearly 50 years and who also keynoted the conference. Nick Lowe — an English singer-songwriter (“Cruel to be Kind,” among others), multi-instrumentalist and producer (Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, Pretenders) — received the Trailblazer Award; while Mark Whitfield from Americana-UK.com received the Grassroots Award. The Legend Award recipient was Lonnie Donegan, the late influential British skiffle singer, songwriter and musician.

The Outstanding Contribution Award was presented to Bob Harris OBE — a longtime program host on BBC Radio and former host of The Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC-TV, who also hosted the awards show and has been a passionate advocate of Americana music on both sides of the pond. Harris himself selected and presented the recipients of the Emerging Artist Award – Ferris & Sylvester, a British duo whose music fuses Americana, folk, blues and rock.

22 year-old London-based singer-songwriter Jade Bird’s eponymous debut album was the Best-Selling Americana Album by a UK Artist.

[Winners of the Americana Music Association’s member-voted awards, shown above (l.-r.): John Prine, Brandi Carlile, I’m With Her, The War and Treaty, and Chris Eldridge. Composite image courtesy of the Americana Music Association ]

Singer-Songwriter John Prine was the big winner in The 2019 Americana Honors & Awards that were presented on Wednesday, September 11 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. His 2019 release, The Tree of Forgiveness, was named Album of the Year, while “Summer’s End” was voted Song of the Year.

An internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter, Prine has been touring and plying his craft for nearly 50 years. The Tree of Forgiveness is his first collection of new material since his Grammy-winning 2005 release, Fair and Square. It was the most-played album on folk radio during 2018 and also featured the year’s top song (“Knockin’ On You Screen Door”), according to charts compiled from radio playlists submitted to FOLKDJ-L, an electronic discussion forum for DJs and others in all folk-based music on the radio. Prine also was nominated for three Grammy Awards in the American Roots Music field last year — including Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song (for both “Knockin’ On Your Screen Door” and “Summer’s End).”

Produced by Dave Cobb, Prine’s The Tree of Forgiveness bested two other Cobb –produced albums – Amanda Shires’ To the Sunset and Lori McKenna’s The Tree – as well as British newcomer Yola’s Walk Through Fire, produced by Dan Auerbach.

“Summer’s End, –which Prine co-wrote with Pat McLaughlin– took top song honors over “By Degrees” by Mark Erelli, “Mockingbird” by Ruston Kelly, and “People Get Old” by Lori McKenna (who also was among the artists featured on Erelli’s song).

Artist of the Year honors went to Brandi Carlile, a folk-rock and Americana singer-songwriter, who also was the big winner in the American Roots Music Field during the 61st annual Grammy Awards presented by the Recording Academy in February at which her eighth album, By The Way, I Forgive You, was named Best Americana Album, while one of its tracks (“The Joke”) was named both Best American Roots Performance and Best American Roots Song. Carlile also is part of a newly-formed group called The Highwomen.

I’m With Her — the up-and-coming female Americana-folk trio comprised of Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins –- was voted Duo/Group of the Year. Named as Emerging Act of the Year was The War and Treaty, the husband-and-wife duo of Michael and Tanya Trotter, who initially wowed folks when they filled in for Buddy Miller (who produced their album, Healing Tide) during the 2017 Americana Music Festival & Conference at Nashville’s Cannery Ballroom. In accepting the award on 9-11, the duo paid tribute to everyone suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The custom-designed award for Instrumentalist of the Year was presented to Chris Eldridge, a guitarist and member of Punch Brothers, who also was a founding member of the bluegrass group The Infamous Stringdusters.

The recipients of the new Legacy of Americana Award, presented in partnership with the National Museum of African-American Music that is slated to open next year in Nashville, were Rhiannon Giddens and the late Frank Johnson. Giddens, honored for her “unstinting devotion to African-American folk tradition” currently performs solo as a powerhouse vocalist and as part of Our Native Daughters, a group of four female African-American artists that was among the nominees for Duo/Group of the Year. Formerly a founding member of the Grammy Award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops, Giddens also accepted the award for Jackson. In doing so, she referred to him as “an inextricable part of American music [whose] legacy I carry and will, God willing, pass on in my time.”

AMERICANAFEST, which began Sept. 10, continues through Sept. 15. Filled with daytime panel discussions and seminars and evenings chock-full of artist showcases at venues throughout the Music City, the annual event attracts several thousand artists, music industry professionals and fans.

Established in 1999, the Americana Music Association is a professional not-for-profit trade association whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. For more information, visit www.americanamusic.org.

With two nods each, Lori McKenna, John Prine, The War and Treaty, and Yola lead the list of nominees. Both McKenna and Prine received nominations for Album of the Year (The Tree and The Tree of Forgiveness, respectively – both produced by Dave Cobb) and Song of the Year (McKenna’s “People Get Old” and Prine and Pat McLaughlan’s “Summer’s End”). McKenna also is among the artists featured on Mark Erelli’s “By Degrees,” which also is in the running for Song of the Year. The War and Treaty is vying for both Duo/Group of the Year and Emerging Act of the Year, while Yola is up for Album of the Year (for the Dan Auerbach-produced Walk Through Fire) and Emerging Act of the Year. In addition, Rhiannon Giddens is nominated for Artist of the Year and with her musical partners in Our Native Daughters for Duo/Group of the Year.

Here is a listing of the nominees in the six American Music Association member-voted awards categories:

Album of the Year

To the Sunset – Amanda Shires (produced by Dave Cobb)
The Tree – Lori McKenna (produced by Dave Cobb)
The Tree of Forgiveness – John Prine (produced by Dave Cobb)
Walk Through Fire – Yola (produced by Dan Auerbach)

Brandi Carlile
Rhiannon Giddens
Kacey Musgraves
Mavis Staples

Duo/Group of the Year

I’m With Her
Our Native Daughters
Tedeschi Trucks Band
The War and Treaty

Emerging Act of the Year

Jade Bird
J.S. Ondara
Erin Rae
The War and Treaty
Yola

Instrumentalist of the Year

Chris Eldridge
Eamon McLoughlin
Chris Powell
Michael Rinne

Song of the Year

“By Degrees” – Mark Erelli, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Lori McKenna, Anais Mitchell & Josh Ritter (written by Erelli)
“Mockingbird” – Ruston Kelly
“People Get Old” – Lori McKenna
“Summer’s End – John Prine (written by Prine and Pat McLaughlin)

Lifetime Achievement Awards to be Presented to Elvis Costello, Delbert McClinton and Maria Muldaur

“We are beyond humbled to honor this group of incredibly venerable musicians,” said Jed Hilly, the association’s executive director, in announcing the Lifetime Achievement Awards recipients last month. “All of these artists are luminaries in their own right and have helped to build a perennial foundation for Americana music to prosper as an art form today.”

Among the artists slated to perform during the 18th annual Americana Honors & Awards Show are Brandi Carlile, Elvis Costello, Mark Erelli, Rhiannon Giddens, I’m With Her, Delbert McClinton, Lori McKenna, Maria Muldaur, John Prine, J.S. Ondara, Erin Rae, Amanda Shires, Mavis Staples (who also will be recognized by the AMA for a career that has spanned nearly seven decades), The War and Treaty, and Yola.

Extending from Sept. 10-15, AMERICANAFEST is expected to draw several thousand artists, music industry professionals and fans for plenty of learning and networking opportunities during days filled with panel discussions and seminars and evenings chock-full of artist showcases at venues throughout he Music City.

Established in 1999, the Americana Music Association is a professional not-for-profit trade association whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. For more information, visit www.americanamusic.org.

Headliners include David Crosby & Friends, Margo, Price, The Mavericks, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Joan Osborne Sings Bob Dylan, and Amanda Shires. Crosby, who closes out the festival on Sunday night, Aug. 18, is a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, co-founder of Crosby, Stills & Nash, and the subject of a just-released documentary entitled “David Crosby: Remember My Name.” Price is a Nashville-based country singer-songwriter. Combining Tex-Mex, neo-traditional country music, Latin, and rockabilly, The Mavericks is an eclectic American band currently celebrating its 30th anniversary. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band has been bringing the sounds of New Orleans to concert halls and festivals the world over for more than 50 years. A gifted singer-songwriter in her own right, Osborne also interprets the songs of others. Shires is a fiddle-playing singer-songwriter.

Among the other notable artists slated to perform during the festival are Blair Bodine, Michael Braunfeld and The Boneyard Hounds, Caitlin Canty, Emerald Rae, The End of America, Dom Flemons, Front Country, Jeffrey Foucault, Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons, The Kruger Brothers, Christine Lavin, Langhorne Slim and The Lost at Last Band, Christine Lavin, The Lee Boys, Kathy Mattea, Peter Mulvey, Oshima Brothers, Steve Poltz, Son of Town Hall, Way Down Wanderers, and Yola.

Here’s a link to view the official video for The Young’uns song, “Be The Man”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhZFrVMV0tI

Also of note are Texas-based singer-songwriter Matt The Electrician, cowboy poet and songster Andy Hedges, and Quarter Horse, a Long Island-based group that impressed folks at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival earlier this month after being voted by the audience as the “Most Wanted to Return” artists following its Grassy Hill Emerging Artist Showcase last year.

• Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt • Amy Dee • Bethlehem and Sad Patrick• Bobtown • Bruce Sudano • Charlie Frey’s Blue Plate Specials • Driftwood Soldier• Emily Drinker • Haint Blue • Homestead Collective • j solomon • Jackson Howard• Jackson Pines • Joshua Fialkoff • Julia Levitina • Last Chance • Letitia VanSant• Lara Herscovitch & the Highway Philosophers • Marion Halliday with Trickster Sister

• Matthew Gordon & Silvershade Society • Meghan Cary with Analog Gypsies• Michael Spear Duo • Nick and Luke • Originaire • Rachel Andie & the Fifth Element• River Drivers • Sharon Katz & the Peace Train • Stella Ruze • The Carryons• The Cornerstones • The Jayplayers • The John Byrne Band

As the names above suggest, the Philadelphia Folk Festival features an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary music that stretches the boundaries of folk, helping to broaden its appeal and reach a new generation of listeners. Regional, national and international touring artists of note, as well as emerging ones, are on the bill.

Here’s a link to a Spotify playlist featuring artists who are slated to perform during the festival:
https://open.spotify.com/user/philadelphiafolksongsociety/playlist/19kKx9m8SDny6qZNM589XI?

In partnership with the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, the festival will also showcase two talented young artists – Nina de Vitry and j solomon — during a NERFA Presents Young Folk song swap on Saturday morning.

There’s also a festival within the festival for those who opt to camp onsite and enjoy some late-night musical revelry. The 40-acre campground – chock-a-block with tents — is home to a unique late-night scene, with singing by campfires and jamming into the early morning hours. David Dye, host of the syndicated World Café radio program, will host a special Thursday night concert on the Camp Stage exclusively for all-festival camping ticket holders.

As usual, a wide array of food and beverages will be available for purchase, while festivalgoers also will have an opportunity to sample wines from City Winery Philadelphia, prior to its grand opening this fall.

Both day and full-festival passes are available for purchase. Children under 12 will be admitted free with an adult, while discounted tickets are available for youth, ages 12-17.

For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival and to order tickets, visit www.pfs.org. or call the office at 800-566-FOLK.

Editor’s Note: As president of the NERFA board of directors, I have the honor and pleasure of hosting the “NERFA Presents Young Folk” showcase on Saturday morning, Aug. 18, at 11 a.m. Kudos to Lisa Schwartz, the festival and programming director, on curating what promises to be another fabulous festival.

With nods for Album of the Year (A Sailor’s Guide to Earth), Artist of the Year and Song of the Year (“All Around You”), Sturgill Simpson has the most nominations for this year’s American Honors and Awards. The Kentucky-bred and Nashville-based singer-songwriter was previously honored as Emerging Artist of the Year in 2014 and Artist of the Year in 2015, while his “Turtles All The Way Down” was named Song of the Year in 2015. A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, his third studio album and first major label release, received the Grammy Award for Best Country Album earlier this year, while Simpson was named International Artist of the Year in the UK American Awards. Rodney Crowell, Drive-By Truckers and Lori McKenna each were nominated in two of the six AMA member-voted awards categories.

Here’s a listing of the nominees:

Album of the Year
American Band – Drive-By Truckers
Close Ties – Rodney Crowell
Freedom Highway – Rhiannon Giddens
The Navigator – Hurray for the Riff Raff
A Sailor’s Guide to Earth – Sturgill Simpson

Artist of the Year
Jason Isbell
John Prine
Lori McKenna
Margo Price
Sturgill Simpson

Duo/Group of the Year
Billy Bragg & Joe Henry
Drive-By Truckers
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
The Lumineers

Emerging Artist of the Year
Aaron Lee Tasjan
Amanda Shires
Brent Cobb
Sam Outlaw

Song of the Year
“All Around You” – Sturgill Simpson
“It Ain’t Over Yet” – Rodney Crowell (with Rosanne Cash and John Paul White)
“To Be Without You” – Ryan Adams
“Wreck You” – Lori McKenna (co-written with Felix McTeigue)

Instrumentalist of the Year
Spencer Collum, Jr.
Jen Gunderman
Courtney Hartman
Charlie Sexton

In addition to these six Americana Music Association member-voted awards, Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to Van Morrison (Songwriter), Robert Cray (Performance), Hi Rhythm Section (Instrumentalist), Iris DeMent (Trailblazer), Graham Nash (Spirit of Americana/Free Speech in Music), and Larry Sloven and Bruce Bromberg for Hightone Records (Executive).

AmericanaFest, which extends from September 12-17, is expected to draw several thousand artists, industry professionals and fans for plenty of learning and networking opportunities during days filled with panel discussions and seminars and evenings chock-full of artist showcases at venues throughout the Music City.

Established in 1999, the Americana Music Association is a professional trade association whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American Roots Music throughout the world. For more information, visit www.americanamusic.org.

Recorded live during the American Music Association’s 15th Annual Honors & Awards ceremony at Nashville’s storied Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 21, the music-filled hour-long show will feature many of the evening’s award-winners and honorees.

Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell, who took home trophies for Album of the Year (Something More Than Free) and Song of the Year (“24 Frames”) — accompanied by his wife, fiddler Amanda Shires, and his band, The 400 Unit — performs “if It Takes a Lifetime. The former Drive-By-Trucker is now the recipient of six Americana Awards.

The Honors & Awards ceremony celebrates authentic, diverse and original music from many genres, both traditional and contemporary. “If you can taste the dirt through your ears, that is Americana,” says Jed Hilly, executive director of the Americana Music Association. “It is music that is derived or inspired by American roots traditions.”

The broadcast features tributes to three roots music luminaries who died within the last year: country outlaw Merle Haggard, troubadour Guy Clark, and bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley. Grateful Dead founder Bob Weir, the night’s Lifetime Achievement Award Honoree for Performance, opens the show with a rendition of Haggard’s iconic “Mama Tried.” Steve Earle performs Clark’s classic Desperados Waiting for a Train.” And Alison Krauss sings Stanley’s “Gloryland,” a cappella, joined by Buddy Miller, Melonie Cannon and Stuart Duncan.

The PBS broadcast also features performances of “Bring It On Home” by Duo/Group of the Year honoree Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell and “What I Don’t Know” by honky-tonk maverick Dwight Yoakam. 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Bonnie Raitt performs “Gypsy in Me” (backed by gospel greats The McCrary Sisters) and joins Stax soul legend William Bell, the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree for Songwriting, on “The Three of Me,” accompanied by producer John Leventhal on guitar. Emerging Artist Award-winner Margo Price sings her “Tennessee Song,” while up-and-coming Americana sensation Parker Millsap is joined by Sarah Jarosz and Aoife O’Donovan on backing vocals as he performs “Heaven Sent” from his critically acclaimed Album of the Year-nominated release. The Lumineers perform a new song, Angela,” while Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats perform “Wasting Time.” Country music star George Strait closes out the broadcast with a performance of his signature “King of Broken Hearts, “ joined by songwriter Jim Lauderdale, the Americana Honors & Awards show’s host for 14 consecutive years and a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

The Americana Honors & Awards show was a highlight of AmericanaFest, the Americana Music Festival and Conference, which extended from September 20-25 and featured lots of learning and networking opportunities as well as musical entertainment at various venues throughout the Music City.

Here’s a link to an article entitled 2016 Americana Honors and Awards Presented that was previously posted on AcousticMusicScene.com:

https://acousticmusicscene.com/2016/09/27/2016-americana-honors-and-awards-presented/

Established in 1999, the Americana Music Association is a professional trade association dedicated to building and promoting the Americana genre and the individuals who participate in the industry. For more information, visit www.americanamusic.org.

Since its inception in 1974, Austin City Limits has helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The longest-running music series in American television history, it’s also the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. The show, produced by KLRU-TV, also received a Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.