Also featured will be Buddy Miller, the show’s musical director, leading his Americana All-Star Band comprised of Don Was, The McCrary Sisters. Bryon Owings, Jerry Pentecost, Jen Gunderman, Jim Hoke, and Larry Campbell. Check your local TV listings or click on the link that follows (https://www.pbs.org/tv_schedules/), insert your zip code and search for “Americana” to find out when the show airs in your area.

Winners in the 2024 Americana Honors and Awards were recognized during an awards show in Nashville, Tennessee in September that is a highlight of AMERICANAFEST, a six-day festival and conference celebrating American roots-inspired music that is hosted by the Americana Music Association.

Sierra Ferrell’s Trail of Flowers (produced by Eddie Spear and Gary Paczosa) was named Album of the Year, while Ferrell was named Artist of the Year. The Duo/Group of the Year award was bestowed on Larkin Poe, while The Red Clay Strays were named Emerging Act of the Year and Grace Bowers was named Instrumentalist of the Year. “Dear Insecurity” by Brandy Clark& featuring Brandi Carlile (written by Clark and Michael Pollack) was named Song of the Year.

In addition to the six awards that were voted on by members of the Americana Music Association, Lifetime Achievement Awards were presented to Dave Alvin, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Rev. Gary Davis, Shelby Lynne, Don Was, and Dwight Yoakam

AMERICANAFEST annually draws thousands of artists, fans and music industry professionals to Nashville. It features daytime panel discussions and seminars and evenings chock-full of showcases throughout the Music City. The Americana Music Association (americanamusic.org), which produces the event, is a professional not-for-profit trade association whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world.

Tyler Childers’ Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? was named Album of the Year, while Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That” was named Song of the Year. Billy Strings is 2023’s Artist of the Year, while The War and Treaty is the year’s Duo/Group of the Year, and S.G. Goodman is its Emerging Act of the Year. Americana Music Association members also voted SistaStrings as Instrumentalist of the Year.

Tyler Childers (Album of the Year – Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?) is a 32-year-old singer-songwriter whose music blends neo-traditional country, bluegrass and folk. Although the crooner released his first album independently in 2011, it wasn’t until 2017 that he started to get international attention with the release of Purgatory, a breakout album that helped to prompt invites to perform at Bonnaroo, the Grand Ole Opry, Lollapalooza, Merlefest, and the Newport Folk Festival. His latest release is 2023’s Rustlin’ in the Rain. [Here’s a link to enjoy Tyler Childers’ official video for “In Your Love”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=II-L8Hq0_i4.]

Bonnie Raitt (Song of the Year) is an acclaimed singer-songwriter and guitarist. A ten-time Grammy Award-winner, she has been performing and recording for more than 50 years. “Just Like That” is the title track of her 21st album — her first new release in more than six years. It also was the recipient of a coveted Grammy Award for Song of the Year, as well as Best American Roots Song in the 65th annual Grammy Awards presented by The Recording Academy earlier this year. [Here’s a link to view the official lyric video for Bonnie Raitt’s “Just Like That”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Skd0XR3twCA.]

The War and Treaty (Duo/Group of the Year), the husband and wife team of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, was named Duo/Group of the Year for a second consecutive year. The two, who are signed to Universal Music Group, have been performing together since 2014. Their musical repertoire features a mix of Americana, blues, country, folk, rock, and soul. The War and Treaty was previously named Artist of the Year in the 2020 International Folk Music Awards presented by Folk Alliance International and Emerging Artist of the Year in the 2019 Americana Honors and Awards. [Here’s a link to enjoy the official music video for The War and Treaty’s “Have You A Heart”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw9VYGlhQAQ.]

S.G. Goodman (Emerging Artist of the Year) is a Kentucky-born and based singer-songwriter who is signed to Verve Forecast Records. She performed at the Newport Folk Festival in 2021 and has released two albums that feature a mix of Americana, folk, country, and rock.

SistaStrings (Instrumentalist of the Year) is a duo comprised of sisters Monique (cello) and Chauntee Ross (violin), who have seen their musical fortunes rise since moving to Nashville from Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2011. As the daughters of two ministers, they grew up playing gospel and classical music in church, later expanding their musical horizons to include work on country, folk and hip-hop pr0jects. Last year, SistaStrings collaborated with Milwaukee-based singer-songwriter Peter Mulvey on his Righteous Babe album, Love Is the Only Thing – lending both their instrumental talents and vocal harmonies. They have also toured with both Allison Russell and Brandi Carlisle. [Here’s a link to enjoy the classic folk song “Shenandoah,” as performed by Peter Mulvey and SistaStrings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mLSPsKBXB0.]

Lifetime Achievement Honorees Also Recognized

Recognized as Lifetime Achievement, Trailblazer and Legacy Award honorees were The Avett Brothers, George Fontaine, Sr., Patty Griffin, Bettye LaVette, and Nickel Creek. The Avett Brothers are folk rocking’ North Carolina-based roots music icons and four-time Americana Award winners. George Fontaine, Sr. is co-founder and owner of New West Records, an indie label that has released nearly 500 albums – including many by Americana artists, as well as CDs and DVDS from the PBS television program Austin City Limits. Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter Patty Griffin is a two-time Grammy Award-winner and 2007 Americana Artist of the Year, who has released nearly a dozen albums and been an inspiration to many other artists – a number of whom have covered her songs. Bettye LaVette, the 2023 Legacy Award recipient, is a soulful singer- and interpreter of American song, whose musical career spans more than 60 years. Nickel Creek is a multiple Grammy Award-winning, innovative and virtuosic acoustic Americana, bluegrass and folk-rock band.

“This year’s Lifetime Achievement honorees represent the diverse sounds that contribute to the American roots music canon,” said Jed Hilly, the Americana Music Association’s executive director. “Our honorees have inspired this community individually and have collectively changed the landscape of the music industry.”

Musical performance highlights from the 22nd 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 on November 25.

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.

As previously reported on AcousticMusicScene.com (click here), winners in the 2022 Americana Honors & Awards were recognized during an awards show in Nashville, Tennessee on September 14 that is a highlight of AMERICANAFEST, a six-day festival and conference celebrating American roots-inspired music that is hosted by the Americana Music Association. Outside Child by Allison Russell was named Album of the Year, while “Right On Time” performed by Brandi Carlile (and written by her, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth) won Song of the Year. Billy Strings was named Artist of the Year, while The War And Treaty was tapped as Duo/Group of the Year. Sierra Ferrell took home Emerging Act of the Year honors, while Larissa Maestro was named Instrumentalist of the Year.

In addition to the six awards that were voted on by members of the Americana Music Association, several lifetime achievement and other special awards were presented. Fairfield Four were the recipients of the Legacy of Americana Award, while lifetime achievement awards for performance and executive went to Chris Isaak and Al Bell, respectively. The folk-rocking Indigo Girls received the Spirit of Americana/ Free Speech in Music award, while the President’s Award went to the late country music great Don Williams.

Circle Network is included in many U.S. cable providers’ channel line-ups or via your TV’s digital antenna. Circle is also available on such streaming platforms as Peacock, the Roku Channel and XUMO. In addition, ACL Presents: The 21st Annual Americana Honors, a special episode of Austin City Limits featuring performance highlights, will air on PBS stations in early 2023. Check your local listings for dates and times.

AMERICANAFEST annually draws thousands of artists, fans and music industry professionals to Nashville. It features daytime panel discussions and seminars and evenings chock-full of showcases throughout the Music City. The Americana Music Association (americanamusic.org), which produces the event, is a professional not-for-profit trade association whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world.

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.

Born (Sept. 25, 1949) and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Taylor became a leading figure in the Texas singer-songwriter scene of the early 1970s after standing himself in Houston in 1970 while en route to California following a brief stint at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

“There were no lines drawn in the sand between musical genres back in those days,” recalled Taylor, whose contemporaries included the late Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. “You were just a musician. I believe so many great writers came out of that scene because you could learn from others. Just as Clark and Van Zandt influenced him and his narrative storytelling style of songwriting, so too did Taylor inspire others like Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett.

Although Taylor made his recording debut in 1976 as part of a Houston songwriters compilation entitled Through The Dark Nightly, and was a winner of the prestigious New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival in the Texas Hill Country in 1977, it wasn’t until 1981 that he released his first album, Shameless Love, which the Houston Chronicle named as one of the Top 50 Great Texas Singer-Songwriter Albums in January 2017. Following a hiatus of nearly 14 years, Taylor’s self-titled sophomore release came out on the Austin, TX-based Watermelon Records in 1995. He followed that three years later with Resurrect, which was named one of the “100 essential records of all-time” by the now-defunct Buddy magazine. Among his six albums to follow was Scuffletown, a 2001 release that prompted Taylor’s first headlining appearance on Austin City Limits. He previously appeared on the show a year earlier as a guest of on Lyle Lovett’s 25th season episode, during which Lovett paid tribute to Texas songwriters who inspired him.

Here’s a link to view a video of Eric Taylor performing “Hemingway’s Shotgun” with Lovett on Austin City Limits:
https://vimeo.com/396765167

In addition to these and other appearances on Austin City Limits with Guy Clark and Robert Earl Keen, Taylor also appeared on Late Night with David Letterman with Nanci Griffith, to whom he was married from 1976-1982 and who called him “the William Faulkner of songwriting in our time.” Griffith also recorded several of Taylor’s songs – including “Deadwood,” “Dollar Matinee,” “Storms,” and “Ghost in the Music” (which they co-wrote).

Taylor’s The Kerrville Tapes (2003) was his first live recording and captures performances during three years of appearances at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Over the years, he also played such notable U.S. music festivals as the Newport Folk Festival and the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, as well as a number of festivals in Europe and venues across the U.S. and Europe. He also taught at the Kerrville Song School, led songwriting workshops elsewhere, and created The Texas Song Theater in which he was joined by performing songwriters David Olney and Denice Franke on songs and spoken word.

The Great Divide, Taylor’s fifth studio album, reached #3 on the EuroAmericana Chart and was among the most-played releases on folk radio in 2006. That was followed in 2007 by the 10-song collection Hollywood Pocketknife and by Live At The Red Shack, a live recording before a studio audience and featuring some of his oldest friends and favorite musicians, in 2011. Among those who joined him on vocals during two nights of music at the Houston studio in May of that year were Franke, Griffith, Lovett, and Susan Lindfors Taylor.

Taylor’s 10th and final CD, Studio 10 (2013), also was recorded at The Red Shack. Among his nine original songs on it (in addition to a cover of Tim Grimm’s “Cover These Bones”) are two that were written for the Storyworks.TV documentary film Road Kid to Writer – The Tracks of Jim Tully, for which Taylor received an Emmy Award nomination for Music Composition in 2016.

[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.

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.