A 17-song tribute compilation, Long Journey Home: A Century After the 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers Convention celebrates the centenary of the iconic gathering of nearly 100 musicians in rural Mountain City, Tennessee. Produced by John McCutcheon (who also sings and plays banjo and fretless banjo on it), the album on Appalsongs showcases old-time fiddling and old time music with a number of today’s most celebrated old-time and bluegrass artists performing their own renditions of ballads, reels and tunes that have stood the test of time. Featured artists, in addition to McCutcheon and Tuttle, include Jake Blount, Old Crow Medicine Show, Tim O’Brien, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Becky Buller, Trey Wellington & Victor Furtado, Stuart Duncan, Cathy & Marcy’s Old Time Coalition, Kody Norris Show, Earl White Stringband, and Bruce Molsky.

Molly Tuttle, who is joined by Ketch Secor (who fronts and co-founded Old Crow Medicine Show) on “I’ve Always Been a Rambler,” is an acclaimed guitarist known for her prowess at flatpicking and cross-picking, as well as a singer- songwriter and banjo player. At age 24, she became the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Guitar Player of the Year Award in 2017 and did so again the following year when the Americana Music Association also named her Instrumentalist of the Year. Tuttle has been the recipient of two Grammy Awards for Best Bluegrass Album for Crooked Tree and City of Gold in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Crooked Tree also was named Album of the Year in the International Bluegrass Music Awards, while its title track was feted as Song of the Year and she was named Female Vocalist of the Year. City of Gold, also recorded with her band Golden Highway, also was named Album of the Year during the 2023 International Folk Music Awards presented by Folk Alliance International.

Connie Kaldor is a three-time Juno Award-winning singer songwriter who has been writing and performing her songs for more than 45 years and has recorded 19 albums. Her new release, Wide Open Space, was the #2 album on the FAI Folk Chart in September. A member of the Order of Canada and a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award recipient, she also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Woodstock Folk Festival in Woodstock, Illinois earlier this year. Kaldor is based in Montreal and tours extensively. She is frequently joined in concert by her husband Paul Campagne and sons Aleksi and Gabriel Campagne. She will be among the official showcase artists during the Northeast Regional folk Alliance (NERFA) Conference in Albany, NY in November.

The September 2025 top albums, songs and artists charts are based on 10, 565 airplays reported on 347 playlists submitted by 93 different folk DJs. The number of reported spins is shown below in parentheses.

Folk Alliance International (folk.org) is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.

Top Albums of September 2025 

1.Long Journey Home: A Century After the 1925 Mountain City Fiddlers
Convention by Various Artists (131)

2. Wide Open Spaces by Connie Kaldor (71)

3. Look to the Moon by Patty and Craig (51)
3. Stone by Stone by Friction Farm (51)
5. Connected by Darryl Purpose (48)
6. Song of the Bricoleur by Rags Rosenberg (42)
7. Lost & Found by Becki Davis (40)
8. Mother Mind by Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fiedler (39)
9. Hummingbird Highway by Dar Williams (38)
9. Stay Put by Elexa Dawson (38)
9. The Last Bough by Kyle Carey (38)
12. Kentucky Queen by Carla Gover (34)
12. Songs That Sing Me by Becky Buller (34)
12. Now Then by Robbie Fulks (34)
15. Sweet Resilence by Jane Fallon (32)
16. So Long Little Miss Sunshine by Molly Tuttle (30)
17. Heavy on the Blues by Rory Block (29)
18. The Light Still Shines on the Main by Jory Nash (28)
19. The Ghost of Sis Draper by Shawn Camp (27)
20. The America Chronicles by Kemp Harris (25)
21. Drum School Dropout by Christine Lavin (24)
22. Time Out #3 by The Accidentals (23)
23. New Skin by Judy Kass (22)
23. NERFA Songwriters, Vol. 1 by Various Artists (22)
25. Perennial by Kate MacLeod (21)
25. You Climb the Mountain by The Onlies (21)
27. Bridging Divides by Billy Jonas (20)
28. Wild and Clear and Blue by I’m With Her (19)
28. Squirrels by Jubal Lee Young (19)
30. One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey by Maria Muldaur (18)
30. Crown of Rose by Patty Griffin (18)
30. Callin’ Me Back by Petunia & the Vipers (18)
30. The Woods Have Shown Us by Ponyfolk (18)
30. Seeds of Dreaming by Diyet and the Love Soldiers (18)
35. Bones of Trees by Tim Grimm (17)
35. Personal History by Mary Chapin Carpenter (17)
35. Hard Headed Woman by Margo Price (17)
38. Ghost of the Old West by George Mann and Mick Coates (16)

38. Lost & Found Highway by Joselyn & Don (16)
38. Lift Up the Old World by Hilary Hawke (16)
38. Dark Ages by Eliza Gilkyson (16)
42. Riding High in Texas by Asleep at the Wheel (15)
42. The Way I Tell the Story by David Wilcox (15)
42. American Romance by Lukas Nelson (15)
42. Kerrville Covers by Janet Feld (15)
42. Shadows of a Ghost Town by Meghan Clarisse (15)
47. American Portraits by Marty Cooper (14)
47. Airline Highway by Rodney Crowell (14)
47. Arcadia by Alison Krauss and Union Station (14)
47. The Way the West Was Won by Dallas Burrow (14)
47. We’re Only Human by Hayes Carll (14)

Top Songs of September 2025

1. “I’ve Always Been a Rambler” by Molly Tuttle (23)
2. “No Kings Here” by Tom Paxton (18)
3. “Love, Surround Me” by Patty and Craig (15)
4. “Cuckoo” by John McCutcheon (14)
4. “Me & Robbie Erenberg” by Darryl Purpose (14)
6. “Louder Than Guns” by Friction Farm (13)
7. “Hummingbird Highway” by Dar Williams (12)
7. “900 Miles” by Tim O’Brien (12)
9. “Goodnight America” by Kemp Harris (11)
9. “Bullfrogs” by Rags Rosenberg (11)
11. “It Ain’t Gonna Go Away (Ode to the Epstein Files)” by Cathy Fink
& Marcy Marxer (10)
11. “Memory of August” by Anne Hills (10)
11. “What You Gonna Do With the Baby” by Old Crow Medicine Show (10)
11. “Returning to Myself” by Brandi Carlile (10)
11. “The Last Bough” by Kyle Carey (10)
11. “Tennessee Mountain Fox Chase” by Cathy and Marcy’s Old Time Coaltion (10)
17. “Open All the Doors and Windows” by Billy Jonas (9)
17. “Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down” by Sparky and Rhonda Rucker (9)
17. “Oh, Little One” by Jory Nash (9)
17. “House Carpenter” by Jake Blount (9)
17. “At Our Best” by Judy Kass (9)
17. “Dear Time” by Alison Brown and Steve Martin (9)
17. “Wide Open Spaces” by Connie Kaldor (9)
24. “Baling Hay” by Elexa Dawson (8)
24. “Early Fields” by Kate MacLeod (8)
24. “Millworker” by Becky Buller (8)
24. “The Edge” by Becki Davis (8)
24. “Something My Own” by Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fiedler (8)
24. “Rocky Road to Dinah’s House” by Becky Buller (8)
24. “Bridget O’Brien” by Maggie’s Wake (8)
24. “Feel What Our Hearts Feel” by Darryl Purpose (8)
24. “Savannah Is a Devilish Girl” by Robbie Fulks (8)
24. “American Dream” by Friction Farm (8)
24. “This Car” by Connie Kaldor (8)
24. “Bright Side of the Blues” by Bryan Titus (8)

Top Artists of September 2025

1. Connie Kaldor (71)
2. Molly Tuttle (57)
3. Friction Farm (53)
4. Patty and Craig (51)
4. Darryl Purpose (51)
6. Becky Buller (50)
7. Dar Williams (49)
8. Tom Paxton (48)
9. John McCutcheon (44)
10. Rags Rosenberg (43)
11. Becki Davis (41)
12. Tekla Waterfield & Jeff Fiedler (39)
12. Elexa Dawson (39)
14. Kyle Carey (38)
15. Woody Guthrie (36)
16. Bruce Springsteen (35)
16. Robbie Fulks (35)
18. Carla Gover (34)
19. Jane Fallon (33)
19. John Prine (33)
21. Christine Lavin (31)
22. Jory Nash (30)
22. Cheryl Wheeler (30)
24. Rory Block (29)
25. Eliza Gilkyson (28)
26. Joni Mitchell (27)
26. Shawn Camp (27)
28. Tim O’Brien (26)
29. Kemp Harris (25)
29. Tim Grimm (25)
31. Kate MacLeod (24)
31. Mary Chapin Carpenter (24)
33. Guy Clark (23)
33. Pete Seeger (23)
33. The Accidentals (23)
36. Willie Nelson (22)
36. Judy Kass (22)
36. The Onlies (22)
39. The Kennedys (21)
39. Bill Monroe (21)

Here’s a complete listing of the nominees in the American Roots Music Field:

Best Americana Album:

• Brandy Clark — Brandy Clark
• The Chicago Sessions — Rodney Crowell
• You’re The One — Rhiannon Giddens
• Weathervanes — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
• The Returner — Allison Russell

Best Americana Performance:

• “Friendship” — The Blind Boys of Alabama
• “Help Me Make It Through The Night” — Tyler Childers
• “Dear Insecurity” — Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile
• “King of Oklahoma” — Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
• “The Returner” — Allison Russell

Best American Roots Performance:

• “Butterfly” — Jon Batiste
• “Heaven Help Us All” — The Blind Boys of Alabama
• “Inventing The Wheel” — Madison Cunningham
• “You Louisiana Man” — Rhiannon Giddens
• “Eve Was Black” — Allison Russell

Best American Roots Song:

• “Blank Page” — Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter, songwriters (The War and Treaty)
• “California Sober” — Aaron Allen, William Apostol & Jon Weisberger, songwriters (Billy Strings featuring Willie Nelson)
• “Cast Iron Skillet” — Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit)
• “Dear Insecurity” — Brandy Clark & Michael Pollack, songwriters (Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile)
• “The Returner” — Drew Lindsay, JT Nero & Allison Russell, songwriters (Allison Russell)

Best Bluegrass Album:

• Radio John: Songs Of John Hartford — Sam Bush
• Lovin’ Of The Game — Michael Cleveland
• Mighty Poplar — Mighty Poplar
• Bluegrass — Willie Nelson
• Me/And Dad — Billy Strings
• City Of Gold — Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Best Folk Album:

• Traveling Wildfire — Dom Flemons
• I Only See the Moon — The Milk Carton Kids
• Joni Mitchell At Newport (Live) — Joni Mitchell
• Celebrants — Nickel Creek
• Jubilee — Old Crow Medicine Show
• Seven Psalms — Paul Simon
• Folkocracy — Rufus Wainwright

Best Contemporary Blues Album:

• Death Wish Blues — Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton
• Healing Time — Ruthie Foster
• Live In London — Christone “Kingfish” Ingram
• Blood Harmony — Larkin Poe
• LaVette! — Bettye LaVette

Best Traditional Blues Album:

• Ridin’ — Eric Bibb
• The Soul Side of Sipp — Mr. Sipp
• Life Don’t Miss Nobody — Tracy Nelson
• Teardrops For Magic Slim Live At Rosa’s Lounge — John Primer
• All My Love For You — Bobby Rush

Best Regional Roots Music Album:

• New Beginnings — Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band
• Live At The 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers
• Live: Orpheum Theater Nola — Lost Bayou Ramblers & Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra
• Made In New Orleans — New Breed Brass Band
• Too Much To Hold — New Orleans Nightcrawlers
• Live At The Maple Leaf — The Rumble Featuring Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr.

Also of Note: Among the nominees for Best New Artist are The War and Treaty. Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer featuring Rakesh Chaurasia received nominations in three categories: Best Global Music Performance (for “Pashto”), Best Contemporary Instrumental Album (for As We Speak) and Best Instrumental Composition (for “Motion”). Tyler Childers’ “In Your Love,” Brandy Clark’s “Buried” and Chris Stapleton’s “White Horse” are among those in the running for Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song (along with co-writers Geno Seale, Jessie Jo Dillon and Dan Wilson, respectively). Childers’ “In Your Love” also is vying for Best Music Video, while his Rustin’ In The Rain is among the nominees for Best Country Album. Clark’s Shucked is in the running for Best Musical Theater Album. “I Remember Everything” by Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves is in the running for both Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance, while Bryan’s self-titled album vies for Best Country Album.

The Recording Academy (grammy.com) represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music’s history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards.

Jim Olsen, the festival’s director, expressed gratitude that 84% of fans who purchased tickets for this year’s festival opted to hold onto them for 2021 and forgo refunds. ”We want to show our appreciation and bring together our festival community by offering an incredible weekend of performances,” Olsen said. Noting that streaming live musical performances will be interspersed artist interviews and fan reflections on festivals past on the campus of Greenfield Community College, he added: “We’re envisioning mini-listening parties in backyards and parks and hope to bring the spirit of the festival into homes everywhere.”

Artists slated to perform include the Avett Brothers, Billy Strings, Birds of Chicago, Deer Tick, Dustbowl Revival Samantha Fish,Michael Franti, I’m With Her, Eilen Jewell, Pokey LaFarge, Lake Street Drive, Heather Maloney, Mandolin Orange, The Mavericks, NRBQ, Old Crow Medicine Show, Chuck Prophet, Josh Ritter, Todd Snider, Mavis Staples, The Suitcase Junket, Tedeschi-Trucks Band, Toots & The Maytals, Lucinda Williams, and The Wood Brothers, among others.To view the full lineup and schedule, visit https://greenriverfestival.com/.

Olsen is also the co-founder and president of Signature Sounds, an indie label on whose roster many of the festival’s artists appear. Earlier this year, the label also established The Parlor Room Home Sessions — a live-streaming portal for its artists and others to share their music online at https://signaturesounds.com/homesessions. Next up are Tracy Grammer & Jim Henry on Saturday, July 18 at 9 p.m. EDT.

A video archive of past performances, dating back to late March, may also be found on the website. Included are such artists as Brooke Annibale, AJ Croce, Kris Delmhorst, Mark Erelli, Melissa Ferrick, Mary Gauthier & Jaimee Harris, Rhiannon Giddens, Caroline Herring, Charlie Hunter, Freedy Johnston, Amythyst Kiah, Sonny Landreth, Patty Larkin, Liz Longley, Leyla McCalla, James McMurtry, Miss Tess & Amanda Anne Platt, Bruce Molsky, Ryan Montbleau, Peter Mulvey, Tim O’Brien, Parsonsfield, Amy Rigby, Chris Smither, Anna Tivel, Twisted Pine, and several of the artists who will be part of Green River Festival On The Air.

More than 100 artists and acts are slated to perform during the festival. These include David Amram, Eric Andersen, Baile An Salsa, Sam Baker, Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams, Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards, Cry Cry Cry (featuring Lucy Kaplansky, Richard Shindell and Dar Williams), Skip Denenberg, Brian Dunne, Samantha Fish, John Flynn, Bella Hardy, Sierra Hull, The Infamous Stringdusters, David Jacobs-Strain & Bob Beach, The Kennedys, Laura Love Duo, Heather Maloney, John McCutcheon, Tift Merritt, Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, Graham Nash, Old Crow Medicine Show, Corin Raymond, RUNA, Son of Town Hall, Spirit Wing, Spuyten Duyvil, Taj Mo: The Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band, Ken Tizzard, Susan Werner, and Toronto-based duo The Young Novelists.

Among the notable up-and-coming local touring artists who will showcase their talents during the festival are Ben Arnold and the 48 Hour Orchestra, Michael Braunfeld, The End of America, Ladybird, Man About A Horse, Mist Covered Mountains, Andrea Nardello, No Good Sister, and Katherine Rondeau & The Show.

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. Both notable national and international touring artists and emerging ones are on the bill.

In partnership with the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA), a regional affiliate of Folk Alliance International, the festival will also showcase the talents of three up-and-coming young artists — Jeremy Aaron, Quentin Callewaert and Sara Chodak — during a NERFA Presents Young Folk song swap on Saturday morning. (Aaron also plays fiddle with the Hudson Valley, New York-based Americana-roots band, Spuyten Duyvil, during the festival.)

In addition to musical performances and workshops on eight stages – including contradancing with Groovemama, a Martin Guitar Jam and an old time & bluegrass jam — there will be an array of children’s activities in the shady Dulcimer Grove – including craft-making and performances by The Give & Take Jugglers and such children- and family-oriented artists as the husband-and-wife duo Two of a Kind. As in years past, many artisans will display and sell their creations in an open-air juried crafts area.

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 –featuring Kentucky-based singer-songwriter Joan Shelley, Brooklyn, NY’s The National Reserve, and Toronto rock duo Whitehorse — exclusively for all-festival camping ticket holders.

Both day and full-festival passes are available, with ticket prices starting at $65 for a single-day. 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//Philadelphia-folk-festival/. A festival app also has been developed for use on smartphones before and during the festival.

Editor’s Note: As president of the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance (NERFA) board of directors, I have the honor and pleasure of hosting the “NERFA Presents Young Folk” showcase on Saturday morning, Aug. 19, at 11 a.m. Cheryl Prashker, my predecessor at NERFA and percussionist with the Celtic roots group Runa, will join me.

Cash’s latest release, The River & the Thread, a collection of songs that connect and re-connect the New York-based singer-songwriter to the American South where she was born and from which her family hails, was named Americana Album of the Year. Among the album’s tracks is “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” which was honored by The Recording Academy as both the Best American Roots Performance and the Best American Roots Song. The River & the Thread also was the most-played album on Americana radio during 2014, according to the American Music Association.

Below is a listing of all the Grammy nominees in the American Roots Music Field. The winners appear in boldface type.

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE

• “Statesboro Blues,” Gregg Allman and Taj Mahal
• “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” Rosanne Cash
• “And When I Die,” Billy Childs Featuring Alison Krauss & Jerry Douglas
• “The Old Me Better,” Keb’ Mo’ Featuring The California Feet Warmers
• “Destination,” Nickel Creek

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG

• “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” Rosanne Cash
• “Just So Much,” Jesse Winchester
• “The New York Trains,” The Del McCoury Band
• “Pretty Little One,” Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers Featuring Edie Brickell
• “Terms of My Surrender,” John Hiatt

BEST AMERICANA ALBUM

• The River & the Thread, Rosanne Cash
• Terms of My Surrender, John Hiatt
• Bluesamericana, Keb’ Mo’
• A Dotted Line, Nickel Creek
• Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, Sturgill Simpson

BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM

• The Earls of Leicester, The Earls of Leicester
• Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe, Noam Pikelny
• Cold Spell, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
• Into My Own, Bryan Sutton
• Only Me, Rhonda Vincent

BEST BLUES ALBUM

• Common Ground – Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Play And Sing The Songs Of Big Bill Broonzy, Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin
• Promise of a Brand New Day, Ruthie Foster
• Juke Joint Chapel, Charlie Musselwhite
• Decisions, Bobby Rush With Blinddog Smokin’
• Step Back, Johnny Winter

BEST FOLK ALBUM

• Three Bells, Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas & Rob Ickes
• Follow The Music, Alice Gerrard
• The Nocturne Diaries, Eliza Gilkyson
• Remedy, Old Crow Medicine Show
• A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble, Jesse Winchester

BEST REGIONAL ROOTS MUSIC ALBUM

• Light The Stars, Bonsoir, Catin
• Hanu ‘A’ala, Kamaka Kukona
• Love’s Lies, Magnolia Sisters
• The Legacy, Jo-El Sonnier
• Ceremony, Joe Tohonnie Jr.

Also of note: The Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album went to Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer for Bass & Mandolin. Thile also is part of Nickel Creek, which was among the nominees for Best Americana Album. Angelique Kidjo’s Eve was named Best World Music Album.

Best American Roots Performance

• “Statesboro Blues,” Gregg Allman and Taj Mahal
• “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” Rosanne Cash
• “And When I Die,” Billy Childs Featuring Alison Krauss & Jerry Douglas
• “The Old Me Better,” Keb’ Mo’ Featuring The California Feet Warmers
• “Destination,” Nickel Creek

Best American Roots Song

• “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” Rosanne Cash
• “Just So Much,” Jesse Winchester
• “The New York Trains,” The Del McCoury Band
• “Pretty Little One,” Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers Featuring Edie Brickell
• “Terms of My Surrender,” John Hiatt

Best Americana Album

• The River & the Thread, Rosanne Cash
• Terms of My Surrender, John Hiatt
• Bluesamericana, Keb’ Mo’
• A Dotted Line, Nickel Creek
• Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, Sturgill Simpson

Best Bluegrass Album

• The Earls of Leicester, The Earls of Leicester
• Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe, Noam Pikelny
• Cold Spell, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
• Into My Own, Bryan Sutton
• Only Me, Rhonda Vincent

Best Blues Album

• Common Ground – Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin Play And Sing The Songs Of Big Bill Broonzy, Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin
• Promise of a Brand New Day, Ruthie Foster
• Juke Joint Chapel, Charlie Musselwhite
• Decisions, Bobby Rush With Blinddog Smokin’
• Step Back, Johnny Winter

Best Folk Album

• Three Bells, Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas & Rob Ickes
• Follow The Music, Alice Gerrard
• The Nocturne Diaries, Eliza Gilkyson
• Remedy, Old Crow Medicine Show
• A Reasonable Amount Of Trouble, Jesse Winchester

Best Regional Roots Music Album

• Light The Stars, Bonsoir, Catin
• Hanu ‘A’ala, Kamaka Kukona
• Love’s Lies, Magnolia Sisters
• The Legacy, Jo-El Sonnier
• Ceremony, Joe Tohonnie Jr.

Among the nominees for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album are Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer for Bass & Mandolin. Thile also is part of Nickel Creek. Bass & Mandolin also is in the mix for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, as is Keb’ Mo’s Bluesamericana. Glen Campbell’s very moving/poignant “I’m Not Gonna Miss You,” co-written with Julian Raymond and the final song recorded by the ailing country music legend, is among the nominees for Best Country Song of the Year.

The Grammy Awards will be presented by The Recording Academy on Sunday, February 8, 2015. A live broadcast of the major award presentations will air on CBS television stations from the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

This year’s Top 10 most-played albums are:

1. Rosanne Cash, The River & The Thread
2. Nickel Creek, A Dotted Line
3. Rodney Crowell, Tarpaper Sky
4. Hard Working Americans, Hard Working Americans
5. Old Crow Medicine Show, Remedy
6. Nikki Lane, All Or Nothin’
7. Lake Street Dive, Bad Self Portraits
8. Shovels & Rope, Swimmin’ Time
9. John Hiatt, Terms Of My Surrender
10. Sturgill Simpson, Metamodern Sounds In Country Music

Here’s the complete Americana Top 100:

Rosanne Cash, The River & The Thread
Nickel Creek, A Dotted Line
Rodney Crowell, Tarpaper Sky
Hard Working Americans, Hard Working Americans
Old Crow Medicine Show, Remedy
Nikki Lane, All Or Nothin’
Lake Street Dive, Bad Self Portraits
Shovels & Rope, Swimmin’ Time
John Hiatt, Terms Of My Surrender
Sturgill Simpson, Metamodern Sounds In Country Music
Dave Alvin & Phil Alvin, Common Ground
St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Half The City
Parker Millsap, Parker Millsap
Willie Nelson, Band Of Brothers
Paul Thorn, Too Blessed To Be Stressed
Lucinda Williams, Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone
Trampled By Turtles, Wild Animals
Various – A Tribute To Jackson Browne, Looking Into You
Keb Mo, BLUESAmericana
Secret Sisters, Put Your Needle Down
John Fullbright, Songs
Amos Lee, Mountains Of Sorrow, Rivers Of Song
Jamestown Revival, Utah
Kelly Willis & Bruce Robison, Our Year
Jason Eady, Daylight & Dark
Infamous Stringdusters, Let It Go
Chuck Mead, Free State Serenade
Sarah Jarosz, Build Me Up From Bones
Billie Joe & Norah Jones, Foreverly
Justin Townes Earle, Single Mothers
Ryan Adams, Ryan Adams
Johnny Cash, Out Among The Stars
First Aid Kit, Stay Gold
Carlene Carter, Carter Girl
Devil Makes Three, I’m A Stranger Here
Red Molly, The Red Album
The Duhks, Beyond The Blue
The Mastersons, Good Luck Charm
Will Hoge, Never Give In
Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, South
Puss N Boots, No Fools, No Fun
Billy Joe Shaver, Long In The Tooth
Brandy Clark, 12 Stories
Drive-By Truckers, English Oceans
Carolina Story, Chapter Two
Lee Ann Womack, The Way I’m Livin’
Will Kimbrough, Sideshow Love
Irene Kelley, Pennsylvania Coal
Trigger Hippy, Trigger Hippy
Shakey Graves, And The War Came
Carolina Story, Chapter One
Hurray For The Riff Raff, Small Town Heroes
Chuck Prophet, Night Surfer
Girls Guns & Glory, Good Luck
Howlin’ Brothers, Trouble
Blue Highway, The Game
Amy LaVere, Runaway’s Diary
Jim Lauderdale, I’m A Song
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Give The People What They Want
Black Prairie, Fortune
Ruthie Foster, Promise Of A Brand New Day
Whiskey Myers, Early Morning Shakes
Robert Ellis, The Lights From The Chemical Plant
Suzy Bogguss, Lucky
Seth Walker, Sky Still Blue
Felice Brothers, Favorite Waitress
Ray Benson, A Little Piece
Scott Miller, Big Big World
String Cheese Incident, Song In My Head
Lydia Loveless, Somewhere Else
Mingo Fishtrap, On Time
Haden Triplets, Haden Triplets
Robert Cray Band, In My Soul
Mike Farris, Shine For All The People
Tommy Malone, Poor Boy
Zoe Muth, World Of Strangers
Greg Trooper, Incident on Willow Street
Charlie Robison, High Life
Marty Stuart, Saturday Night/Sunday Morning
Various – Inside Llewyn Davis, Inside Llewyn Davis
Old 97s, Most Messed Up
Chris Smither, Still On The Levee
Various – A Tribute To Born in the USA, Dead Man’s Town
Deep Dark Woods, Jubilee
Rod Picott, Hang Your Hopes On A Crooked Nail
Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers, LIVE featuring Edie Brickell
Janiva Magness, Original
Otis Gibbs, Souvenirs Of A Misspent Youth
Avett Brothers, Magpie And The Dandelion
Candi Staton, Life Happens
Blue Rodeo, In Our Nature
Dolly Parton, Blue Smoke
Head And The Heart, Let’s Be Still
Peter Mulvey, Silver Ladder
John Mellencamp, Plain Spoken
Laura Cantrell, No Way There From Here
Band Of Heathens, Sunday Morning Record
Jim Lauderdale, Black Roses
Mary Gauthier, Trouble & Love
Hannah Aldridge, Razor Wire

Established in 1999, the Americana Music Association (www.americanamusic.org) is dedicated to building and promoting the Americana genre and the individuals who participate in the industry. Its annual Americana Music Festival and Conference is slated for Sept. 15-20, 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Old Yellow Moon was an album almost 40 years in the making, according to Harris. Prior to embarking on his own solo recording career, Crowell had been part of Harris’ Hot Band in the 1970s.

Another duo, South Carolina’s Shovels & Rope (husband and wife Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst) was named Emerging Artist of the Year and won Song of the Year honors for “Birmingham.”

Although not present to personally accept the award, Dwight Yoakam was named Artist of the Year. Larry Campbell was feted as Instrumentalist of the Year. Old Crow Medicine Show took home the association’s Trailblazer Award just a day after the string band was inducted into the Grand Old Opry. The President’s Award, which is given posthumously, went to Hank Williams, while the Spirit of Americana/Free Speech in Music Award was presented to Stephen Stills, who later was joined on stage by guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd and former Buffalo Springfield bandmate Richie Furay for a rendition of “For What It’s Worth.”

Lifetime achievement award recipients included pioneering New Orleans pianist Dr. John, Grammy-winning rockabilly guitarist Duane Eddy, Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter (who performed “Ripple” after accepting his award) and Chris Strachwitz, founder of Arhoolie Records, a roots music label.

Hosted by Jim Lauderdale and featuring an all-star house band led by Buddy Miller, the honors & awards show is the centerpiece of the Americana Music Association’s 14th annual Americana Music Festival and Conference. The event runs through Sept. 22 and features an array of panel discussions, seminars, workshops and other educational forums; a trade show; and evenings filled with artist showcases. A performance of Crowell’s “Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight” capped off the evening and featured Crowell’s ex-wife, Rosanne Cash, as well as Harris. Lauderdale, Shovels & Rope, and Joy Williams of The Civil Wars.

Established in 1999, the Americana Music Association (www.americanamusic.org)is a professional trade organization whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. It is dedicated to building and promoting the Americana genre and the individuals who participate in the industry.

Slated for Saturday -Sunday, June 20-21, at Croton Point Park in Croton-On-Hudson, in New York’s Hudson Valley, Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival celebrates its own 40th anniversary and that of the sloop Clearwater, founder and folk icon Pete Seeger’s 90th birthday, and the 25th anniversary of the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus that Seeger launched as a way of spreading the word of Clearwater’s mission to clean up the Hudson River.

Former sloop Clearwater captains and crewmembers will gather to honor Pete and Toshi Seeger on Sunday in commemoration of the sloop’s anniversary. A very special celebration is set for Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. on The Rainbow Stage when Pete and his grandson, Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, will be joined by friends Happy Traum, Arlo Guthrie, Mike and Ruthie Merenda, Work o’ the Weavers and more for a set of classic favorites and sing-alongs. “Clearwater has always been about family and what better way for my family to celebrate this amazing year than with some of our closest musical friends, says Tao Rodriguez-Seeger. Pete Seeger also is expected to perform several other times during the festival.

Among the other artists scheduled to appear at the festival over the weekend are such notables as Alejandro Escovedo, Richie Havens, Taj Mahal, Allison Moorer, The Persuasions, and Susan Tedeschi. Festival newcomers include Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Dr. Dog, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, A.C. Newman, and bluegrass/jambands Old Crow Medicine Show and Cornmeal. Regional artists of note include Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Sleepy Hollow String Band, the Vanaver Caravan, The Dirty Stay Out Skifflers, Gillen and Turk, Hope Machine, storytellers Heather Forest and Jonathan Kruk, and, of course, the Hudson River Sloop Singers.

Produced by and benefiting the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc., a nonprofit, member-supported organization launched by Pete Seeger and others to preserve and protect the Hudson River and its tributaries, the festival celebrates environmental activism and education. It features a Green Living Expo, riverfront activities, environmental workshops and exhibits, and booths run by educational and activist organizations. The sloop Clearwater and the schooner Mystic Whaler will be there during the weekend, affording visitors the opportunity to sail on the Hudson. Juried crafts and the Circle of Song, where audience participation is the focus, also are on the docket.

“This has already been a very exciting year for Clearwater and it feels as if it has all been building up to the festival,” said Jon Dindas, the environmental organization’s festival director. “The volunteers – both those who have been helping this event run for decades and those with us for the first time – have come out in record numbers to support Clearwater and the festival. This has always been a community – one of artists and educators, professionals and volunteers, young and old – that comes together to celebrate the river, along with the music and spirit that makes us a family.”

Advance ticket sales for the 2009 Great Hudson River Revival have reportedly already tripled last year’s totals. However, weekend and individual day tickets will be available at the gate. For more information and to order tickets in advance, visit www.clearwater.org/festival.

The 29th Annual Old Songs Festival takes place June 26-28, at Altamont Fairgrounds in Altamont, approximately 10 miles west of Albany. Produced by Old Songs, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in the New York State Capitol Region that seeks to keep traditional music and dance alive through this festival, as well as twice monthly concerts, monthly dances and educational programs, the festival will feature an array of folk, Celtic, blues, old-time and multicultural/world musicians.

This year’s music will range from the acoustic blues guitar riffs of master fingerstyle player Little Toby Walker to the Indian vibes of Galitcha, the traditional Quebecois sounds of Reveillons!, the “new” old-time sounds of Red Hen, and the witty songs of Christine Lavin and Lou & Peter Berryman. Traditional and contemporary English ballads will be sung by Jez Lowe, Louis Killen and John Roberts & Tony Barrand. Also featured will be Peggy Seeger, Michael Cooney, folk duo Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen, folk/blues veteran Josh White, Jr., New England fiddler Lissa Scheneckenburger and her trio, Chicago-based Celtic group Bua, the Vanaver Caravan dance and music ensemble, and Grammy Award-winning family entertainer Bill Harley, among others.

Main Stage concerts are slated for Friday and Saturday evening, as well as Sunday afternoon, while eight stages will feature music and dance on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contra dances featuring music by Bill Spence & Fennig’s All-Stars and The Flying Garbanzos follow the Friday and Saturday night concerts on the main stage.

In recognition of the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s voyage, Nanne & Ankie and the Hudson Crew, six musicians from the Netherlands, will present a special 90-minute show late Saturday afternoon featuring original songs in Dutch and English with English narration. Festival performers also will conduct Friday afternoon classes focusing on various instruments and singing styles.

A very participatory event, the Old Songs Festival also features “sacred harp” or shape-note singing on Saturday and Sunday mornings with Peter and Mary Alice Amidon, a gospel choral workshop led by Lea Gilmore followed by a gospel sing on Sunday afternoon, as well as lots of festival performer-led and impromptu jam sessions. The family-friendly event also features a dedicated children’s area, as well as a wide array of artisans, vendors and food.

Individual day tickets and all-festival tickets (with or without camping) are available at the gate. For more information, visit www.oldsongs.org/festival.