The Americana Music Honors & Awards ceremony in Nashville last night was a music lover’s feast, beginning with the McCrary Sisters and ending with a star-studded stage for “Will The Circle Be Unbroken.” Throughout the night, the Ryman Auditorium paid homage to music’s greatest – Bob Weir performing Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried,” Jim Lauderdale performing with George Strait – and to some of its newest heroes – the Milk Carton Kids, with a mellow “Memphis” that earned them standing applause, and Margo Price, who took home Emerging Artist of the Year. Though the genre of Americana is a bit nebulous to describe, one underlying prerequisite was evident throughout the night: quality.
“This genre is just about truth tellers and it’s no bullshit,” Jack Ingram shared from the red carpet. “When I feel bad or when I need music – not as a songwriter but as a man – when I need music these are the artists I turn to.”
“I think part of it is the anti-perfect, sort of wearing your heart on your sleeve in a way that’s real,” add the Lumineers. The trio performed the inaugural night of the festival at the Ascend Ampitheater, and will return to grace its stage again tonight. “A lot of these recordings that that fall into this genre, that’s the whole mantra is that it’s embracing those flaws.”
“If I’m the DJ at the [Americana] radio station I’d be playing bluegrass, country – and not mainstream country ’cause they already have a great outlet and they’re doing wonderful – kind of more rootsy music: American roots music, blues, R&B, soul music, folk, singer-songwriter,” says Jim Lauderdale, who hosted the night’s ceremonies as well as performing “King of Broken Hearts” with George Strait and being presented by Strait with the Lifetime Achievement Award for WagonMaster.
Lifetime Achievement Awards went to Shawn Colvin (Trailblazer), William Bell (Songwriting), Bob Weir (Performance), Jim Lauderdale (WagonMaster), Woody Guthrie (President’s Award), and Billy Bragg (Spirit of Americana/Free Speech In Music, co-presented by the First Amendment Center) with the posthumous President’s Award Presented In Honor of Woody Guthrie to Lucinda Williams on behalf of the family.
Americana Music Honors & Awards 2016 Winners:
Album of the Year: Something More Than Free, Jason Isbell, Produced by Dave Cobb
Artist of the Year: Chris Stapleton
Group/Duo of the Year: Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
Song of the Year: “24 Frames” Jason Isbell; Written by Jason Isbell
Emerging Artist of the Year: Margo Price
Instrumentalist of the Year: Sara Watkins
Spirit of Americana/Free Speech in Music Award co-presented by the Americana Music
Association and the First Amendment Center: Billy Bragg
Lifetime Achievement Award, Trailblazer: Shawn Colvin
Lifetime Achievement Award, Songwriting: William Bell
Lifetime Achievement Award, Performance: Bob Weir
Lifetime Achievement Award, WagonMaster: Jim Lauderdale
President’s Award: Woody Guthrie