2018 UK Americana Award Winners are...

The third annual UK Americana Awards took place in London on Thursday Feb 1, 2018, which celebrated “the thriving UK and international Americana music scene”. 

It was congratulations to Robert Plant for receiving the AMA-UK's Lifetime Achievement Award and Mumford & Sons for receiving this year's UK Trailblazer Award. The two also treated attendees to a surprise collaboration in addition to performing their own electrifying numbers. 

Photo: Richard Young Photography

The lucky crowd was also treated to performances by International Artist of the Year 2018  Courtney Marie Andrews,  fellow nominees  Imelda May and  Angaleena Presley,  as well as UK Artist of the Year 2018  Emily Barker and UK Album of the Year winner  Robert Vincent. Nominees Aaron Lee Tasjan and Worry Dolls as well as this year's Bob Harris Emerging Artist Award recipient The Wandering Hearts also left it all on the stage. 

The special ceremony was capped by an all-artist finale of “Wildflowers” in tribute to Tom Petty. 

See the full list of winners below! 

Recipients of Awards Voted on by AMA-UK Membership:

• UK Album of The Year (presented by Simon Mayo): I’ll Make The Most Of My Sins by Robert Vincent (produced by Robert Vincent, Michael Gay and Etienne Girard)
• International Album of the Year (presented by Sir Patrick Stewart & Sunny Ozell): The Nashville Sound by Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit (produced by Dave Cobb)
• UK Artist of the Year (presented by Frank Turner): Emily Barker
• International Artist of the Year (presented by Mary Gauthier): Courtney Marie Andrews
• UK Song of the Year (presented by Chris Difford): "Home" by Yola Carter (written by Yola Carter)
• International Song of the Year (presented by Sam Baker & Stevie Freeman): "Tenderheart" by Sam Outlaw (written by Sam Outlaw)
• UK Instrumentalist of the Year (presented by Jesse Buckley): Thomas Collison

Recipients of Awards from the AMA-UK Board:

• Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by Bob Harris): Robert Plant
• The Trailblazer Award (presented by Billy Bragg & Jed Hilly): Mumford & Sons
• Bob Harris Emerging Artist Award: The Wandering Hearts
• The Grassroots Award (presented by Danny George Wilson & Ralph McLean): Come Down & Meet The Folks
• The Best-Selling Americana Album of 2017 (presented by Martin Talbot and Steve Bull): Robert Plant for Carry Fire

For a full listing of all the nominees see Blog: UK Americana Awards & AmericanaFest UK Preview

 The Americana Music Association℠ congratulates all of the night's nominees and winners. The 2018 UK Americana Awards took place Thursday, Feb. 1 in at Hackney Empire in London. 

Indie country star Courtney Marie Andrews who won International Artist Of The Year at The UK Americana Awards stated, “ I couldn’t be more grateful to be welcomed and recognised over here. Thanks to my amazing team and fans whom I adore.” 

Courtney Marie Andrews dropped another preview of her highly anticipated new full-length album, with the release of new song ‘Kindness Of Strangers’ , which premiered this week with Fader (USA) in advance of the release of her album, MAY YOUR KINDNESS REMAIN, will be released March 23 on Loose in the UK & Europe and Fat Possum Records/Mama Bird Recording Co. in the USA and is now available for pre-order ( cma.lnk.to/mykr ). 

THE WANDERING HEARTS WIN THE COVETED 
‘BOB HARRIS EMERGING ARTIST’ PRIZE
AT THE UK AMERICANA AWARDS

+ PERFORM ALONGSIDE IMELDA MAY, MUMFORD AND SONS & ROBERT PLANT

Friday 02 February: Last night, folk-Americana band The Wandering Hearts picked up the coveted ‘Bob Harris Emerging Artist’ award at the UK Americana Awards 2018 – a prize hand-picked by the music legend himself.

(L-R) Tim Prottey-Jones, Tara Wilcox, Imelda May, Chess Whiffin, AJ Dean
 (cred Richard Young) 

      

The awards ceremony took place at Hackney Empire in London where they collected their prize in front of a sold-out audience, including Chris Difford, BBC DJ Simon Mayo, footballer Steve Bull and Sir Patrick Stewart. The band also performed their current single ‘Burning Bridges’ taken from their upcoming debut album Wild Silence, as well as joining together with Imelda May, Mumford and Sons and Robert Plant for a rendition of the late Tom Petty’s ‘Wildflowers’.

The Wandering Hearts (L-R) Tim Prottey-Jones (L), Tara Wilcox, Chess Whiffin,
AJ Dean (cred Richard Young)

Bob Harris says, “This year, the award goes to a band that appeared live on Bob Harris country last year and I thought they were fantastic, I was just blown away by them, by their harmonies their energy, their enthusiasm and of course the fantastic quality of their music. I am truly thrilled for them and their new album is everything I hoped it would be.”

Speaking of their win, The Wandering Hearts say, “This just means so very much to us all. The last couple of years have been crazy but we just want to say a huge thank you to Bob and the AMA UK for making us feel part of this wonderful community. We are so overwhelmed by the support and to be recognised by the legend that is Bob Harris makes it even more incredible!”

(L-R) Tim Prottey-Jones, Tara Wilcox, Bob Harris OBE, Chess Whiffin, AJ Dean

                         

The Wandering Hearts’ debut album Wild Silence is out on Decca Records on Friday 9 February. They are also set to embark on their first sold out UK Tour, including a show at London’s Bush Hall on 1 March.

UK Tour

February 2018

Sun 18 February 2018 - Louisana, Bristol (Wapping Road, Bathurst Terrace, BS1 6UA)

Mon 19 February 2018 - The Portland Arms, Cambridge (129 Chesterton Rd, CB4 3BA) 

Weds 21 February 2018 -  The Hare And Hounds, Birmingham (106 High Street, Kings Heath, B14 7JZ)

Thurs 22 February 2018 - Manchester Gullivers, Manchester (109 Oldham St, Manchester, M4 1LW) £12.25 (£10.00 Ticket + £2.25 Fees)
Thurs 1 March 2018 - Bush Hall, London (310 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 7LJ) £15.00 (£12.50 Ticket + £2.50 Fees) support Jarrod Dickerson

Tickets available from Ticketmaster UK

Mission Statement: The Americana Music Association works closely with those in our industry, whether artists, labels, radio stations, retailers, print media, festivals, agents, publishers, etc. to help organize and build the infrastructure necessary for our genre to achieve success both creatively and financially. To that end we conduct an ongoing publicity campaign to help brand and raise awareness of Americana, host the annual Americana Music Festival & Conference, publish the weekly Americana Airplay Chart, produce the annual Americana Music Honors & Awards show, participate in other industry events and conferences, produce member newsletters and marketing materials, conduct research about our industry and consumers, work to increase Americana's profile at retail, and serve as an advocate on behalf of Americana's interests.

We also focus on creating attention for the public profile of Americana. These efforts to enhance the general awareness of Americana take the form of projects that increase general visibility and help brand the genre - all with the ultimate goal of connecting artists to an appreciative audience. americanamusic.org

Americana Music Association UK (The AMA-UK) is a professional trade association representing and advocating for the voice of American Roots music in the UK.

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