17th Annual Americana Honors & Awards Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 17th annual Americana Honors & Awards! 

See below for the complete list of winners and honorees for this evening's Honors & Awards show. 

Album of the Year: “The Nashville Sound,” Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, produced by Dave Cobb
Artist of the Year: John Prine
Song of the Year: “If We Were Vampires,” Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, written by Jason Isbell
Duo/Group of the Year: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Emerging Artist of the Year: Tyler Childers
Instrumentalist of the Year: Molly Tuttle
“Spirit of Americana” Free Speech Award, presented in partnership with the First Amendment Center: Rosanne Cash
Americana Trailblazer Award: k.d. lang
Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist: Buddy Guy
Lifetime Achievement Award for Performance: Irma Thomas
Jack Emerson Lifetime Achievement Award for Executive: Cris Williamson and Judy Dlugacz of Olivia Records

                                       Photo: Getty Images for the Americana Music Association®

How can I watch this year's show?

CMT is set to broadcast a special featuring performance highlights on Wednesday, November 28 at 8:00 PM CST; followed by a special broadcast of the television series Austin City Limits on PBS in February 2019. 

Compass Records congratulates Molly Tuttle for winning the “Instrumentalist of the Year” Award at the 2018 Americana Music Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.  Renowned for her virtuosic flatpicking and clawhammer guitar playing, the 25-year-old has already made musical history as the first woman ever to win the International Bluegrass Music Association's “Guitar Player of the Year” award following the release of her debut EP, RISE. She also won Song of the Year at the 2018 International Folk Music Awards show at Folk Alliance for “You Didn’t Call My Name” which is also featured on RISE.

A full list of categories, winners and nominees for the Americana Music Association’s® 17th annual Honors & Awards is below: 

Album of the Year: 
ALL AMERICAN MADE, Margo Price, Produced by Jeremy Ivey, Alex Munoz, Margo Price and Matt Ross-Spang 
BY THE WAY, I FORGIVE YOU, Brandi Carlile, Produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings 
THE NASHVILLE SOUND, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Produced by Dave Cobb * WINNER *
RIFLES & ROSARY BEADS, Mary Gauthier, Produced by Neilson Hubbard 

Artist of the Year:
Brandi Carlile 
Jason Isbell 

Margo Price 
John Prine * WINNER *

Duo/Group of the Year: 
I’m With Her 
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit * WINNER *
Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real 
Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats 

Emerging Act of the Year: 
Courtney Marie Andrews 
Tyler Childers * WINNER *
Anderson East 
Lilly Hiatt 

Song of the Year: 
“A Little Pain,” Margo Price, Written by Margo Price 
“All The Trouble,” Lee Ann Womack, Written by Waylon Payne, Lee Ann Womack and Adam 
Wright 
“If We Were Vampires,” Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Written by Jason Isbell * WINNER *
“The Joke,” Brandi Carlile, Written by Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth 

Instrumentalist of the Year: 
Daniel Donato 
Brittany Haas 
Jerry Pentecost 
Molly Tuttle * WINNER *

Lifetime Achievement for Performance, Irma Thomas!

Lifetime Achievement for Performance, Irma Thomas! pic.twitter.com/ekuIXzp6A3

— Americana Music (@AmericanaFest) 13 September 2018

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About AMERICANAFEST®:

The 19th annual AMERICANAFEST®: The Americana Music Festival & Conference will take place September 11-16, 2018. The event brings together fans and music industry professionals alike, offering six days of celebration through seminars, panels and networking opportunities by day and raw, battery recharging showcases each night. The Americana Honors & Awards Show is the featured performance of the festivities, taking place at the historic Ryman Auditorium. For information on how to purchase a conference registration, please visit www.americanamusic.org.

About the Americana Music Association®:
The Americana Music Association® is a professional not-for-profit trade organization whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. The Association produces events throughout the year; including AMERICANAFEST®: The Americana Music Festival & Conference and the critically acclaimed Americana Honors & Awards program. The Americana Music Association® receives enormous support from the Tennessee Department of Tourism, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, Lagunitas Brewing Company, RAM, Mountain Valley Water, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC.