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

CONNECT with the Americana Music Association:

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.

Americana announces Honors & Awards hosts, performers, and all-star house band for Sept. 12

The Americana Music Association® Announces its

17th Annual Honors & Awards Show Performers 

The Milk Carton Kids to Host 

Buddy Miller Returns with All-Star House Band 

  Program will stream live on NPR and be taped for broadcast by CMT and PBS.

Additional live audio broadcasts confirmed on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country, WRLT, WSM and WMOT

(L-R) Top Row: Ian Fitchuk, Joshua Grange, Jim Hoke;
Middle Row: Lillie Mae, Buddy Miller, The McCrary Sisters;
Bottom Row: Jerry Pentecost, Joe Pisapia, Don Was

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 6, 2018) — The Americana Music Association® announced today that The Milk Carton Kids will be on hand to host and Buddy Miller will return as musical director for the 17th annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony. This year’s program will showcase a vibrant mix of musical icons and electrifying newcomers that will make up the list of performers and presenters for the critically acclaimed program scheduled for 6:30 PM/CDT next Wednesday, September 12 at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium.

Legends and longtime fan-favorites line up alongside present-day buzz generators including k.d. lang, Buddy Guy, Irma Thomas, Rosanne Cash, John Prine, Robert Earl Keen, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, I’m With Her, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Margo Price, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Mary Gauthier, Anderson East, Lilly Hiatt, Tyler Childers and Courtney Marie Andrews as confirmed performers for the Honors & Awards show. The ceremony is the capstone event for the 19th annual AMERICANAFEST®, held at various venues throughout Nashville during the week of September 11-16.

For the first time, Americana award-winning and GRAMMY®-nominated duo The Milk Carton Kids, Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, will host the critically acclaimed program, while Americana’s most-awarded artist, songwriter, musician and producer Buddy Miller takes the reins of musical direction for the Americana All-Star Band featuring Don Was, Jerry Pentecost, Joe Pisapia, Ian Fitchuk, Lillie Mae, Joshua Grange, Jim Hoke and the incredible McCrary Sisters.

A live video stream of the 2018 Honors & Awards show will be webcast via NPRMusic.org. Additionally, 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.

“Each year this show is so special, driven by the passion of music-loving artists and fans, it is truly a humbling event,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association®, adding, “it’s an honor to produce this event with the best team in the biz, Michelle Aquilato, Martin Fischer and Edie Hoback and thrilled to expand our collaboration team to include Terry Lickona (Austin City Limits), Margaret Comeaux and Ellie Chandler from CMT.”

“We’ve been supported by and supporters of Americana since our inception," said Pattengale and Ryan. "And the thought of hosting this event with so many of our friends and idols performing and receiving honors thrills us to no end. We’ve been working hard on the program and are excited to help present a memorable night. We hope, additionally, that we don’t blow it."

In addition to the annual “Of the Year” awards presented during the program, the 2018 Honors & Awards Show will include this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award honorees: lang, Guy, Thomas, Cash and Olivia Records pioneers Judy Dlugacz and Cris Williamson.

A live audio simulcast of the Honors & Awards show will also be available via SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country, and on Nashville area terrestrial radio stations: WRLT (100.1 FM), WSM (650 AM) and WMOT (89.5 FM).

We just added 52 names to our #AMERICANAFEST line-up!

$75 Wristbands available here: https://t.co/9ebSMqD09M pic.twitter.com/pO0x5nT4Lk

— Americana Music (@AmericanaFest) 25 July 2018

CONNECT with the Americana Music Association:

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.

Americana Music Association® Announces its 2018 Honors & Awards Nominees During an Intimate Ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum

Back Row, L-R: Jed Hilly (The Americana Music Association®), Joey Ryan 
and Kenneth Pattengale (The Milk Carton Kids), 
Abi Tapia (Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum)

Front Row, L-R: Nominees Brittany Haas, Jerry Pentecost, Daniel Donato 
and Molly Tuttle

Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for the Americana Music Association®

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 15, 2018) - The Americana Music Association® announced the nominees for its 17th annual Honors & Awards show this afternoon at an intimate members-only ceremony held at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum. The live-streamed event featured performances by its hosts The Milk Carton Kids - Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan - as well as by fellow Instrumentalist of the Year nominees Daniel Donato, Brittany Haas, Jerry Pentecost, Molly Tuttle and more special guests. 

Watch the nominations for the 2018 Americana Honors and Awards! 

Americana Music Association shared a Facebook live video. Or watch the live stream back at Country Music Hall Of Fame.org

A full list of categories 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 
RIFLES & ROSARY BEADS, Mary Gauthier, Produced by Neilson Hubbard 

   

Artist of the Year:
Brandi Carlile 
Jason Isbell 
Margo Price 
John Prine   

  

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

Emerging Act of the Year: 
Courtney Marie Andrews 
Tyler Childers 
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 
“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 

The winners of each category will be announced during the Americana Honors & Awards show on September 12, 2018 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. The celebrated program is the hallmark event of AMERICANAFEST®: The Americana Music Festival & Conference, which runs from September 11-16, 2018. 

Each year, the Americana Music Association® honors distinguished members of the music community with six member-voted annual awards and with Lifetime Achievement Awards, which will be announced leading up to Americana music’s biggest night.   

Described by Emmylou Harris as “the shining star of Nashville and music everywhere,” the Americana Honors & Awards has been broadcast in years past on Austin City Limits via PBS, AXS TV and via SiriusXM Radio, BBC2, WMOT, WRLT, WSM, Voice of America and NPR Music - with the awards show being the most-streamed music event on NPR.org for two consecutive years. 

For almost two decades, the prestigious ceremony has celebrated pioneering mainstays and trailblazing newcomers, while featuring unforgettable moments in musical history including Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash's last live performance together, as well as offering show-stopping appearances by Van Morrison, Bob Weir, George Strait, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Gregg Allman, The Avett Brothers, Solomon Burke, Rosanne Cash, Civil Wars, Dr. John with Dan Auerbach, Patty Griffin, Levon Helm, Robert Plant and many more. 

Tickets for the Americana Honors & Awards are currently only available for purchase by AMERICANAFEST® Conference Registrants. 

Congratulations to all! Find out who will win at the 17th Annual Americana Honors & Awards on Sept. 12, 2018 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. For details on tickets, click here.

CONNECT with the Americana Music Association:

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.

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 Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum:
The Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum collects, preserves, and interprets country music and its history for the education and entertainment of diverse audiences. In exhibits, publications, and educational programs, the museum explores the cultural importance and enduring beauty of the art form. The museum is operated by the Country Music Foundation, a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) educational organization chartered by the state of Tennessee in 1964. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, and for the last three years in a row has welcomed over one million patrons each year, placing it among the ten most-visited history museums in the U.S. The Country Music Foundation operates Historic RCA Studio BTM, Hatch Show Print® poster shop, CMF Records, the Frist Library and Archive, and CMF Press. Museum programs are supported by Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.