2015 Americana Honors & Awards Nominees were announced last week in Nashville, and voting by the members of the Americana Music Association has now begun. Members of the Association may vote for the winners until midnight on June 1.
The winners will be announced on Wednesday, September 16 during the 2015 AmericanaFest, the Americana Music Fest & Conference in Nashville. The awards show will be held in the Ryman Auditorium. Tickets are not available separately, but only as a part of the full conference registration.
Bluegrass fans will recognize a number of the nominees that fall into the somewhat nebulous but rapidly growing musical category of Americana. Roots-based musical forms compete with urban folk, alternative country and blues, and singer/songwriter type performers.
The 2015 Americana Honors & Awards Nominees are:
Album of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Producer)
- And The War Came – Shakey Graves; Produced by Alejandro Rose-Garcia and Chris Boosahda
- Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone – Lucinda Williams; Produced by Lucinda Williams, Tom Overby and Greg Leisz
- Metamodern Sounds In Country Music – Sturgill Simpson; Produced by Dave Cobb
- The Way I’m Livin’ – Lee Ann Womack; Produced by Frank Liddell
- Tomorrow Is My Turn – Rhiannon Giddens; Produced by T-Bone Burnett
Artist of the Year
- Rhiannon Giddens
- Jason Isbell
- Sturgill Simpson
- Lucinda Williams
- Lee Ann Womack
Duo/Group of the Year
- Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn
- The Lone Bellow
- The Mavericks
- Punch Brothers
- Shovels & Rope
Emerging Artist of the Year
- First Aid Kit
- Houndmouth
- Nikki Lane
- Doug Seegers
- Shakey Graves
Instrumentalist of the Year
- Hubby Jenkins
- Laur Joamets
- Greg Leisz
- John Leventhal
- Stuart Mathis
Song of the Year (Award goes to Artist and Songwriter)
- Dearly Departed – Shakey Graves; Written by Alejandro Rose-Garcia and Esme’ Patterson
- East Side Of Town – Lucinda Williams; Written by Lucinda Williams
- Terms Of My Surrender – John Hiatt; Written by John Hiatt
- Turtles All The Way Down – Sturgill Simpson; Written by Sturgill Simpson
- You’re The Best Lover That I Ever Had – Steve Earle & the Dukes; Written by Steve Earle
Newly enrolled members are eligible to vote before June 1. Full membership details can be found online.
