Sierra Ferrell, The Red Clay Strays & More Win at Americana Honors & Awards

Because the Americana Track Affiliation celebrates 25 years as a industry group dedicated to honoring, supporting and advocating for a myriad of roots-oriented song, the group held its 23^rd annual Americana Honors & Awards on the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Wednesday night time (Sept. 18).

The ancient development, which has been house to generations of performers, used to be suitable for the rite, because the night time used to be a revelry of Americana song’s roots and branches, winding via and meshing in combination rock n’ roll, Gospel, crowd, nation, blues, R&B and extra.

Sierra Ferrell used to be the night time’s largest winner, taking house the coveted artist of the yr honor in addition to book of the yr (for Path of Plant life). “Wondering Why” hitmakers The Crimson Clay Strays have been named rising artist of the yr.

Duane Betts opened the display with a tribute to his late father Dickey Betts by means of acting a informal, rollicking rendition of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Blue Sky” (from The Allman Brothers Band’s 1972 book Devour a Peach), punctuated by means of Betts’ note-perfect guitar talents and relaxed-yet-commanding guitar acumen.

“That one’s for you, Dad. We love you,” Betts mentioned, honoring his father, Dickey, who died in April.

The Milk Carton Children welcomed the target market observing each in-person on the Ryman in addition to the ones observing at house. Good friend Miller endured his reign as band chief, the 2024 space band with Don Was once, The McCrary Sisters, Bryan Owings, Jerry Pentecost, Jen Gunderman, Jim Hoke and Larry Campbell.

From there, Oklahoma local and rising artist of the yr nominee Kaitlin Butts carried out a roaring rendition of the amusing, mess around encumbered “You Ain’t Gotta Die (to Be Dead to Me).” The primary accolade of the night time, instrumentalist of the yr, used to be awarded to 18-year-old guitarist/singer phenom Grace Bowers, who in August launched her debut book, Wine on Venus. Bowers used to be at the highway and may no longer be in attendance.

Waxahatchee carried out her music of the year-nominated “Right Back To It,” from her book Tigers Blood. Charles Wesley Godwin, his resonance blonde and burnished, carried out the banjo-inflected love music “All Again.”

The night time rolled on with performances from the agile-voiced Jobi Riccio, in addition to Wyatt Flores, who previewed the name monitor from his nearest venture Welcome to the Plains.

The Milk Carton Children devoted their efficiency of “When You’re Gone” to pitch engineer Mark Richards. Additionally admirable the target market have been performances from sibling duo Larkin Poe, Crimson Dust country-rockers Turnpike Troubadours, and the octave-scaling, peerless vocal dynamo The Warfare and Treaty (who drew an rapid, noisy status ovation). Additionally at the invoice have been enticing performances from Sarah Jarosz, Brandy Clark accompanied by means of SistaStrings, and a masterful efficiency of “American Dreaming” from Ferrell. Noah Kahan additionally carried out his break clash “Dial Drunk.”

All over the night time, robust performances have been punctuated by means of extra awards winners, together with Larkin Poe (duo/crew of the yr), Grace Bowers (instrumentalist of the yr) and Brandy Clark (music of the yr, for “Dear Insecurity,” that includes Brandi Carlile).

“I have struggled most of my career with where my music fits and you guys have made me feel at home,” Clark mentioned in accepting the music of the yr honor. “I remember I was at a low time of not fittin’ in and [Americana Music Association executive director] Jed Hilly invited me to play AmericanaFest.” Clark additionally thanked a number of of her song business champions, together with Gail Gellman, Tracy Gershon, CMT’s Leslie Fram, in addition to the musicians on Clark’s self-titled book and Carlile, who no longer simplest sang at the music, however produced the book.

The Americana Track Affiliation additionally commemorated a number of artists and musicians with the lifetime success award, together with the gospel crew The Fickle Boys of Alabama, who carried out an ovation-drawing rendition of “Work Until My Days are Done.” Fellow lifetime success honorees incorporated Dave Alvin (recognized for his paintings as an artist, scribbler and member of The Blasters, X and The Knitters), Rev. Gary Davis, Shelby Lynne, Dwight Yoakam and musician/manufacturer Don Was once (recognized for running with a slate of artists together with Bonnie Raitt, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elton John, John Mayer, Ziggy Marley, Lucinda Williams, Ringo Starr, Delbert McClinton, Hootie & the Blowfish, The Dim Crowes and Martina McBride (who offered Was once all over the night time’s party).

“Go where the love is,” Alvin prompt the ones listening. “Surround yourself with people who love music the same way that you do, no matter what passing tastes or fads might be, and always surround yourselves with musicians who are better than you are.”

The Americana Track Affiliation has for the era 5 years teamed with the Nationwide Museum of African American Track, and used to be instrumental Wednesday night time in honoring Davis with the legacy of americana award, with Unbelievable Negrito acting “Samson and Delilah.”

Singer-songwriter Allison Moorer celebrated her obese sister and Wednesday night time’s lifetime success honoree Shelby Lynne, calling Lynne “my personal trailblazer.”

“I am proud to be a part of Americana. If I was ever to fit in anywhere, it was with the misfits, storytellers, outlaws and truth-tellers, the heartbreakers, the hippies,” Lynne mentioned, earlier than she used to be joined by means of Moorer in making a song “Gotta Get Back,” from Lynne’s landmark book I Am Shelby Lynne.

Flexible musician, scribbler and actor Yoakam used to be additionally feted by means of Clark with an entire life success award. He earned a status ovation as he took the level, first paying tribute to Alvin, pronouncing, “Without Dave Alvin coming into my life, I don’t know where my journey would have taken me. The twists and turns that lay ahead of me at that point wouldn’t have turned corners into bright sunlight without Dave championing me…I owe him a debt of gratitude along with [guitarist/producer] Pete Anderson.”

“That was truly an independent record,” Yoakam mentioned of Guitars, Cadillacs, And so on., And so on., which Yoakam at the start launched as a six-song indie file in 1984, earlier than it used to be picked up by means of Warner’s Reprise Information and re-released with supplementary songs in 1986. The venture would develop into the primary of 3 consecutive Yoakam albums to clash Incorrect. 1 on Billboard’s govern nation albums chart. On Wednesday night time, Yoakam additionally mentioned that untouched indie venture used to be a part of, “…why the spirit of the Americana Music Association felt at home to me…Thanks for the reminder every year when the AMA allows me to participate in anything they are doing. They always make room for us to come down… Every decade or so there is another generation that rediscovers the enormous impact of early country music, blues, rock and roll, soul, all of it can have on their peers and a brand new audience. The only place I ever won an artist of the year award was the Americana Awards [in 2013],” he famous. From there, fastening his guitar strap, Yoakam plunged the target market into his Bakersfield-meets-rockabilly groove of his 1993 clash “Fast as You.”

Right through the night time, Elizabeth Cook dinner additionally took a day to honor Jeremy Tepper, government and program director of SiriusXM’s Outlaw Nation station, who passed away in June.

“Jeremy was a key part of this community,” Cook dinner mentioned. “He was a musician first-off, and a label owner, a really clever guy who recognized that truck stops still had jukeboxes…and thus was born Diesel Only Records….he was an early and ardent supporter of the Americana Music Association.”

The star-studded night time closed with Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell providing a model of the Gram Parsons music “Return of the Grievous Angel.”

See the entire listing of this yr’s Americana Track Honors & Awards honorees under:

Instrumentalist of the yr:  Grace Bowers

Copy of the yr: Path of Plant life, Sierra Ferrell (produced by means of Eddie Spear and Gary Paczosa)

Duo/Team of the yr: Larkin Poe

Rising function of the yr: The Crimson Clay Strays

Track of the yr: “Dear Insecurity,” by means of Brandy Clark (feat. Brandi Carlile) (written by means of Clark and Michael Pollack)

Artist of the yr: Sierra Ferrell