In a ceremony live-streamed from the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) in Nashville on Wednesday, musicians Ketch Secor from Old Crow Medicine Show and Keb' Mo' announced the nominees in the six member-voted categories of the 2021 Americana Honors & Awards.

The nominees include a who's who of Americana music, with the likes of Black Pumas, The War and Treaty, Waxahatchee, Amythyst Kiah, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlile, Margo Price, and Gillian Welch and David Rawlings among those named. Among the Instrumentalist of the Year nominees is Ray Jacildo, who has visited The Current studio many times as the keyboardist in the JD McPherson Band. The late John Prine is among those nominated for Song of the Year ("I Remember Everything"), and Steve Earle and the Dukes received a nomination for their album J.T., a tribute to Earle's late son, Justin Townes Earle.

H. Beecher Hicks III, the president and CEO of NMAAM, opened the ceremony; the NMAAM just had its grand opening in January of this year. Also making opening remarks were the American Music Association's executive director Jed Hilly and Nashville Mayor John Cooper, the latter of whom noted that the word "Americana," in the sense of the musical genre, was added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary ten years ago.

The nominees in the six categories, as announced by Mo' and Secor, are as follows:

Instrumentalist of the Year
Megan Coleman
Robbie Crowell
Ray Jacildo
Philip Towns
Kristin Weber

Duo or Group of the Year
Black Pumas
The Highwomen
Our Native Daughters
The War and Treaty
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings

Emerging Artist of the Year
Charley Crockett
Amythyst Kiah
Joy Oladokun
Allison Russell
Waxahatchee

Song of the Year
"Black Myself" - Amythyst Kiah, Written by Amythyst Kiah
"Call Me A Fool" - Valerie June ft. Carla Thomas, Written by Valerie June
"Dreamsicle" - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Written by Jason Isbell
"I Remember Everything" - John Prine, Written by Pat McLaughlin and John Prine
"Long Violent History" - Tyler Childers, Written by Tyler Childers

Album of the Year
Cuttin' Grass - Vol. 1 (Butcher Shoppe Sessions) - Sturgill Simpson, Produced by David Ferguson and Sturgill Simpson
J.T. - By Steve Earle and the Dukes, Produced by Steve Earle
The Moon and Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers - Valerie June, Produced by Valerie June, Ben Rice and Jack Splash
Reunions - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Produced by Dave Cobb
World on the Ground - Sarah Jarosz, Produced by John Leventhal

Artist of the Year
Brandi Carlile
Kathleen Edwards
Jason Isbell
Margo Price
Billy Strings

Prior to the announcement of the nominees, two artists who ended up receiving nominations each performed a song. First, Allison Russell gave a solo voice-and-banjo performance of her song "Quasheba, Quasheba," a song that pays tribute to one of Russell's enslaved ancestors. The song has been recorded by Our Native Daughters, one of the bands (along with Birds of Chicago) in which Russell plays.

Valerie June took the stage next to give a solo acoustic performance of her recent single, "Call Me A Fool." " I have to say that dreamers can sometimes be called fools for wanting to create something beautiful," June said before launching into the song. "It takes time. So when you have a dream, you have to let the world call you a fool, and then jump in that water and go for it."

Keb' Mo' and Old Crow Medicine show rounded out the program by gathering onstage to perform their collaborative, pandemic-inspired single, "The Medicine Man."

Winners of the 2021 Americana Honors & Awards will be announced at a ceremony and concert to be held at the Ryman Auditorium in Nasvhille on Wednesday, Sept. 22. The event happens within the framework of the larger Americana Music Association's Americana Fest conference. The event, now in its 20th year, did not take place in 2020 due to the pandemic.

External Links

Americana Music Association - official site

National Museum of African American Music - official site

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