As the Americana Music Association celebrates 25 years as a commerce group dedicated to honoring, supporting and advocating for a myriad of roots-oriented music, the group held its 23^rd annual Americana Honors & Awards on the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Wednesday night (Sept. 18).

The historic constructing, which has been house to generations of performers, was applicable for the ceremony, because the night was a revelry of Americana music’s roots and branches, winding via and meshing collectively rock n’ roll, Gospel, folks, nation, blues, R&B and extra.

Sierra Ferrell was the night’s largest winner, taking house the coveted artist of the yr honor in addition to album of the yr (for Trail of Flowers). “Wondering Why” hitmakers The Red Clay Strays had been named rising artist of the yr.

Duane Betts opened the present with a tribute to his late father Dickey Betts by performing a relaxed, rollicking rendition of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Blue Sky” (from The Allman Brothers Band’s 1972 album Eat a Peach), punctuated by Betts’ note-perfect guitar expertise 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 Kids welcomed the viewers watching each in-person on the Ryman in addition to these watching at house. Buddy Miller continued his reign as band chief, main the 2024 home band with Don Was, The McCrary Sisters, Bryan Owings, Jerry Pentecost, Jen Gunderman, Jim Hoke and Larry Campbell.

From there, Oklahoma native and rising artist of the yr nominee Kaitlin Butts carried out a roaring rendition of the witty, fiddle laden “You Ain’t Gotta Die (to Be Dead to Me).” The first accolade of the night, instrumentalist of the yr, was awarded to 18-year-old guitarist/singer phenom Grace Bowers, who in August launched her debut album, Wine on Venus. Bowers was on the street and couldn’t be in attendance.

Waxahatchee carried out her tune of the year-nominated “Right Back To It,” from her album Tigers Blood. Charles Wesley Godwin, his voice golden and burnished, carried out the banjo-inflected love tune “All Again.”

The night rolled on with performances from the agile-voiced Jobi Riccio, in addition to Wyatt Flores, who previewed the title monitor from his upcoming challenge Welcome to the Plains.

The Milk Carton Kids devoted their efficiency of “When You’re Gone” to sound engineer Mark Richards. Also gorgeous the viewers had been performances from sibling duo Larkin Poe, Red Dirt country-rockers Turnpike Troubadours, and the octave-scaling, peerless vocal dynamo The War and Treaty (who drew an instantaneous, rowdy standing ovation). Also on the invoice had been participating performances from Sarah Jarosz, Brandy Clark accompanied by SistaStrings, and a masterful efficiency of “American Dreaming” from Ferrell. Noah Kahan additionally carried out his smash hit “Dial Drunk.”

Throughout the night, highly effective performances had been punctuated by extra awards winners, together with Larkin Poe (duo/group of the yr), Grace Bowers (instrumentalist of the yr) and Brandy Clark (tune 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 tune 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 music business champions, together with Gail Gellman, Tracy Gershon, CMT’s Leslie Fram, in addition to the musicians on Clark’s self-titled album and Carlile, who not solely sang on the tune, however produced the album.

The Americana Music Association additionally honored a number of artists and musicians with the lifetime achievement award, together with the gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama, who carried out an ovation-drawing rendition of “Work Until My Days are Done.” Fellow lifetime achievement honorees included Dave Alvin (identified for his work as an artist, author and member of The Blasters, X and The Knitters), Rev. Gary Davis, Shelby Lynne, Dwight Yoakam and musician/producer Don Was (identified for working 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 Black Crowes and Martina McBride (who launched Was in the course of the night’s celebration).

“Go where the love is,” Alvin suggested these 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 Music Association has for the previous 5 years teamed with the National Museum of African American Music, and was instrumental Wednesday night in honoring Davis with the legacy of americana award, with Fantastic Negrito performing “Samson and Delilah.”

Singer-songwriter Allison Moorer celebrated her large sister and Wednesday night’s lifetime achievement 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 was joined by Moorer in singing “Gotta Get Back,” from Lynne’s landmark album I Am Shelby Lynne.

Versatile musician, author and actor Yoakam was additionally feted by Clark with a lifetime achievement award. He earned a standing ovation as he took the stage, first paying tribute to Alvin, saying, “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, Etc., Etc., which Yoakam initially launched as a six-song indie report in 1984, earlier than it was picked up by Warner’s Reprise Records and re-released with further songs in 1986. The challenge would change into the primary of three consecutive Yoakam albums to hit No. 1 on Billboard’s high nation albums chart. On Wednesday night, Yoakam additionally mentioned that authentic indie challenge was 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 viewers into his Bakersfield-meets-rockabilly groove of his 1993 hit “Fast as You.”

During the night, Elizabeth Cook additionally took a second to honor Jeremy Tepper, government and program director of SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country station, who handed away in June.

“Jeremy was a key part of this community,” Cook 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 closed with Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell providing a model of the Gram Parsons tune “Return of the Grievous Angel.”

See the total listing of this yr’s Americana Music Honors & Awards honorees under:

Instrumentalist of the yr:  Grace Bowers

Album of the yr: Trail of Flowers, Sierra Ferrell (produced by Eddie Spear and Gary Paczosa)

Duo/Group of the yr: Larkin Poe

Emerging act of the yr: The Red Clay Strays

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

Artist of the yr: Sierra Ferrell