Nominations for the 2020 Americana Honors and Awards were announced Monday morning, with several of the previous year’s high-profile roots releases collecting nods. The annual event is set to take place September 16th at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, though in what form precisely has yet to be revealed.
Frequent Americana nominee Brandi Carlile’s name shows up among the Artist of the Year hopefuls and several times in the other categories, both as a member of all-star quartet the Highwomen and as a collaborator on Tanya Tucker’s thrilling While I’m Livin’. The Highwomen’s self-titled debut is up for the Album of the Year prize, and their “Crowded Table,” co-written by Carlile with bandmate Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna, is up for Song of the Year. Carlile gets an additional mention as producer of fellow Artist of the Year nominee Tucker’s While I’m Livin’ alongside Shooter Jennings, as well as a co-writer of that album’s centerpiece, “Bring My Flowers Now.”
Appearing alongside Carlile in several categories is Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard, who gets an Artist of the Year nomination and an Album of the Year nod for the 2019 album Jaime. Additionally, Howard’s upbeat single “Stay High” is a contender for Song of the Year.
Several other artists collected a pair of nominations, including Nathaniel Rateliff, Drive-By Truckers, soul band the Black Pumas, and Aubrie Sellers.
Typically, the Americana Honors and Awards is the cornerstone event of the annual Americanafest, but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of this year’s event. The Americana Music Association has promised an initiative to be announced soon in its place, but no further details have been provided. Additionally, the rescheduled ACM Awards are also set for September 16th in Nashville, with portions of the show also set to take place at the Ryman Auditorium.
2020 Americana Honors and Awards nominees:
Album of the Year
And It’s Still Alright – Nathaniel Rateliff (Produced by James Barone, Patrick Meese and Nathaniel Rateliff)
Country Squire – Tyler Childers (Produced by David Ferguson and Sturgill Simpson)
The Highwomen – The Highwomen (Produced by Dave Cobb)
Jaime – Brittany Howard (Produced by Brittany Howard)
While I’m Livin’ – Tanya Tucker (Produced by Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings)
Artist of the Year
Brandi Carlile
Brittany Howard
John Prine
Tanya Tucker
Yola
Duo/Group of the Year
Black Pumas
Drive-By Truckers
The Highwomen
Buddy & Julie Miller
Our Native Daughters
Emerging Act of the Year
Black Pumas
Katie Pruitt
Aubrie Sellers
Billy Strings
Kelsey Waldon
Instrumentalist of the Year
Ellen Angelico
Annie Clements
Brittany Haas
Zachariah Hickman
Rich Hinman
Song of the Year
“And It’s Still Alright,” Nathaniel Rateliff (Written by Nathaniel Rateliff)
“Bring My Flowers Now,” Tanya Tucker (Written by Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth and Tanya Tucker)
“Crowded Table,” The Highwomen (Written by Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna)
“My Love Will Not Change,” Aubrie Sellers featuring Steve Earle (Written by Billy Burnette and Shawn Camp)
“Stay High,” Brittany Howard (Written by Brittany Howard)
“Thoughts and Prayers,” Drive-By Truckers (Written by Patterson Hood)
