Sierra Ferrell
Wednesday night, a mass of fans and a wide array of spectacularly talented musicians convened at the Ryman for the 23rd annual Americana Honors & Awards show, the keystone event of this week’s AmericanaFest. The ceremony recognized the 2024 Lifetime Achievement Honorees, including the late Rev. Gary Davis. A pioneer of Piedmont blues who influenced generations of players, Davis was posthumously given the Legacy Award, presented in conjunction with the National Museum of African American Music.
Country-rock champion Dave Alvin, rocking country songsmith extraordinaire Dwight Yoakam, gospel legends The Blind Boys of Alabama and top-notch singer-songwriter Shelby Lynne were recognized as Lifetime Achievement Honorees as well. Also celebrated among their complement: Don Was, whose decades of production and performance credits include membership in the awards show’s All-Star Band, alongside such stalwarts as The McCrary Sisters, Jen Gunderman, Jim Hoke, Jerry Pentecost, Bryan Owings, Larry Campbell and bandleader Buddy Miller.
From among a stellar slate of artists, Sierra Ferrell was honored with two of the six annual awards in member-voted categories. The widely traveled, Nashville-residing singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has a gift for making you see through the eyes of the characters in whatever song she sings — whether it’s one she wrote or not — which is in full effect on her latest LP Trail of Flowers. Ferrell was crowned Artist of the Year, and the album (produced by Eddie Spear and Gary Paczosa) was named Album of the Year.
Alabama country-rockers The Red Clay Strays, who’ve been riding high on their 2022 debut Moment of Truth and its follow-up Made by These Moments (released in July), took home the Emerging Act of the Year trophy. Brandy Clark’s “Dear Insecurity,” which she co-wrote with Michael Pollack and sings with Brandi Carlile on her self-titled album, is Song of the Year.
In February, blues-rockers Larkin Poe, aka sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell, won Best Contemporary Blues Album at the Grammys with their 2023 record Blood Harmony; Wednesday, they became Americana’s Duo/Group of the Year. Meanwhile, guitarist and bandleader Grace Bowers, who made a fantastic debut with her band The Hodge Podge on their soulful funk-rock album Wine on Venus, won Instrumentalist of the Year.
