Margo Price and Brandi Carlile
Summertime isn’t quite here yet but some news has landed about an event that’s marked the end of summer for many years in Music City. The keystone event of this year’s AmericanaFest, the 25th annual Americana Honors and Awards ceremony, is happening Wednesday, Sept. 16, at the Ryman. The Americana Music Association has announced a stout slate of nominees for awards in its member-voted categories.
Artist of the Year this time includes the prolific Charley Crockett and rising star Jesse Welles as well as songsmith and flatpicking queen Molly Tuttle. They’re in competition with fellow greats Margo Price and Brandi Carlile, who also have additional nominations. Price is up for Album of the Year, a category rounded out by Tyler Childers, Kathleen Edwards, S.G. Goodman and Ken Pomeroy. Pomeroy (who graced the cover of the Scene’s 2026 Country Music Almanac issue), is also an Emerging Act of the Year nominee alongside self-described Afro Appalachian songsmith Mon Rovîa; both of them have Song of the Year nominations among the likes of the aforementioned Goodman and Carlile as well as Lucinda Williams and I’m With Her.
One disappointing note: There’s no info in the press release about an Instrumentalist of the Year category, indicating that recognition may be dropped this year. Per tradition, expect a slate of Lifetime Achievement honorees to be announced closer to the festival. For now, check out the Americana Music Association website for tickets and other info about September’s events.
Artist of the Year
Brandi Carlile
Charley Crockett
Margo Price
Molly Tuttle
Jesse Welles
Album of the Year
Tyler Childers, Snipe Hunter; produced by Tyler Childers, Rick Rubin and Nick Sanborn
Kathleen Edwards, Billionaire; produced by Jason Isbell and Gena Johnson
S.G. Goodman, Planting by the Signs; produced by S.G. Goodman, Matthew Rowan and Drew Vandenberg
Ken Pomeroy, Cruel Joke; produced by Colton Jean, Dakota McDaniel and Gary Paczosa
Margo Price, Hard Headed Woman; produced by Matt Ross-Spang
Duo/Group of the Year
Flatland Cavalry
I'm With Her
Mumford and Sons
Turnpike Troubadours
Emerging Act of the Year
Boy Golden
Crowe Boys
Kashus Culpepper
Ken Pomeroy
Mon Rovîa
Song of the Year
Brandi Carlile, “Returning to Myself”; written by Brandi Carlile
S.G. Goodman, “Snapping Turtle”; written by S.G. Goodman
I’m With Her, “Wild and Clear and Blue”; written by Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O'Donovan and Sara Watkins
Mon Rovîa, “Heavy Foot”; written by Grant Averill, Eric Cromartie, Cooper Holzman and Andrew Lowe
Lucinda Williams feat. Brittney Spencer, “The World’s Gone Wrong”; written by Tom Overby, Doug Pettibone and Lucinda Williams
