Jason Isbell at the Ryman, 10/9/2017; Margo Price at Bonnaroo, 6/11/2017
Not quite a month ago, we got the word that Erin Rae, Lee Ann Womack, Devon Gilfillian and tons more were slated to play during this year's AmericanaFest in September. In a Tuesday afternoon ceremony hosted by The Milk Carton Kids' Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale at the Country Music Hall of Fame, we learned who's nominated for this year's slate of Americana Honors and Awards, which will be given during the star-studded ceremony and concert that anchors the fest, Sept. 12 at the Ryman.
From a look at the nominees, you could argue that the AMA is pretty invested in keeping Jason Isbell as "King of Americana," following his CMA Award nomination and Grammy win for The Nashville Sound. Along with his crack band The 400 Unit, Isbell is nominated in four of the six categories. And while his work is certainly deserving, he's got phenomenal and diverse competition across the board, running the gamut from Margo Price and Lee Ann Womack to Lukas Nelson and John Prine (who won Artist of the Year last year, but whose new LP The Tree of Forgiveness would be a strong pick any time). Price, who was crowned Emerging Artist of the Year following her 2016 debut, comes back in the Artist of the Year category (as well as Album of the Year and Song of the Year) just a few days before she headlines three nights at the Ryman.
The categories Isbell isn't nominated in also have plenty of worthy contenders. Emerging Artist of the Year highlights rising country ace Tyler Childers and rock-leaning Lilly Hiatt, while Instrumentalist of the Year includes Molly Tuttle (the first woman to win the IBMA's Guitar Player of the Year) and superlative sideman and Music City fixture Jerry Pentecost, who we profiled in our People Issue this year.
See the Americana Music Association website for festival wristbands and conference registration, and take a look at the nominees below.
Emerging Artist of the Year
Duo/Group of the Year
* I'm With Her
* Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
* Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real
* Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
Instrumentalist of the Year
* Daniel Donato
* Molly Tuttle
* Brittany Haas
Song of the Year
* Margo Price, "A Little Pain"
* Lee Ann Womack, "All the Pain"
* Jason Isbell, "If We Were Vampires"
* Brandi Carlile, "The Joke"
Album of the Year
* Margo Price, All American Made
* Brandi Carlile, By the Way, I Forgive You
* Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The Nashville Sound
* Mary Gauthier, Rifles & Rosary Beads
Artist of the Year
* Brandi Carlile
* Jason Isbell
* Margo Price
