For the 22nd time, fans, musicians, and industry personnel gathered in Nashville on the 3rd weekend in September for the AmericanaFest. Part music festival, part industry conference, the event now stretches across most of the week. Regardless of when individual organized meetings and events start, the real premiere is the Americana Music Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium on Wednesday night.
Although frequently more raucous (thinking in particular of Old Crow Medicine Show parading through the crowd marching-band style a few years ago), this year kicked off on a more somber note. In a nod to someone still on many people’s minds, Logan Ledger started the evening with a cover of Jimmy Buffet’s Come Monday. Hosted again by Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale of The Milk Carton Kids, the event the wound through three-and-a-half hours of musical performance, award presentations, and recognition of various lifetime achievements from individuals in the Americana realm.
A couple of the performance highlights came in the form of tributes to records that came out 50 years ago. Noah Kahan joined The Milk Carton Kids in honoring Paul Simon’s There Goes Rhymin’ Simon with a stellar version of American Tune. A short time later Rufus Wainwright delivered a heartfelt version of Ole’ 55 from one of the most covered artists of all time, Tom Waits, and his landmark album Closing Time.
Two Trailblazer Awards were given out this year, the first presented by Brandi Carlile to The Avett Brothers, with Carlile sharing a memory of singing backup with them at some shows. The second one went to Nickel Creek. Presenter Kacey Musgraves gave a delightful speech about how they’d influenced a younger her, and she told a funny story about how she and Chris Thile were going to sing at each other’s funerals. Although the presenters almost always have a personal insight on the award winner, Musgraves came across as exceptionally authentic in her love for the group.
I’m pretty sure everyone in the auditorium would agree that the highlight performance of the evening came from Margo Price. Between her white gown, the powerful delivery of her recent single, Been To the Mountain, and an extended foray out into the audience, it was nothing short of memorable. And had to leave a bunch of people backstage thinking, “I’m sure glad I don’t have to follow that.”
The evening ended with a proper finale, with just about all the musicians who had performed getting onstage for a raucous version of Up On Cripple Creek.
Here’s the list of the evening’s award winners:
2023 Honors & Awards Winners:
Album of the Year: Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, Tyler Childers; Produced by Tyler Childers
Artist of the Year: Billy Strings
Duo/Group of the Year: The War and Treaty
Emerging Act of the Year: S.G. Goodman
Song of the Year: Just Like That, Bonnie Raitt; Written by Bonnie Raitt
Instrumentalist of the Year: SistaStrings
About the author: I've actually driven from Tehatchapee to Tonopah. And I've seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night.