Americana Assn. Names Nominees

As previously reported in this morning’s @musicrow, The Americana Music Association announced nominees for the organization’s 2010 Honors and Awards ceremony today (5/12) during a reception hosted by BMI at the W.O. Smith School of Music. The show, in its 9th year, will be held September 9th at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

Longstanding Americana supporters Emmylou Harris and Todd Snider read the list of award candidates to a crowd of industry executives, artists and tastemakers. Dave Rawlings received four nominations, Texas songwriters Ray Wylie Hubbard and Ryan Bingham received three and Patty Griffin, The Avett Brothers and Hayes Carll garnered two nominations.

Selected by members of the Americana Music Association, the 2010 nominees reflect the genre’s affection for innovative and inspiring artistry. The nominees’ eligibility is based on work released between May 1, 2009 and March 31, 2010.

(l to r): BMI’s Clay Bradley, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Will Kimbrough, AMA Executive Director Jed Hilley, Todd Snider, Emmylou Harris and the Carolina Chocolate Drops (with baby!). Photo: Drew Maynard

The 2010 Americana Music Association Honors and Awards nominees are:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The List, by Rosanne Cash
A Friend of a Friend, by Dave Rawlings Machine
Downtown Church, by Patty Griffin
A. Enlightenment B. Endarkenment (Hint: There is no c), by Ray Wylie Hubbard

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Ryan Bingham
Patty Griffin
Levon Helm
Steve Earle
Ray Wylie Hubbard

DUO GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Avett Brothers
Carolina Chocolate Drops
Band of Heathens
Dave Rawlings Machine

INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Buddy Miller
Dave Rawlings
Will Kimbrough
Sam Bush

NEW & EMERGING ARTIST
Sarah Jarosz
Ryan Bingham
Hayes Carll
Corb Lund
Joe Pug

SONG OF THE YEAR
“The Weary Kind”
Written by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett-performed by Ryan Bingham
“Drunken Poets Dream”
Written by Hayes Carll and Ray Wylie Hubbard performed by Ray Wylie Hubbard
“Ruby”
Written by Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch-performed by Dave Rawlings Machine
“I and Love and You”
Written and performed The Avett Brothers

The winners will be announced September 9 at the  Ryman Auditorium during the 9th Annual Americana Music Association’s Honors and Awards Show. Hosted by Jim Lauderdale and featuring a band led by Buddy Miller, the Honors & Awards ceremony will also recognize Lifetime Achievements and bestow awards in Performance, Songwriting and Instrumentalist and other important categories. Additional honorees and performers will be announced in the coming months.

“Very quietly, Americana has become the fastest rising music community today,” said AMA executive director Jed Hilly. “The nominees represent the elite of the elite, and we could not be more proud to work with and for such provocative creators.”

Slated for Wednesday, September 8 through Saturday, September 11, the 11th Annual Americana Festival and Conference will offer daily seminars, panels and networking opportunities at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel.  The event brings more than 100 stacked musical showcases to key venues throughout Nashville. Approximately 1,000 industry professionals attended the 2009 conference and more than 12,000 fans experienced the Festival’s musical events.