Americanafest Sets Attendance Records, 2012 Dates

The Americana Music Association will host its 2012 Festival & Conference in Nashville, TN from Sept. 12-15. The announcement comes on the heels of one the music association’s most successful events yet.

The 2011 Americana Music Association Festival and Conference saw the participation of over 10,000 fans, 300 performing artists and 1,000 music industry professionals during the four-day celebration of American Roots inspired music.

The most significant increase in attendance took place at the conference portion of this year’s event, where industry and artists gathered for a series of educational workshops and seminars. Peaking at over 1,130 attendees, a 25% gain over last year, registration for the conference has now increased by 35% since 2009. The 2011 Festival & Conference also stimulated a boost in new AMA memberships, with a 13% increase in members in the last 12 months. Membership now stands at 1356.

The association’s capstone event, the Americana Music Honors & Awards show sold out the Ryman Auditorium for the first time in its ten-year history.  The program was broadcast live on Nashville Public Television (WNPT-Channel 8). Additionally, for the first time in the event’s history, it will be broadcast nationwide by PBS. ACL Presents: Americana Music Festival is set to air this Sat., Nov. 19.

“This year’s event reflects the growing national and international popularity of the Americana genre,” says AMA Executive Director Jed Hilly. “That artists like Gregg Allman, Robert Plant and Lucinda Williams along with industry leaders like Neil Portnow, Rich Bengloff and Michael Huppe have flown to Nashville to be a part of our community is a huge honor.”