John Fogerty will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting at the Americana Music Association’s 8th Annual Honors and Awards Thursday, Sept. 17. Including his solo work and his time in the iconic band Creedence Clearwater Revival, Forgerty’s musical career extends over four decades and has distinctly shaped American roots music. The musical hybrid of rockabilly, R&B, and classic country that he forged in the 1960s was well ahead of its time, and gave rise to classic songs like “Proud Mary,” “Fortunate Son,” “Bad Moon Rising,” “Who’ll Stop The Rain,” “Travelin’ Band,” “Looking Out My Back Door” and many more. Fogerty’s latest album, The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again, was released in August and features him taking on some of his favorite songs like John Prine’s “Paradise” and Buck Owens’ “I Don’t Care.” As the 2009 honoree, Fogerty joins a list that includes John Hiatt, Willie Nelson, Rodney Crowell, Guy Clark, Cowboy Jack Clement, John Prine and Billy Joe Shaver.

The Americana Honors & Awards will take place 7pm Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Ryman Auditorium. Jim Lauderdale returns as the show host and Buddy Miller will again lead the all-star house band. Fogerty is the latest artist confirmed to appear, and he joins an impressive guest list that includes Asleep at the Wheel, Jerry Douglas, Rodney Crowell, Nanci Griffith, Raul Malo, The Belleville Outfit, Reckless Kelly, John Prine, Sara Borges  & the Broken Singles, Sam Bush, Justin Townes Earle, The Flatlanders, The Gourds, and Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit. The Americana Festival and Conference runs Sept. 16-19 at the Nashville Convention Center.

Kenny Chesney continues to deliver the kind of content through his No Shoes Radio (noshoesradio.com) that can’t be found anywhere else. As part of the Hard Rock Cafe’s Ambassadors of Rock program, Chesney will be playing a decidedly scaled back show tomorrow (9/15) from Hard Rock’s Times Square location. Since the concert will likely be a departure from his arena shows, Chesney will be streaming the unique event live for his fans on No Shoes Radio. The pre-show broadcast begins at 5pm CT and includes his former tourmate Uncle Kracker’s full set, as well as impromptu interviews from NSR personalities Jon Anthony and Mark “Tambo” Tamburino.

“Part of the idea of the station is to bring people deeper into this music,” Chesney explains, “to give them more or a sense beyond the records and the big shows. We play stuff from my iPod, demos, things they’d never hear otherwise… and for but a very few hundred people, this Hard Rock show would certainly be one of those moments: something we’d all talk about how cool it was for years, knowing almost nobody got to hear it. Now, they can.”

Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards last night (9/13). As Swift began to accept her Best Female Video award for “You Belong To Me,” West jumped on stage, grabbed Swift’s mic and said “Taylor, I’m really happy for you, and I’m gonna let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time,” he said, as a surprised Beyonce looked on and the crowd began to boo West.” Swift did not finish her speech, but the crowed applauded her. Beyonce, who later won video of the year for “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” graciously welcomed Swift back onto the stage to finish her speech. See video of the incident below (via mtv.com).

Awards season is getting underway, and the 20th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards show has revealed the list of artists slated to perform. Scheduled for 7:30pm, October 1, at the Ryman Auditorium the show’s performers include hosts Kathy Mattea and Hot Rize, as well as Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, Del McCoury, Dailey & Vincent, The Grascals, The Dan Tyminski Band, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Lonesome River Band, Dale Ann Bradley, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, G2 Bluegrass Band, The Gibson Brothers, Danny Paisley and Junior Sisk, and Sierra Hull & Highway 111. The program includes the presentation of 17 industry awards to recognize achievement in bluegrass music, as well as the induction of The Lonesome Pine Fiddlers and The Dillards to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame.