Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell claimed top honors at the 15th annual Americana Music Awards at the Ryman Auditorium on Wednesday night (Sept. 21).

The ceremony marks the official kick-off of the Americana Music Association’s convention and festival, which continues through the rest of this week in Nashville. An estimated 2,000 are registered for “Americanafest.”

At the nearly four-hour ceremony, the much-awarded Stapleton won the Americana Artist of the Year honor. The singer-songwriter has been embraced by both the country and Americana genres.

“I don’t know what to say,” he said bashfully. “I’ve been sitting here, watching my heroes play…and it….means a great deal to me. I’m nervous. There’s so many heroes in the audience.”

Isbell won both the Song and Album of the Year honors. In 2014, he claimed the same two awards, as well as Artist of the Year. He is a “homegrown” Americana favorite, who has blossomed along with the genre.

“This community has given us a place,” he said. “I was not one of the first, second, or even third generation of Americana musicians. We never expected to get out of the bars. This group of people, they helped pull all of us up, together. I feel like I can go any place in the world to make this kind of music, now.”

Isbell’s winning song was “24 Frames,” from his winning Americana album, Something More Than Free.

The Duo/Group of the Year award went to Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, both of whom are prior Lifetime honorees at this convention.

“It’s amazing what Americana has become,” said Harris. “We were kind of ‘field hippies,’ and now we’re ‘Americana.’”

“Hat off and hearts out to the other nominees in this category,” added Crowell. Among those he was saluting were the nominated Milk Carton Kids, who were standout performers on the show.

The Emerging Artist of the Year award was won by Margo Price. She is a Nashville country singer-songwriter who is on Jack White’s rock label Third Man Records.

“I’m very, very thankful to the Americana Music Association for presenting honest music,” she said. “Some of the people who passed on my record might be sitting here tonight. I’d like to thank my husband, Jeremy Ivey, who believed in me and this record enough to sell our car.”

The Instrumentalist of the Year award went to Sara Watkins. The former Nickel Creek fiddler was not present. Brother and fellow Nickel Creek alumnus Sean Watkins accepted on her behalf.

The AMA honors always balance contemporary-artist accolades with salutes to veteran music makers. The latter are annually recognized via Lifetime Achievement presentations.

This year, those were the Lifetime Achievement Performer award to Bob Weir, Lifetime Achievement Songwriter award to William Bell, Trailblazer Award to Shawn Colvin, President’s Award to the late Woody Guthrie, Spirit of Americana Free Speech Award to Billy Bragg and Wagonmaster Award to Jim Lauderdale, who is the show’s longtime host.

All of the honors were punctuated by live performances. Indeed, the show’s music always outshines its actual award presentations.

Before the event even started, the divinely gifted McCrary Sisters favored the crowd with gospel harmonies as a benediction. They then sang backup for the other artists on the bill.

Then came a segment honoring some greats who passed away during the past year. Alison Krauss led an awesome quartet featuring Stuart Duncan, Buddy Miller and Melonie Cannon on “Glory Land” to salute Ralph Stanley.

Joe Henry gave deep, blue-eyed soul to “Freedom for the Stallion” honoring Allen Toussaint. Steve Earle saluted Guy Clark with “Desperados Waiting for a Train” with the house band thundering righteously behind him. Bob Weir’s dusty vocal — backed by the kick-ass, Bakersfield-fired band — offered “Mama Tried” in honor of Merle Haggard.

For the first Lifetime salute, Bonnie Raitt introduced Colvin, who accepted her honor by saying, “This award is proof that if you never give up…and…fight like hell, you can wind up here.” She then delivered a slinky and tough “Diamond in the Rough” with John Leventhal joining the house band on lead guitar. Colvin has a current duo CD with Earle. Presenter Raitt capped this segment with a vampy, bluesy, sensuous “Gypsy in Me.”

Winners Harris & Crowell delivered “Bring it on Home to Memphis” in a rollicking, romping arrangement with a swampy backbeat. Isbell presented his bopping “It Takes a Lifetime” with wife Amanda Shires by his side on fiddle.

Bragg was on stage for his award as well as for the Guthrie honor. He sang a moody and downcast version of Guthrie’s “I Ain’t Got No Home.”

“I think this is another example of Nashville’s generosity,” he said of his own award. “I want to pay tribute to the AMA for their inclusiveness about what Americana music is. E Pluribus Unum – America is never greater than when it strives to live up to that.”

Of the Guthrie salute, Bragg added, “All of us stand on the shoulders of a great American songwriter and activist. He wrote the truth.”

Emerging Artist winner Price sang her country stomper “Tennessee Song.” Performer winner Weir, best known for his work in The Grateful Dead, read a prepared speech.

“How could a guy be more truly blessed?” he asked. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to think. I have dedicated my life to performing and honoring this art form.” His Dead songs have included “Sugar Magnolia,” “Truckin,’” and “Jack Straw.”

Lifetime Songwriter winner Bell is responsible for “You Don’t Miss Your Water,” “Born Under a Bad Sign,” “I Forgot to Be Your Lover” and more. He brought out Raitt to sing with him on his “The Three of Us,” which is on his new Stax Records CD.

“William is the foundation – He was there when soul music started,” said presenter Leventhal. “He has written standards. He is a soul poet.”

Lauderdale’s award was presented by superstar George Strait, who has recorded many of the songwriter’s works. Strait also punctuated the honor with a profoundly country performance of Lauderdale’s “The King of Broken Hearts.”

“This means so much to me,” said Lauderdale. He listed such influences as Ralph Stanley, Marty Stuart, Roland White and Dwight Yoakam, as well as Strait. “They gave me something to aspire to. I’m trying to catch up with those guys.” He has a new CD, too.

Other standout performances came from 2016 AMA nominees. The Milk Carton Kids cast a spell with interwoven guitars and innocence-lost vocals on the dreamy “Memphis.” John Moreland’s “American Flags in Black and White” was rolling folk-rock. Miller and Earle did a rocked-up version of The Delmore Brothers chestnut “I Let the Freight Train Carry Me On.”

The Lumineers were stirring and anthemic on the enthralling “Angel.” Parker Millsap presented his tempo-shifting lament with the topical lyric of brotherhood, “Heaven Sent.” Lucinda Williams was chiming and echo-y and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats were rousing and rootsy.

Dwight Yoakam wasn’t nominated, but was a sensation with his new funky-bluegrass sound on “What I Don’t Know.” It’s on his new CD, Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars.

Presenters included John Prine, Wynonna, Larry Campbell, The Indigo Girls, Ken Paulson, Taylor Goldsmith from Dawes, Jed Hilly, Timothy B. Schmit, Jack Ingram, Sam Palladio and Bruce Hornsby. Miller’s All-Star Band this year included Duncan, the McCrarys, Steve Fishell, Matt Rollings, Dave Cobb, Fred Eltringham and Chris Wood.

“If you’re looking for The Rosetta Stone of Americana Music, you can point to this album,” said Hilly referring to 1971’s Will the Circle Be Unbroken. The show finale was that album’s title tune, an all-star “group sing” saluting the 50th anniversary of its creators, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

The Americana Music Honors & Awards show was carried live on Nashville’s WSM, WRLT and WMOT, and also on Sirius/XM’s Outlaw Channel. It was taped for a later telecast as an Austin City Limits episode on PBS.

Broken Bow Records artist Jason Aldean secures his third consecutive No. 1 album on the overall sales chart this week with They Don’t Know. The project debuted atop the overall, country, and digital album charts. The project achieved 138K combined units of sales and streaming (131K album only).

Also debuting in the Top 10 on the overall chart is Nashville’s Jack White. His Jack White Acoustic Recordings moved 32K combined units (29.7K album only), to land at No. 8 on the Top 200.

The country albums chart had plenty of its own debuts. In addition to Aldean taking the top spot, Thirty Tigers-Goldie artist Whiskey Myers lands at No. 4 with Mud selling 7.4K. The Dolly Parton/Linda Rondstadt/Emmylou Harris triple-disc Trio Collection landed at No. 7 on the country albums chart, with 5.2K sold, while Chely Wright‘s I Am The Rain sold 4.1K to land at No. 13. The Time Jumpers‘ Kid Sister lands at No. 25 with 1.7K sold.

The top 5 country albums this week include Aldean’s They Don’t Know at No. 1, followed by Florida Georgia Line‘s Dig Your Roots at No. 2 (20.5K sold), Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller at No. 3 (9.5K), Whiskey Myers at No. 4, and Keith Urban‘s Ripcord at No. 5 (6.5K).

Overall album sales have declined 14.4 percent year to date, while overall digital album sales have decreased 19 percent. Country album sales are down 7.9 percent year to date, while country digital album sales have decreased 13 percent.

Kenny Chesney (featuring Pink) is at the top of the country track sales rankings this week, with “Setting The World On Fire” selling 34K this week, and ranking at No. 10 overall. Keith Urban‘s “Blue Ain’t Your Color” lands at No. 2, with 29K. Kelsea Ballerini‘s “Peter Pan” lands at No. 3 with 28K. Miranda Lambert‘s “Vice” is at No. 4, with 23K. Florida Georgia Line‘s “H.O.L.Y.” holds its ranking in the Top 5, selling 21K.

Luke Bryan‘s “Here’s To The Farmer” is this week’s top country track debut, landing at No. 8 on the country tracks chart and No. 43 overall, selling 14K.

Overall track sales have declined 24.8 percent year to date, while country track sales have decreased 23.1 percent.

Information provided by Nielsen Soundscan.

The Recording Academy® Nashville Chapter members were offered a rare and unique opportunity during The Art Of The Craft With Nick Jonas. The invitation-only soiree was held Sept. 6 at The Tracking Room in Nashville, one of the most historic studios on Music Row.

The event gave The Recording Academy® members and guests a chance to learn how Jonas took his initial interest in music and forged a successful musical career as a member of The Jonas Brothers and now, as a solo artist as well as a successful television, film and theatrical actor.

The behind-the-scenes interview conducted by Nashville hit songwriter Brett James created a conversational journey into 23-year-old Jonas’ career, engaging the audience with his unique path and numerous accomplishments at such a young age.

Born in Texas and growing up in New Jersey, his family was in ministry which allowed Jonas to sing in church as a child. On a visit to a hair salon with his mom, someone overheard him singing and that encounter eventually led him to his first audition at age 7 and ultimately landed him a role in Les Misérables. He continued performing in other Broadway shows for several years.

While opportunities may have come his way, the invited guests quickly learned he had a very hands-on approach in capitalizing on those opportunities.

At age 12, he received his first record deal with Columbia which brought him to Nashville to work on a solo album.

Describing the start of his songwriting career, Jonas shared a story about a writing session he had in Music City on his first trip to Nashville at age 11. “I remember an experience where I was on my way to a session out in Franklin and I got sick because I got so nervous about writing, opening up and being creative. They were extremely cool about it and said, ‘Songwriting is all about being vulnerable and opening up and it’s OK that you’re sick. Go home. Get better. And tomorrow, we’ll do it again.’ That kinda shaped my view of what writing meant to me and how to approach it.”

His success wasn’t overnight as he had plenty of setbacks. Jonas was candid when describing the early struggles and how after getting a deal with his brothers on Columbia, they were soon dropped from the label. Before going to Disney and signing a new deal on Hollywood Records which ultimately launched The Jonas Brothers into superstardom, Jonas admitted, “We had these 10 songs that we wrote here and at the time, and as a family, we were probably $200,000 in debt and living in a two-bedroom home with seven of us. We were trying to figure out what we were doing. Our confidence took a big hit after being dropped.”

That lack of confidence was short lived as Jonas and his brothers, Joe and Kevin, went on to sell millions of albums and tour around the world as The Jonas Brothers. Regarding a lifestyle full of touring, living on buses and being in the public eye, Jonas candidly shared, “I choose to look at my life as a whole because I’ve now been doing this for longer than I haven’t. I think it’s my normal. I can’t really say that I know something else.”

Summarizing what being an artist means to him, he confessed, “For me, creativity and writing was always the most important thing. Part of the reason the group started to fall apart as a whole towards the end was because it became inauthentic. Priorities were elsewhere which happened naturally because life evolves and so do interests.”

However, Jonas doesn’t equate having achieved so much success early in his life to the end of learning and exploring his creative interests saying, “I still see there is so far to go and grow.”

After the 30-minute interview with James, Jonas performed several songs for the guests including his Top 10 hit “Jealous” from his 2014 album Nick Jonas, and “Bacon,” his second single from the current critically-acclaimed album, Last Year Was Complicated.

Jonas’ contributions as a songwriter led to him receiving the 2016 Hal David Starlight Award in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

He is winding up his Future Now Tour alongside Demi Lovato, which landed in Nashville on Sept. 7.

Florida Georgia Line retains the lead at the top of the country albums chart this week, with Dig Your Roots moving 31K (157K RTD). Blake Shelton‘s If I’m Honest moves 14K (449K RTD), landing at No. 2 this week.

Chris Stapleton‘s 2015 effort, Traveller, is at No. 3 with 11K sold (1.5M RTD), while Dolly Parton‘s 2016 project, Pure & Simple, is at No. 4 with 7.7K  (40K RTD). Cole Swindell‘s 2016 album, You Should Be Here, rounds out the Top 5, with 7K (190K RTD).

Overall album sales have declined 14.7 percent year to date, while overall digital album sales have diminished 19.3 percent. Country album sales are down 8.7 percent year to date, while country digital album sales have declined 14.1 percent.

On the country track sales rankings, Kenny Chesney‘s collaboration with Pink leads with 31K moved this week (253K RTD), enough to land at No. 17 on the overall track sales rankings. Miranda Lambert‘s “Vice” is at No. 2 this week with 29K. Kelsea Ballerini‘s “Peter Pan” lands at No. 3 this week, with 27K.

Florida Georgia Line holds the fourth and fifth spots in the Top 5 this week, with “H.O.L.Y.” selling 25K to land at No. 4, and the duo’s latest single, “May We All” featuring Tim McGraw, moves 21K to claim the No. 5 spot.

Jason Aldean‘s “This Plane Don’t Go There,” from his new album They Don’t Know, debuts at No. 12 on the country tracks rankings and at No. 51 overall, selling 12K.

Overall digital track sales are down 24.9 percent year to date, while country digital track sales have declined 23.2 percent YTD.

Information provided by Nielsen Soundscan.