Jason Isbell, Rosanne Cash, Sturgill Simpson to Perform at Americana Awards
The two biggest nominees at this year’s Americana Honors & Awards show will now be performing at the event. Rosanne Cash and Jason Isbell, who each scored three nominations, including one in the Artist of the Year category, join a fully fleshed-out roster of performers at the September 17th ceremony.
Sturgill Simpson, Marty Stuart, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Patty Griffin, Ry Cooder, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Rodney Crowell and Buddy Miller are also among those set to take the stage, along with previously announced performers Loretta Lynn, Flaco Jimenez, Taj Mahal and Jackson Browne.
Cash’s nominations stem from her Southern travelogue album The River & The Thread, which features the nominated song “A Feather’s Not a Bird,” while Isbell’s showing dovetails with his vulnerable solo album Southeastern and its song “Cover Me Up.” Both LPs are up for Album of the Year.
Held at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and hosted by Jim Lauderdale, who will also perform, the Americana Honors & Awards has also recruited a host of presenters. Vince Gill, Carlene Carter, JD Souther, the Old 97’s’ Rhett Miller and the Civil Wars’ John Paul White are among those handing out awards.
While the Artist and Album of the Year categories are the top honors, the race for Emerging Act of the Year is particularly interesting, with nominees that span many genres. Folkie act Hurray for the Riff Raff, singer-songwriter Parker Millsap, soul throwbacks St. Paul & the Broken Bones, gospel-influenced singer Valerie June and Waylon Jennings disciple Sturgill Simpson all compete in the category.