Brandi Carlile, Allison Russell and Yola are the leading nominees for the 2022 Americana Honors & Awards. All three artists are nominated for artist of the year, album of the year and song of the year. The other nominees for artist of the year are Jason Isbell and Billy Strings.
Carlile has won artist of the year in two of the past three years. Isbell won in that category in 2014.
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Adia Victoria and producers Dave Cobb, Dan Auerbach and T Bone Burnett each received two nods.
The nominations were announced at the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville on Monday (May 16). The event was streamed live on the Americana Music Association’s Facebook page. Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Blount Trotter, who comprise the husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty, hosted the ceremony.
All five albums nominated for album of the year are by female artists – one of them in collaboration with a male artist. Carlile’s In These Silent Days, Russell’s Outside Child and Yola’s Stand for Myself are joined in the category by Victoria’s A Southern Gothic and Plant and Krauss’ Raise the Roof.
Plant and Krauss won in this category in 2008 for their first collab, Raising Sand. That best-seller went on to win Grammys for album of the year and best contemporary folk/Americana album in 2009.
Two of this year’s album of the year nominees, Russell’s Outside Child and Yola’s Stand for Myself, were nominated for best Americana album at the 64th annual Grammy Awards, which were presented last month.
Likewise, two of this year’s song of the year nominees, Carlile’s “Right on Time” and Yola’s “Diamond Studded Shoes,” were nominated in songwriting categories at the recent Grammy Awards. “Right on Time,” which Carlile co-wrote with Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth, was Grammy-nominated for song of the year. “Diamond Studded Shoes,” which Yola co-wrote with Auerbach, Natalie Hemby and Aaron Lee Tasjan, was Grammy-nominated for best American roots song.
As an album of the year nominee, Victoria is probably the front-runner to win in the other category in which she is nominated: emerging act of the year. Victoria co-produced A Southern Gothic, which is this year’s only album of the year nominee that was produced or co-produced by the artist.
Victoria, The War and Treaty and Fisk Jubilee Singers performed at the nomination announcement event.
Victoria performed a coolly haunting rendition of “Magnolia Blues” from A Southern Gothic. “It’s an honor and privilege to be in your company this afternoon…this is not bad for a girl from South Carolina,” Victoria said.
The War and Treaty, who are nominated for duo/group of the year, closed out the event by honoring the late John Prine with a performance of “Knockin’ on Your Screen Door,” the opening track on Prine’s 2018 album, The Tree of Forgiveness. That won album of the year at the 2019 Americana Music Honors and Awards.
The War and Treaty were part of the ceremony in 2019 when Prine was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. “We were so honored to be part of honoring this artist,” Trotter Jr. said. “…For me, every time I hear the word ‘Americana,’ or every time we step on stage to represent Americana, I just feel like in every case, we have to honor John Prine.”
The winners in each category will be announced during the Americana Honors & Awards on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The organization will also present lifetime achievement awards, including the Legacy of Americana Award.
The program is the main event of AmericanaFest, which returns for its 22nd year from Sept. 13-17. AmericanaFest showcases hundreds of artists and bands throughout many venues in Music City. The event also features an industry conference.
Tickets to the Americana Honors & Awards are on sale now for AmericanaFest conference registrants. For more information on the association or to purchase passes to AmericanaFest, visit www.americanamusic.org.
Here’s a full list of nominees for the 21st annual Americana Honors & Awards:
Artist of the year
Brandi Carlile
Jason Isbell
Allison Russell
Billy Strings
Yola
Album of the year
In These Silent Days, Brandi Carlile; produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings
Outside Child, Allison Russell; produced by Dan Knobler
Raise The Roof, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss; produced by T Bone Burnett
A Southern Gothic, Adia Victoria; produced by Mason Hickman and Adia Victoria, executive produced by T Bone Burnett
Stand For Myself, Yola; produced by Dan Auerbach
Song of the year
“Canola Fields,” James McMurtry; written by James McMurtry
“Diamond Studded Shoes,” Yola; written by Dan Auerbach, Natalie Hemby, Aaron Lee Tasjan and Yola
“Juanita,” Sturgill Simpson feat. Willie Nelson; written by Sturgill Simpson
“Persephone,” Allison Russell; written by Jeremy Lindsay and Allison Russell
“Right on Time,” Brandi Carlile; written by Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth
Duo/group of the year
Big Thief
Los Lobos
The Mavericks
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
The War and Treaty
Emerging act of the year
Sierra Ferrell
Neal Francis
Brittney Spencer
Adia Victoria
Morgan Wade
Instrumentalist of the year
Ethan Ballinger
Brian Farrow
Larissa Maestro
Shelby Means
Justin Moses
–Additional reporting by Jessica Nicholson.
