Allison Russell, Brandi Carlile, Billy Strings Win Americana Awards

Allison Russell, Brandi Carlile and Billy Strings have been among the many winners Wednesday night time on the Americana Honors & Awards ceremony in Nashville, the place the love was unfold round among the many style’s present main lights.

Six completely different performers prevailed within the six voted classes, with newcomer Sierra Ferrell, instrumentalist Larissa Maestro and the husband-wife duo the Struggle and Treaty additionally arising winners.

The competitors may be extra inter-familial on the Americana Awards than at different exhibits, and the three main nominees — Carlile, Russell and Yola, who had three nominations every — have been significantly tight-knit in supporting and guesting with each other. Carlile was even instrumental in serving to get Russell her document cope with Fantasy Information.

In the long run, Russell and Carlile cut up two of the awards they have been up for. Russell, a first-time nominee, was honored for album of the yr for her debut launch as a solo artist, “Exterior Little one,” which landed atop many critics’ prime 10 lists (together with Selection‘s) on the finish of 2021. Carlile, who had beforehand received 5 Americana Awards, picked up her sixth Wednesday night time for track of the yr, for “Proper on Time.” (The singer-songwriter shared the track award with three co-writers, band members Phil and Tim Hanseroth and producer Dave Cobb.)

These two have been each nominated for artist of the yr as properly. However that went to Billy Strings, a neo-bluegrass touring monster incomes his very first Americana Award. He’d been nominated for it final yr, however misplaced then to Carlile, who had received in that class two of the earlier three years. (Strings was on tour and absent from the ceremony, along with his award being accepted on his behalf by presenter Jerry Douglas.)

The Struggle and Treaty bought their second award from the Americana Music Affiliation, arising as winners for duo/group of the yr after beforehand having claimed the rising artist trophy three years in the past. Their efficiency of “That’s How Love Is Made” earned a standing ovation earlier within the night.

The affiliation’s lifetime achievement honors went to the Fairfield 4, the Indigo Ladies, Chris Isaak, the late nation star Don Williams and legendary Stax govt Al Bell, all beforehand introduced. To their ranks was added a shock lifetime award for Buddy Miller, who was main the home band for the present, as he has a lot of the ceremony’s 21 years. Robert Plant, who has had Miller as his and Alison Krauss’ band chief up to now, introduced Miller’s award.

Tribute was paid to Luke Bell, a cult favourite amongst conventional nation music lovers who died by suicide in August. JP Harris stated he’d been known as to return in from the highway simply days earlier to salute Bell in track, and sang “The Bullfighter,” prefacing it with a message concerning the want for extra consideration to psychological well being wants and the message: “Luke by no means bought an opportunity to sing this track himself from this stage like he ought to’ve, so I’m going to do my damnedest in your stead, little brother.”

A departed singer who did get his due in his lifetime, Don Williams, was paid homage by Lukas Nelson, who coated “Lord, I Hope This Day is Good.”

A majority of the night’s nominees carried out in some unspecified time in the future in the course of the three-hour-plus present, together with a joint efficiency of “You’re Not Alone,” Russell’s new single, with Carlile, who’s featured on the document. Carlile sang her personal “You and Me on the Rock” with the duo Lucius, who contributed harmonies on the “In These Silent Days” album model. Different nominees to carry out included Adia Victoria, James McMurtry, Neal Francis and Morgan Wade together with winners Ferrell and the Struggle and Treaty and honorees the Indigo Ladies, Fairfield 5 and Isaak, the latter preceded by his award’s presenter, Lyle Lovett.