(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Americana Honors & Awards, which recognizes the achievements of Americana music’s greatest practitioners, is part of the Americana Music Association Conference to be held September 23-25 at the Nashville Convention Center in Nashville. The Americana Music Association is a professional trade organization whose mission is to provide a forum for the advocacy of Americana music and to promote public awareness of the genre to support the creative and economic viability of professionals in this field.
The Americana Honors & Awards Show is held at each year’s conference to honor merit and achievement within the Americana music genre. The two hour show includes performances, awards, nominees, tributes and more. Past performers and award winners in attendance include Johnny and June Carter Cash (2002 performers), Kris Kristofferson (2003 performer), Ricky Skaggs (2003 performer), Rodney Crowell (2003 performer), Allison Moorer (2003 performer), Jim Lauderdale (2003 host and performer), Kathleen Edwards (2003 performer), Gillian Welch (2002 performer), Buddy and Julie Miller (2002 performer), Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Billy Joe Shaver, Jerry Douglas, Jason Ringenberg and more.
This year marks the creation of a new award, the “New/Emerging Artist of the Year,” which was created to help recognize new or rapidly emerging artists from within the Americana genre.
2004 Americana Honors & Award Show Nominees:
Album of the Year:
Loretta Lynn – "Van Lear Rose" (Interscope)
Mindy Smith – “One Moment More” (Vanguard)
Rodney Crowell – Fate’s Right Hand (DMZ/Epic)
Slaid Cleaves – Wishbones (Philo)
Artist of the Year:
Allison Moorer
Jim Lauderdale
Loretta Lynn
Patty Griffin
Song of the Year (presented to the Songwriter):
Loretta Lynn – “Portland, Oregon” (Loretta Lynn)
Mindy Smith – “Come To Jesus” (Mindy Smith)
Rodney Crowell – “Fate’s Right Hand” (Rodney Crowell)
Slaid Cleaves – “Wishbones” (Slaid Cleaves & Ray Wylie Hubbard)
Instrumentalist of the Year:
Jerry Douglas
Kenny Vaughan
Sam Bush
Will Kimbrough
New/Emerging Artist of the Year:
Adrienne Young
Greencards
Mindy Smith
Old Crow Medicine Show
–Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen