The Americana Music Award nominations were announced this morning in New York, and the list is chock full of lovely surprises and well deserving artists.
Some personal favorites include The Civil Wars with TWO noms, Buddy Miller (have we heard his album Majestic Silver Strings??? No?? Do it now.), and Justin Townes Earle (Harlem River Blues is one of my favorite albums AND songs of the last year). Overall, it’s just great to see such an enormously talented and exceptionally young group get recognized. (And has anyone else noticed how many Brits are up for Americana Awards?)
Here’s the complete list:
THE 2011 AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION HONORS AND AWARDS NOMINEES:
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Band of Joy, Robert Plant
Welder, Elizabeth Cook
Harlem River Blues, Justin Townes Earle
Blessed, Lucinda Williams
ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Buddy Miller
Elizabeth Cook
Hayes Carll
Robert Plant
NEW/EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR
The Civil Wars
Mumford And Sons
The Secret Sisters
Jessica Lea Mayfield
DUO/GROUP OF THE YEAR
The Avett Brothers
The Civil Wars
Mumford And Sons
Robert Plant and the Band Of Joy
SONG OF THE YEAR
Decemberists with Gillian Welch- ‘Down By The Water’
Elizabeth Cook – ‘El Camino’
Hayes Carll – ‘Kmag Yoyo’
Justin Townes Earle – ‘Harlem River Blues’
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Buddy Miller
Gurf Morlix
Kenny Vaughan
Sarah Jarosz
Will Kimbrough
The 10th Americana Music Awards will be held at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on October 13, 2011.