AMA Nominees Include Sturgill Simpson, Shakey Graves, Rhiannon Giddens, Lucinda Williams

The Americana Music Association will gather this September in Nashville, for another week of celebrating the ever-remarkable evolution of Americana music. Each year, the conference and festival kicks off with a night of awards at the Ryman Auditorium, when the finest music from the previous year is honored during a show that has come to be as definitive of the genre as are the nominees whose names are dropped. Previous AMA Awards ceremonies have seen performances from rising artists like Alabama Shakes and Sturgill Simpson, who then went on to dominate discussion about the style in the ensuing months. 

Considering this year’s nominees — many of whom will no doubt make up the show’s performance schedule — it’s likely to be an incredible lineup. After all, Simpson, Shakey Graves, Rhiannon Giddens, and Lucinda Williams lead the pack with a few nominations apiece.

Always particularly telling in this field is what artists comprise the Emerging Artist of the Year nominations. Considering the spread of styles and instincts between First Aid Kit, Shakey Graves, Houndmouth, Nikki Lane, and Doug Seegers, might be enough to give you a little stylistic whiplash. Then again, what each of these artists does is utterly characteristic of Americana music these days, and it’ll certainly make for a memorable show. 

So, without further ado, I give you the 2015 Americana Music Award Nominees. 

Album of the Year

Shakey Graves – And the War Came
Lucinda Williams – Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone
Sturgill Simpson – Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
Lee Ann Womack – The Way I’m Livin’
Rhiannon Giddens – Tomorrow Is My Turn

Artist of the Year 

Rhiannon Giddens
Jason Isbell
Sturgill Simpson
Lucinda Williams
Lee Ann Womack

Duo/Group of the Year 

Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn
The Lone Bellow
The Mavericks
Punch Brothers
Shovels & Rope

Emerging Artist of the Year

First Aid Kit
Houndmouth
Nikki Lane
Doug Seegers
Shakey Graves

Instrumentalist of the Year 

Hubby Jenkins
Laur Joamets
Greg Leisz
John Leventhal
Stuart Mathis

Song of the Year 

“Dearly Departed” — Shakey Graves; Written by Alejandro Rose-Garcia and Esme’ Patterson
“East Side Of Town” — Lucinda Williams; Written by Lucinda Williams
“Terms Of My Surrender” — John Hiatt; Written by John Hiatt
“Turtles All The Way Down” — Sturgill Simpson; Written by Sturgill Simpson
“You’re The Best Lover That I Ever Had” — Steve Earle & the Dukes; Written by Steve Earle