Americana Music Association announces nominees for Honors & Awards

Kentuckian Sturgill Simpson leads the pack for the Americana Music Association's Honors & Awards nominees.

The Americana Music Association announced the nominees for its 16th annual Honors & Awards show this week at an intimate members-only ceremony held at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The live-streamed event was hosted by The Milk Carton Kids — Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan — and featured performances by Jason Isbell, Jerry Douglas, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley of the Drive-By Truckers and Caitlin Canty.

A full list of categories and nominees for the Americana Music Association’s 16th Annual Honors & Awards is below:

Album of the Year:

American Band, Drive-By Truckers, Produced by David Barbe

Close Ties, Rodney Crowell, Produced by Kim Buie and Jordan Lehning

Freedom Highway, Rhiannon Giddens, Produced by Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell

The Navigator, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Produced by Paul Butler

A Sailor’s Guide to Earth, Sturgill Simpson, Produced by Sturgill Simpson

Artist of the Year:

Jason Isbell

John Prine

Lori McKenna

Margo Price

Sturgill Simpson

Duo/Group of the Year:

Billy Bragg & Joe Henry

Drive-By Truckers

Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives

The Lumineers

Emerging Artist of the Year:

Aaron Lee Tasjan

Amanda Shires

Brent Cobb

Sam Outlaw

Song of the Year:

“All Around You,” Sturgill Simpson, Written by Sturgill Simpson

“It Ain’t Over Yet,” Rodney Crowell (feat. Rosanne Cash & John Paul White), Written by Rodney Crowell

“To Be Without You,” Ryan Adams, Written by Ryan Adams

“Wreck You,” Lori McKenna, Written by Lori McKenna and Felix McTeigue  

Instrumentalist of the Year:

Spencer Cullum, Jr.

Jen Gunderman

Courtney Hartman

Charlie Sexton 

The winners of each category will be announced during the Americana Honors and Awards show on September 13, 2017, at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. The celebrated program is the capstone event of “AMERICANAFEST℠,” the Americana Music Festival and Conference, which runs from September 12-17, 2017.

Each year, the Americana Music Association℠ honors distinguished members of the music community with six member-voted annual awards and with Lifetime Achievement Awards, which will be announced leading up to the event.

Described by Emmylou Harris as “the shining star of Nashville and music everywhere,” the Americana Honors and Awards show has been broadcast in the past on AXS TV, PBS, and via SiriusXM Radio, BBC2, WMOT, WRLT, WSM, Voice of America and npr.org.  The show has featured many amazing moments in musical history including Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash's last live performance together, as well as show-stopping appearances by Bob Weir, George Strait, Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt, Gregg Allman, The Avett Brothers, Solomon Burke, Rosanne Cash, Civil Wars, Dr. John with Dan Auerbach, Patty Griffin, Levon Helm, Robert Plant and many more. Tickets for the Americana Honors & Awards are available for purchase by conference registrants of the weeklong event.

For more information about the Americana Honors & Awards and to purchase registrations and tickets, please visit www.americanamusic.org.

Bluegrass duo Dailey & Vincent to become Opry members

Marty Stuart asking Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent to become members of the Grand Ole Opry. Photo by Chris Hollo.

Three-time IBMA Entertainers of the Year and multi-Grammy®-nominated super duo Dailey & Vincent have been invited to become official members of the Grand Ole Opry. The pair returned to the Opry at the Ryman Auditorium last night to celebrate the kick-off of its 10th year as a duo, which began on the Opry at the Ryman stage in 2007. The night also marked the duo’s 100th Opry appearance. The duo will be formally inducted into the Opry on Saturday, March 11.

Corbin, Kentucky native Jamie Dailey will be the second Kentuckian to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 2017.  Crystal Gayle is set to be inducted in January 2017.

During a special half-hour Dailey & Vincent set, the two were joined by a series of guests including Opry members Marty Stuart and Connie Smith as well as John Carter Cash and his wife Ana Cristina in addition to Dailey’s father JB Dailey and Vincent’s mother Carolyn Vincent. After a performance with the duo, Stuart gave Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent the surprise of their lives, inviting the duo to officially join the Opry. “Country music needs you. Country music loves you. And the Grand Ole Opry welcomes you,” Stuart said.

“This is one of the most special things that has ever happened to us,” a shocked Dailey said after a few seconds of stunned silence. “We’re so thankful.”

Before closing out the show along with their guests on the gospel favorite “This Old House,” and equally surprised Vincent shared, “I have no words. I’m so honored. The Lord is so faithful to us.”

“Dailey & Vincent have thoroughly entertained thousands of fans on the Opry stage over the past decade,” said Opry Vice President and General Manager Pete Fisher. Jamie Dailey and Darrin Vincent embody so much about what fans love about the Opry. They have a tremendous respect for tradition, and they’re also innovators committed to the future of the music they love. We’re excited to welcome them as official members of the family in March.”

Crystal Gayle is set to be inducted into the Opry by her sister Loretta Lynn on Saturday, January 21. Other artists scheduled to play the Opry in early 2017 include Brandy Clark, Chris Janson, Ricky Skaggs, and Josh Turner, among many others.

Library of Congress acquires Marty Stuart’s audio-visual collection of country music history

Marty Stuart - via Marty's Facebook Page

Grand Ole Opry star and multiple Grammy Award winner Marty Stuart has amassed one of the largest private collections of memorabilia documenting country-music history. The Library of Congress announced in mid-May that the world’s largest library has acquired hundreds of hours of historic country-music footage, recordings and other audio-visual materials from Stuart’s vast collection. The Marty Stuart Collection will complement the Library’s existing collections from such iconic performers as Pete Seeger, Les Paul, Max Roach, Gerry Mulligan, Jerry Lewis and Bob Hope.

The audio-visual collection features more than 100 hours of footage shot on the road, including at the Grand Ole Opry; complete television episodes of "The Johnny Cash Show," "Flatt and Scruggs Grand Ole Opry" and the "Marty Stuart Show"; rare home movies of the Lester Flatt Band on tour; and music videos from throughout Stuart’s career, including the songs "Tempted," "Little Things" and "Burn Me Down." Stuart donated portions of the collection and the rest was acquired via purchase.

In celebration of the acquisition, Stuart performed at the Library’s Packard Campus Theater, located at the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia. The Library plans to collaborate with Stuart to present a series of events highlighting traditional American music and its place in the nation’s audio-visual history. Featuring a combination of conversation and music, "The Library of Congress and Marty Stuart Present" event in May will showcase Harry Stinson, Kenny Vaughan and Chris Scruggs, the musicians who form Stuart’s popular band, The Fabulous Superlatives.

"For this celebration event, The Fabulous Superlatives will be profiled individually and collectively," said Stuart. "Kenny Vaughan, Harry Stinson and Chris Scruggs are modern masters of their craft, each one a statesman. Their stories will fit well into the archives of the Library of Congress."

Stinson added: "I can’t wait to get back to the ‘seed bank’ of American film and audio culture, the Library of Congress’ Packard Campus! I admire the passion and diligence of every soul working there to restore and preserve our artistic heritage."

From his early days as a teen mandolinist, and later as Johnny Cash’s guitarist, to his popularity as a solo artist, Stuart has always been interested in the preservation of the country-music heritage. "After spending the better part of two days touring the Packard Campus facility in 2015, the historian and archivist part of me was energized beyond measure," said Stuart. "I dearly love the Library. It stands as a timeless symbol of our nation’s creative powers and serves as a reminder that there is indeed a destination for works that are led forth by the guardian angels of inspiration and integrity."

As a musician, singer and songwriter, Stuart brings an electric style to his country-music roots. Born in Philadelphia, Mississippi in 1958, he learned to play the guitar and mandolin at an early age and began performing professionally at 12 while touring with The Sullivan Family, a bluegrass-gospel group. About a year later, he joined Lester Flatt and his band, The Nashville Grass. In 1980, following Flatt’s death, Stuart joined Johnny Cash’s band as a guitarist. After about five years touring with Cash, he pursued a successful solo career.

During his more than 40-year career, Stuart has added numerous honors and awards to his long list of accomplishments, including five Grammy Awards. In addition to producing a long-running television series—"The Marty Stuart Show"—Stuart has produced soundtracks for several films, including "All The Pretty Horses," for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.

For decades, he also has channeled his creative talent as a highly respected photographer. His photographs have been exhibited in museums and published in books. In addition to being an avid collector of country-music memorabilia, Stuart served as president of the Country Music Foundation, which manages the Country Music Hall of Fame.

The Stuart audio-visual collection will be available to researchers in the Library’s Motion Picture and Television Reading Room in Washington, D.C. Processing of the collection continues, but much of it is currently available to researchers. The rest of Stuart’s large collection of country-music artifacts will be located at his birthplace at the Marty Stuart Center and Congress of Country Music Hall.

The Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation is a state-of-the-art facility funded as a gift to the nation by the Packard Humanities Institute. The Packard Campus is the site where the nation’s library acquires, preserves and provides access to the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of motion pictures, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings (www.loc.gov/avconservation). The Packard Campus is home to more than 7 million collection items. It provides staff support for the Library of Congress National Film Preservation Board (www.loc.gov/film), the National Recording Preservation Board (www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb) and the national registries for film and recorded sound.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the largest library in the world. It seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs, publications and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.

Artist Interview: Marty Stuart on the preservation of country music

Marty Stuart - Photo by James Minchin

Tonight, Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives will be spending Valentine’s Day here in Kentucky. He is not a stranger to Kentucky, having performed here multiple times over the years. His band also uses locally owned guitars produced by RS Guitarworks. Below is our conversation about those guitars, as well as preservation country music history and the popularity of his television show on RFD-TV.

How did you get in touch with RS Guitarworks from Winchester for your guitars?

Paul Martin, our bass player, is from Winchester. So he's a hometown boy and he knew Roy and those guys. He came and talked to me about this wonderful guitar company that was a hometown guitar company. I've heard that a million times from folks and went 'yeah, yeah, yeah.' So, somehow a RS guitar made it into the hands of Kenny Vaughn, our guitar player. The first time he played it, I stopped singing and turned around at sound check. I said "what's that?" and he said, "RS Guitars."

I told him, "if you're not going to buy it, I'm going to buy it and give it to you because it makes me sing different. It was just a perfect guitar. So, for the first time in my life, I stepped up outside of Fender and Martin guitar and switched to an independent guitar maker. I will support this project.

One of my childhood friends, Monti Weaver, works there and was the one who told me about you using their guitars. He also mentioned about helping to build one for Ben Haggard, Merle's son, that was used recently on the Grammy awards.

You know, we turned Benny onto their guitars when he came with Merle to play on our TV show. Benny is a good man to play that guitar because look who he gets to play with every night and that's wonderful. That says a lot about the guitar.

You seem to be the king of preservationist of country music through stories, photography, and the collection. What triggered that enthusiasm to grab hold to that tradition?

I've always been traditional minded. There's a lot of things that surprised me as I got a little bit older. I thought I was a cowboy, but I turned out to be an Indian. (laughing) I thought I was a rock star, but I turned out to be a traditional country music purist. I don't know where all that came from. I simply followed my heart, doing what I love the most. After years of exploring and innovating, or trying to innovate different denominations of country music, it appeared to me one day that the one thing that moves me and makes me cry is when I hear those real country songs. The one thing that moves me is when I write or perform one. Coming to a sense of terms, the culture was simply slipping away. I didn't see much of standards much out there. Ricky Skaggs and Vince Gill were doing it. They had their own places that they were doing it in. When the Superlatives got together, I really thought we could go out there, fly solo, and blend with the 20th century culture that loved traditional country music. Restage it and represent it and get it in the wave of the 20th century with the message to young people that this is alive and well. Since you love this and you love doing it, there is a heartbeat on this and can be further. It's not for the graveyard and to make sure that a lot of the old timers got a lot of dignity in them.

That is so true. You are also known for your huge country music memorabilia collection. How many items are in that collection now?

I really don't know, but my insurance man says in the neighborhood of over 20,000.

What is the largest item?

Oh man, I don't know. Some of the most poignant items might be Johnny Cash's first black performance suit, the boots that Patsy Cline was wearing when she lost her life, handwritten manuscripts of Hank Williams songs, and that kind of stuff.

I remember you having several items on display at the Tennessee State Museum years ago. Ironically I gotten the phone call of Porter Waggoner passing away just as I was standing in front of the portrait that you did of Porter. Do you plan on having anymore exhibits of your items?

Oh wow. There are a few items on display at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Gene Autry Museum. There are things that are on loan right now to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry Museum, and a few other museums as well that are on loan. We are working on a permanent place for them right now.

What do you think country music fans should do to help preserve the memories and memorabilia?

I think that whether it is us, or Florida Georgia Line, or whatever is there that appeals to you by the way of country music, support it, especially live bands and new artists. A lot of the fans that come to my shows have been coming to my shows since 1987 when I was barely trying to start. It is so important to keep new artists supported; especially the ones that have a shot at longevity and not, in other words, throw away pop stars. Get in there and support live music. Support your band that you love - that helps.

The very first thing people said to me when I mentioned I was interviewing you was that they love the Marty Stuart Show. It has appealed both young and old over the last few years. Why do you feel that your TV show has become so popular?

I think it is one of those things that we took our cases to the people. We didn't worry about demographics. We didn't worry about who was popular this week. I thought it entertains or it doesn’t. It is either meaningful, or it's not. I think that people respond to the authenticity of it and it's not a flash in the pan kind of show. I think it's the kind of show that will be rerun in 20 years from now. It has been a journey of trust. I've put some people that others may not have heard of, or forgot about. In the long run, they went, 'oh that was good.' I hope people learn that we are trying to do a good, trustworthy thing.

I know that you've had Hank 3 on there several times. Where audience members surprised to see him in both the three piece suit and then normal stage wear attire?

Naw, not at all. They look at me every week, so that pretty much desensitizes everybody. (laughing) He brought his band and they did a great job. He did a couple of songs from his latest project that have a true country heart to them. For goodness sake, it's Hank III. That's Hank's boy, and Hank, Sr.'s grandson, and he's Shelton. He's earned his place out there. He approached it with a lot of love and respect and people responded with a like mind.

After seeing him live in concert myself, as well as the new album to his music collection, he's doing well for himself and I'm a fan.

I think so too. I agree and I think his grandpa would be proud of him.

You always had an authentic sense of style from your hair down to your boots. Everyone has asked me to ask you - how have you been able to maintain your great hairstyle?

(laughing) I see it as a totally different perspective of that. I don't see it as a wonderful hairstyle. I see it more as a mess. Hang it out the window and let ‘er fly.

With Valentine's Day, how would you describe the perfect date with your wife Connie?

I haven't yet. We usually have to put it off a few days. One of the things that have been on my list for a long time is to go see Tony Bennett. We are playing in New York City next Wednesday and the day after we get home, Tony Bennett is playing in Nashville. So Constance and I are going to go see Tony Bennett and have a date night. Let him sing love songs to us.

Each year you both come up to Renfro Valley. What keeps you coming back to play there?

I love the place. It's one of those places that if we don't support it, it will go away. There have been a lot of shows that were like Renfro Valley that have disappeared and died within the past 15 or 20 years. Their legacies probably ran as deep as Renfro Valley. Times changed, they tried, and it didn't work and they're gone. And the thing about it is, Renfro Valley is kind of one of those American treasures out there and if we don't support it will simply disappear.

And I feel the same about the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame. It's a great museum. It is a great place and I feel like a lot of people from Nashville have never been to the Country Music Hall of Fame. I feel like a lot of people from Kentucky have never been to the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.

You asked me what people could do to support it. Start at the local level and that's a great way to do it.

When it is all said and done, how do you want to be remembered by?

Oh wow. It would be that he died following his heart.

Be sure to check out Marty Stuart's website for tour dates and the latest updates at www.martystuart.net.