Tyler Childers and Sierra Ferrell lead the nominations for the 2024 Americana Honors & Awards, both picking up nods in each of the three categories in which they were eligible — album of the year, song of the year and artist of the year.
Longtime favorite Childers is up for “Rustin’ In The Rain” for album and “In Your Love” for song. Ferrell, who has risen quickly through the ranks to become an Americana queen, is nominated for “Trail of Flowers” for best album and “American Dreaming” for top song.
Brandy Clark and Brandi Carlile followed with two nominations each, for their shared work on the Clark recordings that were nominated for best album (the Carlile-produced “Brandy Clark”) and song (“Dear Insecurity,” a duet between the two singers).
Childers and Ferrell will face Noah Kahan, Charley Crockett and Allison Russell in the artist of the year category.
Other artists receiving single nominations include Hurray for the Riff Raff and Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, in the album of the year division; and Sarah Jarosz and Waxahatchee, both up for song of the year.
The nominees for duo/group of the year are Black Pumas, Larkin Poe, the Milk Carton Kids, Turnpike Troubadours and last year’s winners, the War and Treaty.
The competition for emerging artist of the year is between Kaitlin Butts, Wyatt Flores, Charles Wesley Godwin, the Red Clay Strays and Jobi Riccio.
The final category, instrumentalist of the year, will see a faceoff between Grace Bowers, Maddie Denton, Jamie Dick, Megan McCormick and Joshua Rilko. Notably, all five are first-time nominees for the honor.
The 2024 nominees (scroll down for a complete list) were unveiled Tuesday in an announcement ceremony held at downtown Nashville’s National Museum of African American Music. Performers included SistaStrings, the War and Treaty, Megan McCormick with Amanda Fields and Ethan Ballinger, Kaitlin Butts and Sierra Ferrell.
Childers is a favorite of the Americana Awards, despite the fact that he once famously gave an acceptance speech at the show complaining that being awarded in the Americana field was a distraction from his goal of receiving recognition as a straight-ahead country artist. No one is holding it against him, obviously: His latest win came last year, for album of the year.
Although Kahan is one of the biggest music stars in any genre right now, his being put up for artist of the year marks the first time he’s been nominated for the Americana Awards. It’s also the first time for Clark, who has skirted the line between country and Americana, and had her set of Grammy nominations split between both genres earlier this year.
Pictured above at the ceremony are Butts, Michael Trotter Jr. & Tanya Trotter of the War and Treaty, Ferrell, Monique Ross & Chauntee Ross of SistaStrings, Dion Brown (president-CEO of the National Museum of African American Music), Gina Miller (senior VP & general manager of MNRK Music Group), Jed Hilly (executive director of the Americana Music Association), and Fields, McCormick and Ballinger.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
“Rustin’ In The Rain,” Tyler Childers; Produced by Tyler Childers and the Food Stamps
“Brandy Clark,” Brandy Clark; Produced by Brandi Carlile
“Trail of Flowers,” Sierra Ferrell; Produced by Eddie Spear and Gary Paczosa
“The Past Is Still Alive,” Hurray for the Riff Raff; Produced by Brad Cook
“Weathervanes,” Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit; Produced by Jason Isbell
SONG OF THE YEAR:
“In Your Love,” Tyler Childers; Written by Geno Seale and Tyler Childers
“Dear Insecurity,” Brandy Clark (feat. Brandi Carlile); Written by Brandy Clark and Michael Pollack
“American Dreaming,” Sierra Ferrell; Written by Melody Walker and Sierra Ferrell
“Jealous Moon,” Sarah Jarosz; Written by Daniel Tashian and Sarah Jarosz
“Right Back To It” – Waxahatchee (feat. MJ Lenderman); Written by Katie Crutchfield
ARTIST OF THE YEAR:
Tyler Childers
Charley Crockett
Sierra Ferrell
Noah Kahan
Allison Russell
DUO/GROUP OF THE YEAR:
Black Pumas
Larkin Poe
The Milk Carton Kids
Turnpike Troubadours
The War and Treaty
EMERGING ACT OF THE YEAR:
Kaitlin Butts
Wyatt Flores
Charles Wesley Godwin
The Red Clay Strays
Jobi Riccio
INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR:
Grace Bowers
Maddie Denton
Jamie Dick
Megan McCormick
Joshua Rilko