Jason Isbell was the big winner at the 2016 Americana Honors and Awards show Wednesday night, taking home Album of the Year for Something More Than Free, and Song of the Year for the LP’s first single, “24 Frames.”
“If you can, keep people around you who will tell you when you’ve done something awful, whether it’s in a song or in your personal life, and listen to them,” said Isbell upon accepting the latter award, going on to thank the main person who does that for him: wife and fellow Americana artist, Amanda Shires.
Chris Stapleton thanked Americana radio for his first-ever Americana Awards nomination and monumental win, for Artist of the Year. The legendary team of Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, duet partners on last year’s The Traveling Kind LP, won Group/Duo of the Year. And traditional country’s it-girl, Margo Price is the Americana Association’s Emerging Artist of the Year. Sara Watkins — of Nickel Creek, the Watkins Family Hour, I’m With Her and solo fame — is the Instrumentalist of the Year. And various lifetime achievement awards went to Shawn Colvin, William Bell, Bob Weir and Jim Lauderdale. See the full list of 2016 Americana Honors and Awards winners below.
Wednesday’s show was part of the 17th annual Americana Music Festival, which runs through this weekend in Nashville. Almost 300 acts are performing as part of the event, which also includes a conference for music industry professionals.
Rolling Stone Country will have a full recap of the 2016 Americana Honors and Awards show, including its many performances, later today.
Americana Music Honors & Awards 2016 Winners:
Album of the Year: Something More Than Free, Jason Isbell, Produced by Dave Cobb
Artist of the Year: Chris Stapleton
Group/Duo of the Year: Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell
Song of the Year: “24 Frames,” Jason Isbell
Emerging Artist of the Year: Margo Price
Instrumentalist of the Year: Sara Watkins
Spirit of Americana/Free Speech in Music Award co-presented by the Americana Music Association and the First Amendment Center: Billy Bragg
Lifetime Achievement Award, Trailblazer: Shawn Colvin
Lifetime Achievement Award, Songwriting: William Bell
Lifetime Achievement Award, Performance: Bob Weir
Lifetime Achievement Award, WagonMaster: Jim Lauderdale
President’s Award: Woody Guthrie
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