2026 Americana Music Honors & Awards Nominees Unveiled

The Americana Music Association will present the 25th Honors & Awards on September 16, 2026 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, during AmericanaFest (Sept. 15-19).

Variety Magazine

The gala follows the U.S. 250th-anniversary celebrations, underscoring Americana’s role in chronicling American culture. AmericanaFest provides panels, showcases and the awards ceremony.

Variety Magazine

Artist of the Year nominees are Brandi Carlile (winner 2019, 2021), Charley Crockett (Emerging Act 2021), Margo Price (Emerging Act 2016), Molly Tuttle and Jesse Welles. Duo/Group nominees are Flatland Cavalry, I’m With Her, Mumford & Sons, Turnpike Troubadours and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, who seek a third win. Album of the Year contenders are Tyler Childers “Snipe Hunter”, Kathleen Edwards “Billionaire”, S.G. Goodman “Planting by the Signs”, Ken Pomeroy “Cruel Joke” and Margo Price “Hard Headed Woman”. Emerging Act nominees are Boy Golden, Crowe Boys, Kashus Culpepper, Ken Pomeroy and Mon Rovîa. Song of the Year nominees are Brandi Carlile “Returning to Myself”, S.G. Goodman “Snapping Turtle”, I’m With Her “Wild and Clear and Blue”, Mon Rovîa “Heavy Foot” and Lucinda Williams (feat. Brittney Spencer) “The World’s Gone Wrong”. Six artists—Carlile, Price, Pomeroy, I’m With Her, Goodman, Rovîa—have two nominations each.

Variety MagazineBillboard

Five categories yield 25 nominees; six artists have two nominations each. Tickets first go to Silver Wristband Holders, with general sales later. Lifetime-achievement honorees will be announced later.

Billboard

The five-category format spotlights core achievements but limits sweep potential; all nominees will perform at the Ryman, gaining national exposure and reinforcing the genre’s collaborative spirit.

Variety Magazine

The Americana Music Association said tickets for the Honors & Awards are on sale for Silver Wristband Holders, with public availability to be announced later, and added the ceremony will be held during AmericanaFest (Sept. 15-19).

Variety Magazine

Variety notes that while other awards expand categories, the Americanas stick to a slim five, making a sweep unlikely.

Variety Magazine

• “The Americana Honors & Awards ceremony will be held during Americanafest, which runs in Nashville from Sept.” — Billboard

Billboard

• “Brandi Carlile, Charley Crockett, Margo Price, Molly Tuttle and Jesse Welles are vying for artist of the year.” — Billboard

Billboard

• “In the duo/group of the year category, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings won in the category last year and are vying to become the third act to earn back-to-back wins in the category, following The Avett Brothers in 2010-11 and The War and Treaty in 2022-23.” — Billboard

Billboard

• “The awards show is the centerpiece event of AmericanaFest, a conference and music festival taking place around Nashville on Sept.” — Variety

Variety Magazine

The Ryman ceremony will announce winners on September 16, with honorees revealed thereafter. Public ticket sales open weeks before AmericanaFest, and nominees will perform throughout the festival.

Variety Magazine