Awards
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As the countdown continues to the 58th annual CMA Awards, set to air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 20, country music fans will be anxious to see who takes home the evening’s top prize — entertainer of the year. This year, the nominees are Luke Combs, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson.
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Luke Bryan, a two-time CMA entertainer of the year winner himself, is offering his thoughts to Billboard on who could potentially take home this year’s EOY accolade.
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“I look back at when I won CMA entertainer of the year and in my opinion, that’s always been about who has sold the most tickets and has been kind of the most impressive thing out there in the touring world,” Bryan says.
Each of the nominees has been selling out headlining shows in venues ranging from amphitheaters and arenas to stadiums: Wallen on his One Night at a Time Tour, Combs on his Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour, Stapleton with his All-American Road Show Tour, Jelly Roll with his Beautifully Broken Tour and Wilson with her Country’s Cool Again Tour.
“When I look at what Morgan Wallen’s doing out there, selling out multiple [stadiums], and I know Luke Combs is doing that too, and obviously, they’re just both great entertainers,” Bryan says. “I don’t know who to sit there and put my endorsement on, but I have just been in awe watching Morgan Wallen go from being on some of my stadium tours and hanging on the bus with me, to watching him just really put up Garth Brooks-like stadium shows, has been pretty incredible. So, I think certainly it’d be something really, really great if Morgan might get him one or two, or three or four the next couple of years. But I think they’re all worthy of it. Lainey won last year, and that’ll probably put her in the front-runner spot, too, but it is a hot seat kind of thing. They all got my vote.”
Wallen, who scored his third CMA entertainer of the year nomination this year, leads this year’s overall CMA nominees with seven nods. Meanwhile, Stapleton earned his eighth nomination in the entertainer of the year category (he has yet to win the prize), while Combs earned his fifth nomination in the category (he has previously won twice), Wilson picked up her second EOY nomination (she is the reigning CMA EOY winner) and Jelly Roll nabbed his first nomination in the category this year.
Bryan is gearing up for the release of his new album, Mind of a Country Boy, on Friday (Sept. 27). The 14-song album features his current single, “Love You, Miss You, Mean It,” which currently resides at No. 8 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart.
The Nashville Songwriters Association International celebrated the songwriters in Nashville’s music community at the Nashville Songwriter Awards, held at the Ryman Auditorium, on Tuesday (Sept. 24).
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Ashley Gorley was named songwriter of the year, while Jelly Roll was named songwriter-artist of the year. Meanwhile, the Cody Johnson-recorded “The Painter” — written by Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins and Ryan Larkins — was named song of the year.
The evening also included two special honorees, as Alan Jackson was celebrated with the Kris Kristofferson lifetime achievement award, which recognizes a songwriter whose works have made a significant contribution to the American songbook and who has inspired the careers of others. In addition to contributing writing to the bulk of his 26 No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hits, Jackson has also written songs recorded by artists including Randy Travis and Faith Hill.
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Meanwhile, songwriter-producer Buddy Cannon was feted with the NSAI president’s keystone award, which acknowledges the significant contributions for the betterment of all songwriters. The recipient is chosen by the current NSAI president. Cannon has produced chart-topping hits for Kenny Chesney and Reba McEntire, and has helmed several albums recorded by Willie Nelson. As a songwriter, Cannon credits include Vern Gosin’s “Set ‘Em Up Joe,” “Dream of Me” and “I’m Still Crazy,” George Strait’s “I’ve Come to Expect It From You” and “Give It Away,” which earned song of the year honors at the 2007 ACM Awards.
The inaugural Legendary Song Award, which is voted on by NSAI’s professional songwriting members, with the eligible criteria being songs from 1967-1983, was awarded to “Always on My Mind,” written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher and Mark James and recorded by artists including Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley, Nelson and Pet Shop Boys.
Several songwriters and artist-writers, including Jamey Johnson, Chris Young, Amanda Shires and Nate Smith, were on hand to honor this year’s winners. Josh Turner feted Jackson by lending his commanding rumble of a voice to Jackson’s “Midnight in Montgomery,” which Jackson wrote with Don Sampson. Hailey Whitters performed a sterling version of Jackson’s “Livin’ on Love,” while Lee Ann Womack performed Jackson’s “Here in the Real World.”
Each year, the Nashville Songwriter Awards also present the “10 Songs I Wish I’d Written,” which are voted on by the professional songwriter members of NSAI. The songs eligible for the honor must have at least one Nashville-based writer and have charted in the top 20 of a Billboard Airplay chart in the genres of country, christian, mainstream top 40 and/or rock between May 1, 2023 and April 30, 2024. The highest vote-getter is named NSAI’s song of the year.
Austin Nivarel, Joe Ragosta and Rob Ragosta performed “Need a Favor,” which they co-wrote with Jelly Roll. Ryan Beaver and Jared Keim performed “Pretty Little Poison,” which they wrote with Warren Zeiders. Meanwhile, Jordan Dozzi, Larry Fleet and Brett Tyler performed the Morgan Wallen-Eric Church hit “Man Made a Bar.” Davis, Higgins and Larkins performed their song “The Painter.”
See this year’s “10 Songs I Wish I’d Written” winners below:
“Handle On You”
Written by Monty Criswell, Parker McCollum (recorded by: Parker McCollum)
“I’m Not Pretty”
Written by Mackenzie Carpenter, Micah Carpenter, Megan Moroney, Ben Williams (recorded by: Megan Moroney)
“Last Night”
Written by John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Kasher Hindlin (recorded by: Morgan Wallen)
“Man Made a Bar”
Written by Rocky Block, Jordan Dozzi, Larry Fleet, Brett Tyler (recorded by: Eric Church and Morgan Wallen)
“Need a Favor”
Written by Jelly Roll, Austin Nivarel, Joe Ragosta, Rob Ragosta (recorded by: Jelly Roll)
“Next Thing You Know”
Written by Jordan Davis, Greylan James, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne (recorded by: Jordan Davis)
“Pretty Little Poison”
Written by Ryan Beaver, Jared Keim, Warren Zeiders (recorded by: Warren Zeiders)
“Standing Room Only”
Written by Tommy Cecil, Patrick Murphy, Craig Wiseman (recorded by: Tim McGraw)
“Try That In a Small Town”
Written by Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher (recorded by: Jason Aldean)
“Where the Wild Things Are”
Written by Randy Montana, Dave Turnbull (recorded by: Luke Combs)
“White Horse”
Written by Chris Stapleton, Dan Wilson (recorded by: Chris Stapleton)
In less than a month, a genre-spanning batch of legends will join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2024. On Wednesday (Sept. 25) morning, the Rock Hall revealed the list of performers and presenters who will be on hand at the Oct. 19 ceremony.
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Take a deep breath: Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre, Demi Lovato, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, James Taylor, Jelly Roll, Julia Roberts, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Lucky Daye, Mac McAnally, Method Man, Roger Daltrey, Sammy Hagar, Slash and The Roots will all be present at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio (which isn’t too far from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Cleveland headquarters).
It’s not yet known which performers and presenters are attached to which 2024 Rock Hall inductees. The Class of 2024 includes Mary J. Blige, Cher, Dave Matthews Band, Foreigner, Peter Frampton, Kool & the Gang, Ozzy Osbourne and A Tribe Called Quest in the performers category. In the musical influence category, Alexis Korner, John Mayall and “Big Mama” Thornton will be inducted; all three pioneers are deceased, with Mayall dying at the age of 90 this July, just three months after his induction was announced.
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Additionally, Jimmy Buffett, MC5, Dionne Warwick and Norman Whitfield enter the Rock Hall in the musical excellence category. Suzanne de Passe will be given the Ahmet Ertegun Award.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s 2024 induction ceremony will livestream on Disney+ on Oct. 19 at 7 p.m. ET. ABC will air a primetime special featuring the evening’s biggest moments on Jan. 1, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET, which will be available on Disney+ and Hulu on Jan. 2.
Eric Church recently paid homage to Country Music Hall of Famer Alan Jackson as only “The Chief” can during the 17th annual ACM Honors, which were held in August at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and airs Tuesday (Sept. 24) on Merit Street Media.
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During the event, Jackson — who has earned 26 Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 hits and is a co-writer or sole writer on most of those — was celebrated with the ACM Poet’s Award for his songwriting.
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“Alan Jackson is an institution and an American treasure. It’s my honor to be here and play for him,” Church said before he offered a soulful performance of Jackson’s 1990 hit “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow.”
Before launching into the performance, Church also offered up a story from being on the road with another country music luminary.
“I was touring with Hank [Williams] Jr., and every night he would play ‘Family Tradition,’” Church said, recalling that after he tried putting his own spin on the song, “Hank tolerated me for about 30 seconds and he pulled his glasses down and said, ‘Brother, don’t paint on the Mona Lisa.’ So tonight I’m going to try to paint around the Mona Lisa, OK?”
Church’s rugged rendition was passionate, clearly conveying the two artists’ shared experiences chasing their dreams — and weathering rejections — in Music City. Church earned a standing ovation and one of the most fervent applauses from the crowd, along with praise from Jackson himself.
This year, the annual ACM Honors celebrates honorees including Jackson, Trisha Yearwood, Lainey Wilson, Chris Stapleton and Luke Bryan, as well as producer/former label head Tony Brown, music executive Shannon Sanders, songwriter Walt Aldridge, various music venues and several top-shelf musicians who play on so many of the country music albums emanating from Nashville.
Other performers and presenters during the evening include ACM Honors co-hosts Carly Pearce and Jordan Davis, as well as Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Jackson Dean, Kameron Marlowe, Lee Ann Womack, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Ashley McBryde, Terri Clark and Keith Urban.
Watch the sneak peek look at Church’s performance below:
Since launching his career nearly a decade ago, Louisiana native Jordan Davis has added a string of titles to his resume: including five-time Billboard Country Airplay chart-topping artist, purveyor of two RIAA platinum-certified albums (his 2018 album Home State and 2023 album Bluebird Days), hit songwriter, and reigning Academy of Country Music Awards song of the year winner (for “Next Thing You Know,” which he wrote with Josh Osborne, Chase McGill and Greylan James).
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For the 17th annual ACM Honors, which were held Aug. 21 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and will air Tuesday night (Sept. 24) on Merit Street starting at 9 p.m. ET, Davis is adding a new appellation: awards ceremony co-host, as he joins four-time ACM Honors host Carly Pearce in guiding this year’s show.
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The ACM Honors marks an annual reunion of sorts for country music’s community of artists and behind-the-scenes musicians and executives, who are feted for their accomplishments and long-term contributions to the genre.
“It’s just a special night to get to honor so many people that we see throughout the year,” the MCA Nashville-signed Davis tells Billboard. “Whether it be from a venue side, from a booking side, management side, publishing side — that night is special for us to get to say thank you to them, and to show everybody just how important their roles are in this whole music industry. That’s my favorite part of that night. It’s a homecoming.”
Fans packed the 2,362-person capacity Ryman to celebrate this year’s honorees, which include ACM poet’s award winners Alan Jackson and Walt Aldridge, ACM triple crown award winner and milestone award winner Lainey Wilson, ACM icon award winners Tony Brown and Trisha Yearwood, ACM lifting lives award recipient Luke Bryan, ACM lift every voice award honoree Shannon Sanders, ACM songwriter of the year Jessie Jo Dillon and ACM songwriter-artist of the year Chris Stapleton.
The evening featured performances and/or presentations from Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Terri Clark, Davis, Jackson Dean, Vince Gill, Emmylou Harris, Tyler Hubbard, Jamey Johnson, Post Malone, Kameron Marlowe, Ashley McBryde, Pearce, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack.
Davis also gives credit to his co-host and fellow performer Pearce with making his first ACM Honors co-hosting gig “as easy and comfortable as possible.” He adds, “She is such a pro at this and just crushed it. From studying the script before making changes, to the final read through we had, Carly made changes that just made everything flow easier and read easier. She’s just such a pro.”
Though the evening meant a hectic pace for both Pearce and Davis, he says they did have moments earlier in the day to take in some of the top-shelf collaborations that dotted the evening.
“We had to be there early, so we got to see the entire soundcheck,” Davis says. “I got to sit there and watch Vince Gill and Ashley McBryde run through [Gill’s “When I Call Your Name”] in an empty Ryman Auditorium. I was almost moved to tears. Vince is just such an icon in the genre and having him and Ashley together, it was really moving.”
Asked about the possibility of co-hosting future ACM Honors ceremonies, he says, “Absolutely, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I guess we’ll have to see. It’s like we did the test and we’re waiting on the grade. I don’t have a doubt in the world that they’ll ask Carly to host again, but if they ask me to do it, I would love to.”
Given that Davis is a writer on each of his five No. 1 Country Airplay hits “Slow Dance in a Parking Lot,” “Singles You Up,” “Tucson Too Late,” and the two-week chart-toppers “What My World Spins Around” and “Buy Dirt” (with Luke Bryan), it is notable that his new release, “I Ain’t Sayin’,” is one he didn’t write.
“I Ain’t Sayin’” was written by Travis Wood, Steve Moakler, Mark Holman, and Emily Reid, and produced by Paul DiGiovanni. As an early taste of music from Davis’ upcoming project, he says the song harkens back to some of his earlier work.
“This truly is a town where, in my opinion, the best songwriters in the world live,” Davis says. “I’ve been trying to write something that kind of took me back to the Home State record and those early albums that I felt like my fans were missing. ‘Buy Dirt’ and ‘Next Thing You Know’ were songs that changed my life and I love them. Whenever the fans that we’ve gotten from ‘Buy Dirt’ and ‘Next Thing You Know’ come to a show, I don’t want them to be shocked when they see the other half of my shows are these kinds of songs. I’m really happy that they wrote that song with me in mind and sent it to me first. It is one of my favorite songs to perform right now. The first time I heard it, I was like, ‘It feels like something I would’ve written.’”
Davis has spent the majority of this year on his current headlining D—n Good Time World Tour, which picks back up in October with a slate of shows in Canada. At this point in his career, each album brings with it the potential to add more chart-topping hits to his concerts, a notion he says has now helped shape how he approaches making an album.
“I’ve never had to make a record in the sense of looking at my live show. Touring is something that has become something that I truly love. I’ve always let the best song lead, and now I’m making a record in the spots that I think my live show might be missing. I was kind of missing those ‘Home State’ sounds that me and [producer] Paul [DiGiovanni] recorded at his house. A lot of things have changed since then and my writing style has changed. I think both me and Paul wanted to get back to where it all started. We’re still going to have some songs in there about my kids and my family because that’s just where I am right now in my life. But yeah, [we’re] definitely going back to some early sounds.”
He estimates he will be finished recording the new project around November: “We’re cutting four more songs next week. December and January is kind of my family time, but I would expect a record maybe early next year.”
Pearce and Davis not only co-hosted the ACM Honors, but they teamed up to honor Jackson with a rendition of his 1991 hit “Don’t Rock the Jukebox.” Looking ahead to his next project, Davis is hopeful for another possible collaboration with Pearce.
“Carly Pearce has been a friend of mine for a long time, and I think we’ve got a couple of writes coming up that we’re going to try to nail something down we can do together,” he says. “This is actually the first time I’ve ever really singled out an artist, in a sense of Carly and been like, ‘Hey, we’ve got to do something together.’ Most of the time I kind let the song kind of pick where it goes. It’d be a cool thing for us to get to put something out together.”
Five-time Grammy winner Shania Twain has performed around the world, but she’s returning to where it all began in Nashville this week, as she hosts the upcoming second People’s Choice Country Awards, which will air Thursday night (Sept. 26) on NBC and Peacock, from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.
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“It’s a really full-circle experience for me,” Twain tells Billboard. “It takes me back to my own beginnings in Nashville and as a new recording artist there, and obviously the historic location is always appealing. I meet new artists, and I’m running into old friends, making new friends.”
In addition to a slate of nominees including Beyoncé, Kane Brown, Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, Shaboozey, George Strait, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman, other anticipated moments from the show will include Miranda Lambert being honored with the 2024 country icon award, while Brown will be celebrated as the 2024 country champion award honoree.
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As much as Twain is guiding viewers through the awards ceremony, she says, “I’m here more as a fan than anything. It’s the artists that the people want to hear and see, so to me, that is everything. I’ll be smack dab in the middle of it all, so I’m super excited. I’m all access.”
Among those artists Twain herself anticipates seeing are a mix of newcomers and established artists.
“I’m excited to see Parker McCollum and I’ll be excited to catch up with Lady A — they are always fabulous to see live. I’m excited to see Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, and I’m particularly excited about seeing The War and Treaty and listening to them perform because they are such gorgeous vocalists. And Shaboozey just makes me happy whenever I watch one of his videos. It just brings me joy, so it’s just a lot of positive energy.”
Bryan leads this year’s nominees with 19 nominations, followed by Beyoncé with 17 nominations.
Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for 10 weeks, while her album Cowboy Carter stayed at the pinnacle of the Top Country Albums chart for four weeks. In addition to being nominated at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards for the overall people’s artist of 2024, the female artist of 2024 and the album of 2024 (Cowboy Carter), among Beyoncé’s nominations are two entries in the female song of 2024 category (“16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em”).
“The impact is undeniable,” Twain says of Cowboy Carter. “I think all successful recording artists make music for listeners, and these artists deserve an industry that in return, listens to the people’s choice, to what the people want to hear. That’s what’s happened with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and the industry needs to respect what the listeners want, and what the listeners want is Beyoncé country. The people are hungry for more diversity in the genre. Beyoncé is part of broadening the spectrum. When I was growing up I was listening to folk country, alternative country and all kinds of country, and we’re getting back to that now again, and Beyoncé is part of that.”
In terms of her hosting duties, Twain says she’s taken inspiration from other artists who have hosted awards shows, such as Reba McEntire, who has hosted both the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards.
“Any of those big shows rely a lot on the spirit and the mood of the host, because the hosts are chosen, I think quite carefully, making sure people are relating and the host has experience. Reba is one of my favorite hosts. She’s speaking from experience and I think that commands respect and attention. She’s funny and smart, and is loved by all, and it’s a compliment to be asked to do something like [hosting an awards show]. So Reba is a good example for me.”
Of course, Twain isn’t just hosting the show — she’s also a nominee, as Shania Twain: Come On Over—The Las Vegas Residency- All The Hits!, earned her a nomination in the concert tour of 2024 category. Her residency is currently slated to run through early 2025.
Recently, Twain was also included in a trailer for the new medical drama series Doctor Odyssey. Twain says 2025 and beyond will be filled with a variety of creative pursuits.
“I’ll be very, very busy for the next few years. I’m doing more acting. I’ll be in the studio making a new album. I’m writing music for various things and there’s a musical in the works with my music, so lots of exciting things. I’ll be busy doing more of a variety of things than I’ve ever done before in my career, so that’ll keep me off the Vegas stage for a while.”
LL COOL J and Usher were among the honorees saluted Thursday night by the Black Music Action Coalition at the organization’s fourth annual BMAC Gala. As BMAC co-founder/president/CEO Willie “Prophet” Stiggers noted, the event isn’t about “celebrating record sales, streaming numbers or other accolades. It’s the intersection of activism and music.”
As Stiggers further explained, “When most are turning down the volume around social, racial and economic justice, we’re doubling down on efforts and spotlighting the positive and meaningful impact that the music industry has made on society, which is what we hope to inspire with this event.”
Chief among the highlights inside the packed ballroom at Los Angeles’ Beverly Hilton Hotel were the presentations of the Clarence Avant Trailblazer and Quincy Jones Humanitarian Awards to LL COOL J and Usher, respectively. Surprised onstage by attorney Benjamin Crump, who presented the award, LL noted to exuberant audience applause and cheers, “You must continue to believe in the beauty of your dreams. If I can come all the way here from Queens and do the things that I’m doing, then anything is possible.”
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Co-Founder and Chair of the The Black Music Action Coalition, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, Honoree of the Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award, LL COOL J, and Benjamin Crump attend Black Music Action Coalition’s 4th Annual BMAC GALA at The Beverly Hilton on Sept. 19, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC)
After receiving his award from fellow artist Bobby Brown and briefly teasing the crowd with one of his patented dance moves, Usher segued into a heartwarming 15-minute acceptance speech. He said, in part, “Aside from just being Usher, the performer, the entertainer, I strive every day to just be Usher, the human; who has the means and the power to inspire and bring awareness to the issues that we face as Black men and women in this country.”
Actress Taraji P. Henson presented the BMAC Social Impact Act to the BET Media Group. The company’s executive honorees included president/CEO Scott Mills; president, media sales Louis Carr; executive vp of specials, music programming & music Constance Orlando and executive vp/chief marketing officer Kimberly Paige. The BMAC Change Agent Award was given to Ivy McGregor, CEO of Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD foundation. And the BMAC 365 Award was presented to Live Nation.
Rapper/activist Gunna received a special commendation from the Mayors of Guaranteed Income, an organization comprised of more than 170 mayors from across the country. “I’m here to make sure my community is uplifted – this GI program is going to help change a lot of lives,” said Gunna. He recently partnered with BMAC to launch the BMAC 30349 Guaranteed Income initiative, which will provide a $1,000 monthly stipend to 30 families residing in the artist’s hometown of South Fulton, Georgia.
Co-Founder and Chair of the The Black Music Action Coalition, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, Honoree of the BMAC Social Impact Award and Executive Vice President of Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy, BET, Constance Orlando, Honoree of the BMAC Social Impact Award and Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, BET, Kimberly Paige, Taraji P. Henson, Louis Carr, and Co-Founder of the The Black Music Action Coalition, Shawn Holiday attend Black Music Action Coalition’s 4th Annual BMAC GALA at The Beverly Hilton on Sept. 19, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC)
Hosted by Kenny Burns, the gala also featured BJ The Chicago Kid, who set the evening’s tone with his interpretation of the Black National Anthem. Taking the stage later in the evening were Anthony Hamilton and The Hamiltones, who performed a soulful medley. This year’s gala also marked the inaugural BMAC auction, hosted in partnership with Julien’s Auctions. Among the offerings that attendees were vying for: a Flavor Flav clock necklace and sunglasses owned by music legend James Brown.
Dr. Remus E. Wright, Honoree of the BMAC Change Agent Award and Executive Director of BeyGOOD, Ivy McGregor, and Mia Wright attend Black Music Action Coalition’s 4th Annual BMAC GALA at The Beverly Hilton on Sept. 19, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC)
In the walkup to its gala, BMAC hosted a series of other events. In partnership with The Revels Group, BMAC co-hosted the Black Future Now brunch (Sept. 15), which honored Jhené Aiko, Cash Cobain and artist manager Rachelle Jean-Louis. Two days later (Sept. 17), BMAC’s Stiggers accepted SESAC’s Visionary Award. Then the next evening (Sept. 18), Stiggers sat down with BMI president/CEO Mike O’Neill to discuss the advantages and challenges of AI during a panel also co-hosted by BMAC.
Co-Founder of the The Black Music Action Coalition, Caron Veazey, Naima Cochrane, Honoree of the BMAC 365 Award, Live Nation, Omar Al-Joulani, Co-Founder and Chair of the The Black Music Action Coalition, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, Jamil Davis, and Damien Smith attend Black Music Action Coalition’s 4th Annual BMAC GALA at The Beverly Hilton on Sept. 19, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC)
As the Americana Music Association celebrates 25 years as a trade organization committed to honoring, supporting and advocating for a myriad of roots-oriented music, the organization held its 23rd annual Americana Honors & Awards at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Wednesday evening (Sept. 18).
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The historic building, which has been home to generations of performers, was appropriate for the ceremony, as the evening was a revelry of Americana music’s roots and branches, winding through and meshing together rock n’ roll, Gospel, folk, country, blues, R&B and more.
Sierra Ferrell was the evening’s biggest winner, taking home the coveted artist of the year honor as well as album of the year (for Trail of Flowers). “Wondering Why” hitmakers The Red Clay Strays were named emerging artist of the year.
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Duane Betts opened the show with a tribute to his late father Dickey Betts by performing a relaxed, rollicking rendition of The Allman Brothers Band’s “Blue Sky” (from The Allman Brothers Band’s 1972 album Eat a Peach), punctuated by Betts’ note-perfect guitar skills and relaxed-yet-commanding guitar acumen.
“That one’s for you, Dad. We love you,” Betts said, honoring his father, Dickey, who died in April.
The Milk Carton Kids welcomed the audience watching both in-person at the Ryman as well as those watching at home. Buddy Miller continued his reign as band leader, leading the 2024 house band with Don Was, The McCrary Sisters, Bryan Owings, Jerry Pentecost, Jen Gunderman, Jim Hoke and Larry Campbell.
From there, Oklahoma native and emerging artist of the year nominee Kaitlin Butts performed a roaring rendition of the witty, fiddle laden “You Ain’t Gotta Die (to Be Dead to Me).” The first accolade of the evening, instrumentalist of the year, was awarded to 18-year-old guitarist/singer phenom Grace Bowers, who in August released her debut album, Wine on Venus. Bowers was on the road and could not be in attendance.
Waxahatchee performed her song of the year-nominated “Right Back To It,” from her album Tigers Blood. Charles Wesley Godwin, his voice golden and burnished, performed the banjo-inflected love song “All Again.”
The evening rolled on with performances from the agile-voiced Jobi Riccio, as well as Wyatt Flores, who previewed the title track from his upcoming project Welcome to the Plains.
The Milk Carton Kids dedicated their performance of “When You’re Gone” to sound engineer Mark Richards. Also stunning the audience were performances from sibling duo Larkin Poe, Red Dirt country-rockers Turnpike Troubadours, and the octave-scaling, peerless vocal dynamo The War and Treaty (who drew an instant, rowdy standing ovation). Also on the bill were engaging performances from Sarah Jarosz, Brandy Clark accompanied by SistaStrings, and a masterful performance of “American Dreaming” from Ferrell. Noah Kahan also performed his smash hit “Dial Drunk.”
Throughout the evening, powerful performances were punctuated by more awards winners, including Larkin Poe (duo/group of the year), Grace Bowers (instrumentalist of the year) and Brandy Clark (song of the year, for “Dear Insecurity,” featuring Brandi Carlile).
“I have struggled most of my career with where my music fits and you guys have made me feel at home,” Clark said in accepting the song of the year honor. “I remember I was at a low time of not fittin’ in and [Americana Music Association executive director] Jed Hilly invited me to play AmericanaFest.” Clark also thanked several of her music industry champions, including Gail Gellman, Tracy Gershon, CMT’s Leslie Fram, as well as the musicians on Clark’s self-titled album and Carlile, who not only sang on the song, but produced the album.
The Americana Music Association also honored several artists and musicians with the lifetime achievement award, including the gospel group The Blind Boys of Alabama, who performed an ovation-drawing rendition of “Work Until My Days are Done.” Fellow lifetime achievement honorees included Dave Alvin (known for his work as an artist, writer and member of The Blasters, X and The Knitters), Rev. Gary Davis, Shelby Lynne, Dwight Yoakam and musician/producer Don Was (known for working with a slate of artists including Bonnie Raitt, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elton John, John Mayer, Ziggy Marley, Lucinda Williams, Ringo Starr, Delbert McClinton, Hootie & the Blowfish, The Black Crowes and Martina McBride (who introduced Was during the evening’s celebration).
“Go where the love is,” Alvin advised those listening. “Surround yourself with people who love music the same way that you do, no matter what passing tastes or fads might be, and always surround yourselves with musicians who are better than you are.”
The Americana Music Association has for the past five years teamed with the National Museum of African American Music, and was instrumental Wednesday evening in honoring Davis with the legacy of americana award, with Fantastic Negrito performing “Samson and Delilah.”
Singer-songwriter Allison Moorer celebrated her big sister and Wednesday evening’s lifetime achievement honoree Shelby Lynne, calling Lynne “my personal trailblazer.”
“I am proud to be a part of Americana. If I was ever to fit in anywhere, it was with the misfits, storytellers, outlaws and truth-tellers, the heartbreakers, the hippies,” Lynne said, before she was joined by Moorer in singing “Gotta Get Back,” from Lynne’s landmark album I Am Shelby Lynne.
Versatile musician, writer and actor Yoakam was also feted by Clark with a lifetime achievement award. He earned a standing ovation as he took the stage, first paying tribute to Alvin, saying, “Without Dave Alvin coming into my life, I don’t know where my journey would have taken me. The twists and turns that lay ahead of me at that point wouldn’t have turned corners into bright sunlight without Dave championing me…I owe him a debt of gratitude along with [guitarist/producer] Pete Anderson.”
“That was truly an independent record,” Yoakam said of Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., which Yoakam originally released as a six-song indie record in 1984, before it was picked up by Warner’s Reprise Records and re-released with additional songs in 1986. The project would become the first of three consecutive Yoakam albums to hit No. 1 on Billboard’s top country albums chart. On Wednesday evening, Yoakam also said that original indie project was part of, “…why the spirit of the Americana Music Association felt at home to me…Thanks for the reminder every year when the AMA allows me to participate in anything they are doing. They always make room for us to come down… Every decade or so there is another generation that rediscovers the enormous impact of early country music, blues, rock and roll, soul, all of it can have on their peers and a brand new audience. The only place I ever won an artist of the year award was the Americana Awards [in 2013],” he noted. From there, fastening his guitar strap, Yoakam plunged the audience into his Bakersfield-meets-rockabilly groove of his 1993 hit “Fast as You.”
During the evening, Elizabeth Cook also took a moment to honor Jeremy Tepper, executive and program director of SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country station, who passed away in June.
“Jeremy was a key part of this community,” Cook said. “He was a musician first-off, and a label owner, a really clever guy who recognized that truck stops still had jukeboxes…and thus was born Diesel Only Records….he was an early and ardent supporter of the Americana Music Association.”
The star-studded evening closed with Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell offering a version of the Gram Parsons song “Return of the Grievous Angel.”
See the full list of this year’s Americana Music Honors & Awards honorees below:
Instrumentalist of the year: Grace Bowers
Album of the year: Trail of Flowers, Sierra Ferrell (produced by Eddie Spear and Gary Paczosa)
Duo/Group of the year: Larkin Poe
Emerging act of the year: The Red Clay Strays
Song of the year: “Dear Insecurity,” by Brandy Clark (feat. Brandi Carlile) (written by Clark and Michael Pollack)
Artist of the year: Sierra Ferrell
These days, Morgan Wallen typically plays for crowds that number in the tens of thousands – but on Tuesday (Sept. 17) night in New York City, the country juggernaut performed a pared-down set alongside HARDY and ERNEST for an audience that measured in the hundreds at the 2024 T.J. Martell Foundation gala fundraiser.
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The trio of Big Loud artists delivered a performance that felt like a casual writers’ round – the kind of thing you’re more likely to see at Nashville’s Bluebird Café than the Midtown Manhattan Cipriani. Carrying their own gear up to the stage, Wallen, HARDY and ERNEST perched atop stools and strummed their signature songs on acoustic guitars, occasionally leaning into the microphone to add backing vocals to each other’s songs when moved by the music.
The genre-melding HARDY kicked things off with a stripped-down version of his fist-pumping Country Airplay topper “Truck Bed”; ERNEST and Wallen blended voices effortlessly on their collab “Flower Shops”; and Wallen even trotted out his unreleased song “Love Somebody,” marking the live debut of the tune on American soil. (Yes, he also played the crowd-pleasing Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Last Night,” which had everyone’s phone up in the air and recording.)
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Few people could pull together a night of this caliber, but Seth England is not like most. The Big Loud partner/CEO was honored Tuesday night by the T.J. Martell Foundation – which funds trailblazing research in the fight to end cancer — with the lifetime music industry award. And the crowd that turned out to help raise money and honor England was packed with artists (such as Miranda Lambert), songwriters (including Craig Wiseman, England’s partner at Big Loud), producers and music industry executives from Nashville to New York to Los Angeles and beyond.
“When I asked Seth England to be this year’s honoree, he didn’t hesitate, he didn’t need to check his schedule, he just said ‘yes,’” said Steve Gawley, the foundation’s chairman-elect of the board of trustees. “Seth’s only question was, ‘How do we make the most impact?’ Because Seth always thinks big.” England’s ability to bring his country music Rat Pack together for the gala certainly paid off for the good cause – the T.J. Martell Foundation reports it raised a record-breaking $2.6 million for 2024.
“This year, I’ve had a massive learning curve about all that this organization means to folks — learning about the people it’s helped save and the money raised that continues to go to cancer research,” England said in his speech. “The work that the T.J. Martell Foundation has done has touched countless lives, and being a part of that legacy is beyond humbling. I’m honored to be able to contribute to this mission in tonight’s small way.”
John Esposito, Lynn-Anne Huck, Seth England, and Steve Gawley attend the T.J. Martell Foundation 49th annual New York Honors Gala on Sept. 17, 2024 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.
Mike Coppola/Getty Images for The T.J. Martell Foundation
Jack Harlow won songwriter of the year and also song of the year at the 2024 SESAC Music Awards, which were held at The Highlight Room in Hollywood on Tuesday (Sept. 17). He took song of the year with his smash hit “Lovin on Me,” which topped the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks in 2023-24.
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Remarkably, this is the fourth year in a row that Harlow has won both awards. His previous song of the year winners were “Whats Poppin” in 2021, “Industry Baby” in 2022 (which won in a tie with “Heat Waves” by Glass Animals) and “First Class” in 2023. “Whats Poppin,” Harlow’s first top 10 hit on the Hot 100, featured DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne. “Industry Baby,” his first No. 1, was a collab with Lil Nas X.
Harlow, 26, wasn’t at the event in person but sent a video in which he said, in part, “Thank you for those awards. Much love to SESAC. I wish I could be there. I’ve been at SESAC since I was a teenager and we’re obviously the best in the world. So, thank you for the love and much love.”
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Sony Music Publishing was named publisher of the year for the third year in a row, taking home multiple awards including “3D” recorded by Harlow and Jung Kook, as well as “Good Good” recorded by Usher, Summer Walker and 21 Savage.
Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) co-founder, president and CEO, was presented with SESAC’s Visionary Award in recognition of his organization’s ongoing work creating equity in the music industry. “Prophet’s dedication to equality and racial justice has inspired us all to do more and build a stronger, more equitable creative community,” said Mario Prins, vp of creative services. “I’m proud to call him a friend.”
SESAC’s Sam Kling, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, SESAC’s Mario Prins
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Additional award-winning writers include Jimmy Napes, Ariana Grande, Green Day, Fede Vindver, and longtime SESAC songwriter Traci Hale for her co-write with SESAC writer and performer Burna Boy.
This marked the third year the awards were held in Los Angeles. The event was attended by top music industry executives, artists, songwriters, and publishers including Prophet, Bryan Michael Cox, Alex Isley, Knox and Kenyon Dixon.
Artist and SESAC songwriter Tamara Jade served as MC for the evening for the second year in a row. Opening the show were Scott Jungmichel, SESAC president & COO, and Sam Kling, chief creative officer, as well as Mario Prins, VP, creative services, and Diana Akin Scarfo, VP, creative services & operations.
For event highlights, visit @SESAC on Instagram. A full list of winners is available at sesac.com.