Voting is now open to all members to vote in our annual UK Americana Awards. Voting closes on Nov 28th at midnight.
UK Album of the Year
International Album of the Year
UK Song of the Year
International Song of the Year
UK Artist of the Year
International Artist of the Year
UK Instrumentalist of the Year
Special Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award
Selected by the board members, our highest honour is awarded to a UK artist, duo or group in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the Americana genre over the span of their career and life in music. The 2019 recipient will be Graham Nash.
Trailblazer Award
Selected by the board members, this special award celebrates a UK artist, duo or group that has taken an exceptional path, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps in developing the Americana genre. The 2019 recipient will be Joe Boyd
Bob Harris Emerging Artist Award
Selected by Bob Harris OBE, this special award celebrates the breakthrough artist, duo or group that has particularly impressed the legendary music broadcaster throughout the year. The 2018 recipient will be Curse Of Lono
Best Selling Americana Album
AMA-UK works with The Official Charts Company to create the UK Americana Album Chart. This Award is given to the bestselling Americana Album by a UK Artist. The 2019 recipient will be announced in January.
Grass Roots Award
Selected by the board members, this special award celebrates the sometimes un-sung heroes of the UK Americana scene. It is presented to individuals working in the industry (in a capacity other than as artists) who have made outstanding efforts to support Americana music from the grass roots up. The 2019 recipients are Immy Doman and Risa Tabatznik of The Green Note
We feel very honoured to have Rhiannon Giddens as keynote speaker at our conference in January.
Rhiannon Giddens is the co-founder of the Grammy Award-winning string band Carolina Chocolate Drops, in which she also plays banjo and fiddle. She began gaining recognition as a solo artist when she stole the show at the T Bone Burnett-produced “Another Day, Another Time” concert at New York City’s Town Hall in 2013. The elegant bearing, prodigious voice and fierce spirit that brought the audience to its feet that night is also abundantly evident on Giddens’ critically acclaimed solo debut, the Grammy-nominated album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, which masterfully blends American musical genres like gospel, jazz, blues and country, showcasing her extraordinary emotional range and dazzling vocal prowess. Giddens' follow-up album, Freedom Highway, was released in February 2017. It includes nine original songs Giddens wrote or co-wrote along with a traditional song and two civil rights-era songs, “Birmingham Sunday” and Staple Singers’ well-known “Freedom Highway,” from which the album takes its name. Giddens has performed for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, appeared on The Late Show, Austin City Limits, Later…with Jools Holland, and both CBS Saturday and Sunday Morning, and dueted with country superstar Eric Church on his powerful anti-racism song “Kill a Word” (including performing the song on The Tonight Show and the CMA Awards, among other programs). In 2017, Giddens was awarded a Macarthur Genius Award and she has also received the BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for Singer of the Year and the Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Bluegrass and Banjo. She has performed a recurring role on the television drama Nashville, playing the role of Hanna Lee “Hallie” Jordan, a young social worker with "the voice of an angel.”
The question we all ask ourselves and each other on a regular basis! This article in Paste Magazine goes some way to explaining it. The Milk Carton Kids wrote a great parody about this subject during the Annual Honours & Awards in Nashville this September.
"What Even Is Americana"
A country song that’s a little too political A feminist anthem that’s a bit too literal Your lyrics are biblical your twitter feed is liberal You ain’t mainstream cause you look atypical Forget the pop charts, you ain’t on 'em you need Americana.
A folk song with no discernible chorus Bluegrass waltzes and Civil War stories Zydeco, Tejano, original, traditional Old-time stringband clothing is conditional An R&B cover with pedal steel on it I guess that’s Americana.
So what if your songs are a little too sad And your publicist is your mom and dad But you keep on rolling in the back of that van Ain’t no clue when you’ll be home again But when you’re up on stage every night it don’t seem so bad.
What even is Americana? A trade group a Grammy category subgenre An annual award show with Emmylou on it Don’t need to see the envelope, Isbell won it A home for all of us who don’t fit in Who just want to write, and play, and sing And hear real music whatever you call it I say it’s called Americana So what do you say, Americana? You paid $500 for a weeklong conference so let’s get on the same page and stop asking the question. It’s Americana.
Written by Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale, The Milk Carton Kids
It's that time of year again where all members can let the AMA-UK board know who they think should be nominated for an award at the 2019 UK Americana Awards. The Awards are held at iconic Hackney Empire on January 31st, 2019.
if you need a reminder on which albums did well in the nomination period then check out the Official Americana Charts page which currently show all the charts for the full nomination period.
The more members who participate in this process the better the results - its your awards and your chance to help shape the nominations so don't delay - they are only open for two weeks.
What you need to do next is log in and follow the instructions to nominate
We’ve been so busy since AmericanaFest UK 2018 that we thought we should take a few minutes and treat ourselves by remembering what an incredible conference, showcasing and awards show we had just a couple of months ago. AMA-UK YOUTUBE FOR VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
2019 there will be two nights of AmericanaFest UK showcases, with 4 stages each night. Only apply if you are available to play in Hackney London on either the 29th or 30th of January 2019.
Applications CLOSED Sept 19th 2018 . The team will let successful applicants know by Oct 20th 2018.
Frequently asked questions:
How do I know the Americana Music Association UK received my application?
You will receive an email once your application has been processed.
When will I be told if I am successful?
All applicants will receive a response from us via email by the end of October. Due to high volume, please do not contact us asking about your application.
Can anyone apply and is there a cost to apply?
Only members can apply and there is no additional cost.
I have Americana Music Association UK Industry membership so can I apply my non-member artist(s) using my membership?
You can apply on behalf of your artists but only artist members will be invited to play, if you are applying for them please check that they are members.
Can Supporter members and Patron members apply for artist to showcase?
No, this isn't a benefit for those types of membership.
Who is eligible for showcase consideration?
Any and all Americana artists are encouraged to apply.
How are artists selected?
A working group of board members make the selections
How long are the showcase sets
Most showcase sets are about 40 minutes, or 30-minute slot depending on the venue and lineup.
Are showcase artists paid to perform at the Festival?
AmericanaFest UK will provide backline, all details will be discussed with successful applicants.
PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL US ABOUT APPLICATION STATUS, PLEASE NOTE ONLY SUBMISSIONS THROUGH THE OFFICIAL CHANNELS WILL BE CONSIDERED.
Wednesday 12th Sept 3:00 PM-5:00 PM AMA-UK Welcome Party The Rooftop Bar at Nashville Underground, 105 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201 3:10 PM – John Smith 3:40 PM – IDA MAE 4:00 PM – The Wandering Hearts
Thursday 13th Sept 12:00 PM-2:00 PM Proper Music Party 2nd floor Rodeo Room at Nashville Underground, 105 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201 Ana Egge Neilson Hubbard Kim Richey Ben Glover
Thursday 13th Sept 2:00 PM -3:00 PM CONFERENCE 20 Years of Loose, Europe’s Premier Americana Label The Westin, 807 Clark Pl, Nashville, TN 37203 John Stohm, Julia Grant, Patrick Ferris, Tom Bridgewater, Ruarri Joeseph, Crispin Parry
Thursday 13th Sept 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM CONFERENCE The Growth of the AMA-UK, The UK Americana Awards The Westin, 807 Clark Pl, Nashville, TN 37203 Panel with Stevie Freeman, Trudie Myercough Harris, Emily Barker, Gary Harries, Sam Outlaw
Thursday 13th Sept 8:00 PM – 1:00 AM Loose 20 Year Celebration The High Watt, 1 Cannery Row, Nashville, Tennessee 37203 8:00 PM – William The Conqueror 9:00 PM – The Americans 10:00 PM – Israel Nash 11:00 PM – Courtney Marie Andrews (Emerging Act nominee) 12:00 PM – Sons Of Bill
Friday 14th Sept 12:00-2:00pm Under the Apple Tree Sessions curated by Bob Harris OBE 2nd floor Rodeo Room at Nashville Underground, 105 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201 12:10 PM – Demi Marriner 12:40 PM – Robbie Cavanagh 1:10 PM – Sarah Douga 1:40 PM – Robert Vincent Music
Friday 14th September 5:00 PM-7:30 PM AMA-UK Friday Shindig 2nd floor Rodeo Room at Nashville Underground, 105 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37201 5:00 PM – Prinz Grizzley 5:30 PM – Emily Barker 6:00 PM – Worry Dolls 6:30 PM – William The Conqueror 7:00 PM – Treetop Flyers
Saturday 15th September 12:00 PM-6:00 PM BOOTLEG BBQ AT THE GROOVE British Underground Main Stage at The Groove, 1103 Calvin Ave, Nashville, TN 37206 12:00 PM – Worry Dolls 1:15 PM – IDA MAE 2:00 PM – John Smith 2:45 PM William The Conqueror 3:30 PM – The Wandering Hearts 4:15 PM – Aaron Lee Tasjan
Bluegrass Situation Stage Inside The Groove 1:00 PM . – Emily Barker 1:45 PM – Jamie Freeman Music 2:30 PM – TBC 3:15 PM – Holly Macve 4:00 PM – Treetop Flyers
Denmark’s annual Tønder Fest delivered a spirited fusion of sounds and genre that included Nordic folk, Americana, celtic and world music. Held on the country’s southwestern border in late August the event is a unique experience of musical discovery.
The Folk Spot stage, which showcased eight of the best rising acts of the Nordic folk scene, portrayed a diverse and engaging experience to the delight of an audience of fans and industry. Cross-Scandinavian trio Huldrelokkk’s delivery of acoustic folk incorporated a sound that is both organic and earthy, clearly seasoned in their craft the with instrumentation evoking that of a cinematic forest setting. They were followed by Danish husband and wife duo LSMR (Støjberg-Rauff). Their complementary vocal styles delivered a set that is both sonically current and lyrically mature.
Medieval folk quartet Pøbel added an element of nostalgia to the Friday lineup with a series of troubadour jams and lyrical lore accompanied by vintage instrumentation. Embracing the sounds of 13th-16th century Europe the set climaxed with a vibrant audience taking to the dance floor. The evening concluded with Aarhusian artist Mary Jean delivering a pop-inspired set with powerful vocals and instrumentation calling on tribal influences.
Headliners throughout the weekend included a who’s who of international talent, including The Lone Bellow and JD McPherson.
The damp weather did not take from the jubilant atmosphere of Saturday’s Folk Spot sets at the Klubscenen as the artists took the stage. Norwegian trio Raabygg’s charming delivery of folk balanced a unique oceanic score that is both sweet and haunting. Vingefang brought a culturally diverse sound that included influences from Brazil to southern Africa. A multi-lingual setlist defined the acts’ world music style.
Third on the lineup, Hudna’s mix of vocal and instrumental tracks celebrated cultural differentiation and ethnical diversity with innovative interpretations of Turkish folk melodies and Scandinavian roots. The Folk Spot events closed with the award-winning Elmøe and Hoffman, whose melancholic set elicited natural imagery through song.
Americana artists such as Darlingside, Tyler Childers and David Ramirez added a transatlantic flavour to the festival. Other highlights included a fantastic pop-up set by multinational quartet Northern Assembly and legendary Irish musician Sharon Shannon.
A truly international experience with it’s heart centred in Nordic influences, Tønder Festival delivered a unique experience to all in attendance and the AMAUK are once again thankful for the opportunity to share in this community’s mutual passion of music.
Brendan McCarthy Folk Spot Delegate as AMA-UK Board member
© Americana Music Association UK
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