Americana Music Association Sets Annual Awards & Festival for Sept. 16-19 in Nashville

Posted by Lisa L. Rollins Aug 13, 2009

Nanci Griffith, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Raul Malo and the Greencards are the latest confirmed additions to this year’s Americana Music Festival lineup, an event that will be held Sept. 16-19, 2009, in Nashville.

The 2009 festival is part of the 10th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference, which offers daily seminars, panels and networking opportunities at the Nashville Convention Center, along the stacked lineup of evening showcases.

Per the American Music Association, Sugar Hill recording artists the Greencards—who were named Emerging Artist of the Year in 2005—will perform on the festival’s opening night at the city’s 3rd & Lindsley on Sept. 16. Then, on the following day, Sept. 17, the same venue will play host to Malo, who’s nominated in this year’s Americana Music Awards in the Artist of the Year category.

On Friday, Sept. 18, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band will make its first appearance at the Americana festival with a performance at the Cannery Ballroom, while Grammy-winning Griffith plays as part of an "in-the-round" event, along with Elizabeth Cook and Mary Gauthier, on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Station Inn.

AMA organizers said these shows, along with some 100 other festival-related performances, will be open to the public. Additionally, a $45 festival wristband will secure admission to all venues on all four evenings of live music. (They may be purchased online at americanamusic.org and in person at Grimey's New and Preloved Music, 1604 8th Avenue South, Nashville.)

Aside from the brand-new performer confirmations, the four-day music fest also will feature performances by the following (BTW, you might want to grab a snack before undertaking this list):

Amanda Shires, Amelia Curran, Among The Oak & Ash. Amy Cook, Amy Speace, Angaleena Presley, Angela Easterling, Annie & The Beekeepers, Antje Duvekot, Ashley Cleveland, Asleep at the Wheel, Band of Heathens, Baskery, Bearfoot, Ben Mallott, Bottle Rockets, Brigid Kaelin, Buddy Miller, Casey Driessen, Charlie Pate & Dixie's Finest, Charlie Robison, Chuck Mead, Clarence Fountain, Sam Butler & The Boys, Come On Go With Us, Corb Lund, Cross Canadian Ragweed, DADDY, Dallas Wayne, Deadstring Brothers, Diana Jones, Elliott Brood, Gabriel Kelley & The Reins, Grayson Capps, Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs, Hot Club of Cowtown, J. D. Souther, Jason White, Jerry Douglas, Jim Lauderdale. Jim Rooney & The Irregulars, Joe Pug, Kara Grainger, Keith Sewell, Ken Will Morton, Love Trucker and Grand Ole Opry member Marty Stuart.

Now, for those still with me, there’s more; namely, these players:

Mary Gauthier, Matthew Ryan, Missy Raines, Otis Gibbs, Patrick Sweany, Radney Foster, Reckless Kelly, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, Sam Bush, Samantha Crain & The Midnight Shivers, Sara Watkins, Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, Sarah Jarosz, Sarah Siskind, Scott Miller, Seth James, Seth Walker, Shannon Whitworth, Smart Brothers, Stone River Boys, Tenderhooks, The Belleville Outfit, The Boston Boys, The Farewell, Drifters, The Lovell Sisters, The Rustlanders, Elizabeth Cook, The Smart Brothers, The Tejas Brothers, The Travelin' McCourys & The Lee Boys, The Trishas, Theodore, Those Darlins, Tim Easton, W.P.A., Webb Wilder, White Owls, Will Hoge and last but not least, Yarn.

Registration for the entire Americana Music Festival & Conference, including a ticket to the critically acclaimed awards show, is $350 for AMA members and $450 for non-members through Aug. 31. Conference registrants receive priority entrance to all festival and conference related events.

Presented by the Gibson Foundation, the Americana Honors & Awards Show is attended by more than 2,000 artists, fans and entertainment industry executives in one of America's most beloved musical shrines, the historic Ryman Auditorium.

For more info, please access the AMA Web site at www.americanamusic.org.