Americana Honors & Awards Recognize Sierra Ferrell, Nathaniel Rateliff, I’m With Her, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, MJ Lenderman and More

Sierra Ferrell, photo by Bobbi Rich

On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the Americana Music Association presented its 24th annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony. In a celebration of the vibrant variety of traditions and styles that inform this distinctly American folk genre, the now 26-year-old trade organization brought a dazzling lineup of stars to Nashville, Tenn.’s storied Ryman Auditorium. Six member-voted awards and several other honors were distributed through a program as eclectic as the music it celebrated.

The 2025 Americana Honors & Awards were hosted by comedian, actor and noted folk aficionado John C. Reilly, who guided a steady stream of guest presenters and performances. Music City staple Buddy Miller served as the evening’s musical director, leading the Americana All-Star Band of Don Was, Larry Campbell, Jen Gunderman, Fred Eltringham, Jim Hoke and the vocal trio of The McCrary Sisters, who have brought their talents to the event for years.

In the awards portion of the show, Sierra Ferrell took home the prestigious Artist of the Year honor. Ferrell’s recognition continued the outpouring of acclaim for her 2024 album Trail of Flowers, which garnered four Grammy Awards earlier this year and wins for Artist of the Year and Album of the Year at 2024’s Americana Honors & Awards. The idiosyncratic singer-songwriter is now the first woman to earn consecutive wins in the AMA’s top category, as well as the second artist to ascend to the position after previously being named Emerging Act of the Year. Though Ferrell was not present to accept the award, her gratitude came across in a text message read by her friend Reilly: “Thank God and Jesus.”

2025’s Album of the Year was presented to Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats for South of Here, which Rateliff noted marked the roots-rock powerhouse’s first win at any awards ceremony. “I’ve had the opportunity to carve out a space for myself and for my band,” Rateliff expressed, per WMOT. “And I encourage you all as musicians to continue to create what feels best to you, in your heart, and continue to examine your own feelings, and observe the love you feel and the loss you feel, and bring it to the audiences that are here to share their hearts and their feelings with you.”

Other prizes went to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings for Duo/Group of the Year, MJ Lenderman for Emerging Act of the Year and Alex Hargreaves, the virtuosic violinist in Billy Strings’ band, for Instrumentalist of the Year. The Old 97’s, Joe Henry and Darrell Scott received the Americana Lifetime Achievement honor, Jesse Welles received the Free Speech in Music honor, and The McCrary Sisters received the well-earned Legacy of Americana honor. While accepting their prize, the sisters honored the late Deborah McCrary, who passed in June 2022: “You see four mics out here, but there’s only three of us singing. We put an extra mic out here because you might not see her in body, but she is here in spirit.”

I’m With Her, the Americana supergroup of Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins, received the Song of the Year award for “Ancient Light,” drawn from their sophomore album Wild and Clear and Blue, and performed the track during the presentation. Further standout performances came from Artist of the Year nominee Joy Oladokun, who fingerpicked through “I’d Miss The Birds,” Emmylou Harris and Daniel Lanois, who continued the 30-year celebration of Wrecking Ball with “May This Be Love,” and Reilly, who sang a vaudeville-inspired version of Tom Waits’ “Picture in a Frame” from his recent album What’s Not to Love and covered Willie Nelson’s “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain” with Margo Price. Other featured performers included Rateliff, Welch and Rawlings, Dawes, JD McPherson, Maggie Rose, Medium Build and Old 97’s, among others. John Fogerty closed out the show with renditions of Creedence Clearwater Revival essentials “Up Around the Bend,” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” and “Proud Mary.”

Americanafest 2025 continues through Sept. 13. For more information on the Americana Music Association, visit americanamusic.org.