On May 15, the Americana Music Association announced the nominees for the 2018 Americana Music Awards. During a ceremony at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Americana duo The Milk Carton Kids announced nominees for Emerging Artist of the Year, Instrumentalist of the Year, Duo/Group of the Year, Song of the Year, Artist of the Year and Album of the Year.
Jason Isbell leads the pack in nominations, garnering nods for his work with Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and as a solo artist, as well as nominations for Song of the Year and Album of the Year.
Isbell even interrupted the ceremony in Kanye fashion to announce a performance from The Milk Carton Kids and give a shoutout to last year's Americana Music Awards host Jim Lauderdale, jokingly telling the duo "I'm gonna let you finish, but Jim Lauderdale had the best Americana jokes of all time."
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Margo Price and Brandi Carlile follow Jason Isbell in nominations, getting a nod for Song of the Year, Album of the Year and Artist of the Year.
The ceremony also featured performances from Instrumentalist of the Year nominees Daniel Donato, Molly Tuttle, Jerry Pentecost and Brittany Haas.
Winners will be announced at the 2018 Americana Music Awards, held Sept. 12 at the Ryman Auditorium. Wristbands and badges for the 2018 Americana Music Festival are available here. You must purchase a conference registration badge in order to buy tickets to the Americana Music Awards ceremony.
Read the full list of nominees below.
2018 Americana Music Award Nominees
Instrumentalist of the Year
Daniel Donato
Molly Tuttle
Jerry Pentecost
Brittany Haas
Emerging Artist of the Year
Courtney Marie Andrews
Tyler Childers
Anderson East
Lilly Hiatt
Duo/Group of the Year
I'm With Her
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats
Song of the Year
"A Little Pain," Margo Price (written by Margo Price)
"All the Trouble," Lee Ann Womack (written by Lee Ann Womack, Waylon Payne and Adam Wright)
"If We Were Vampires," Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (written by Jason Isbell)
"The Joke," Brandi Carlile ( written by Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth)
Artist of the Year
Brandi Carlile
Jason Isbell
Margo Price
John Prine
Album of the Year
All American Made, Margo Price
By the Way I Forgive You, Brandi Carlile
The Nashville Sound, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Rifles and Rosary Beads, Mary Gauthier
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