Barry Poss, co-founder and longtime owner of Sugar Hill Records –- an influential independent label whose roster included numerous notable bluegrass, Americana, old-time and roots music artists –- died on May 13, 2025. He was 79 and had been battling cancer for years.
Jesse Colin Young -- a noted singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and folk-rock & Americana pioneer who co-founded and fronted The Youngbloods -- passed away in Aiken, South Carolina on March 16, 2025 at age 83.
Sierra Ferrell was a big winner at the 37th annual Grammy Awards, taking home awards in all four categories in which she was nominated. The Nashville, Tennessee-based and small-town West Virginia-born singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist was honored for Best Americana Album (Trail of Flowers), Best American Roots Performance (“Lighthouse”), Best American Roots Song (“American Dreaming,” a co-write with Melody Walker), and Best Americana Performance (“American Dreaming”) during the February 2 premiere ceremony at Los Angeles, California’s Crypto.com Arena that preceded the evening telecast on CBS. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to view a video.]
Performances by some of Americana music’s biggest stars-- including Duane Betts, Blind Boys of Alabama, Fantastic Negrito, Sierra Ferrell, Emmylou Harris with Rodney Crowell, Sarah Jarosz, Noah Kahan, Larkin Poe, Jobi Riccio, Shelby Lynne, Waxahatchee with MJ Lederman, and Dwight Yoakam -- captured live during the 23rd annual Americana Honors & Awards show in September will air as an episode of Austin City Limits on PBS television stations throughout the U.S. beginning on Saturday, November 23.
The Black Bear Americana Music Festival returns to the Goshen Fairgrounds in Goshen, Connecticut for a fifth year, October 6-8, 2023. Dozens of national touring artists and local New England-based ones will perform on several stages, while music and art workshops are also on the docket. [Click on the headline to continue reading this festival preview.]
The 23rd annual Americana Honors & Awards were presented at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee on September 20, 2023. Tyler Childers, Billy Strings, Bonnie Raitt, The War and Treaty, S.G. Goodman, and SistaStrings were named as recipients of coveted awards during an awards show that is the highlight of the annual AMERICANAFEST, a five-day celebration of American roots-inspired music put on by the Americana Music Association, September 19-23. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to view a few videos.]
Winners in the 65th Grammy Awards’ American Roots Music Field were recognized during a ceremony that took place prior to The Recording Academy’s televised awards show from Los Angeles, California on Sunday, February 5, 2023. Folk Alliance International presented its annual International Folk Music Awards in Kansas City, Missouri on February 1. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to view a couple of videos.]
Performances by some of Americana music’s biggest stars – including Brandi Carlile with Lucius, Fairfield Four, Indigo Girls, Chris Isaak, Lyle Lovett, The McCrary Sisters, James McMurtry, The Milk Carton Kids, Allison Russell, The War and Treaty, and Lucinda Williams – captured live during the 21st annual Americana Honors & Awards show in September will air on Circle Network, November 23, 2022 at 9 p.m. CT.
More than 50 performing artists/acts and lots of live music fans will converge on the Goshen Fairgrounds in Goshen, Connecticut, October 7-9, 2022 for the fourth annual Black Bear Americana Music Fest. The three-day festival features performances on several stages by Grammy Award-winning national touring artists, local New England-based artists and emerging talents, as well as music and art workshops. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article that includes comments from several of the festival's performing artists.]
Winners in the 2022 Americana Honors & Awards were recognized during an awards show in Nashville, Tennessee on September 14 that is a highlight of AMERICANAFEST, a six-day festival and conference celebrating American roots-inspired music that is hosted by the Americana Music Association and extends through September 17.
Folk Alliance International honored artists and others in the folk music community during the annual International Folk Music Awards show that took place May 18, 2022 in Kansas City, Missouri on the opening night of FAI’s 34th annual conference. It was also streamed online. Allison Russell was named Artist of the Year (2021) and also accepted the award for Album of the Year (Outside Child), while Crys Matthews’ “Changemakers” was named Song of the Year. [Click on the headline to continue reading this article and to view a few videos.]
Musical highlights from the 20th annual Americana Honors & Awards will be featured on a special hour-long episode of Austin City Limits that is set to air on PBS television stations beginning on Saturday, April 2, 2022. Check your local TV listings since dates and times vary by location. The show will also be available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits beginning Sunday, April 3 at 9 a.m. CT/10 a.m. ET.
