The first Americana Music Association UK Awards are set for a bright future

The UK Americana Awards, which is set to become an annual event, closed out two days of festivities at this year’s Americana Music Association UK conference. In a night celebrating the UK’s vibrant and growing Americana scene, the AMA-UK welcomed an audience of guests, AMA-UK delegates, members of the music industry, and the public. Attendees were treated to performances from Billy Bragg, Danny & The Champions of The World, Bear’s Den, The Dreaming Spires, Lewis & Leigh, Emily Barker, Robert Vincent, Gretchen Peters, and Cale Tyson.
Danny & The Champions of the World and Gretchen Peters were the evening’s big winners at London’s St. John at Hackney on February 2, 2016. Danny & The Champions of the World won UK Artist, UK Album, and UK Song of the Year while Gretchen Peters took home International Album and International Song of the Year.
Bonnie Raitt, Elizabeth McGovern, Ricky Ross, Americana Music Association Executive Director Jed Hilly, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Kimmie Rhodes, Ralph McLean, and Mark Hagen joined host Bob Harris and musical director Ethan Johns as special guest presenters.
Billy Bragg was presented the Trailblazer Award by Chris Difford for his contribution to the genre and receiving the prestigious Bob Harris Emerging Artist Award was Robert Vincent. Swedish duo First Aid Kit were recognised with an award for the official highest selling Americana album of 2015 in the UK (OfficialCharts.com) for their album Stay Gold.
Nominees of the seven member-voted awards are below (with winners in italics):
UK Album of the Year – Presented by Mark Hagen
WHAT KIND OF LOVE – Danny & The Champions of the World / Produced by Chris Clarke and Danny George Wilson
SEARCHING FOR THE SUPERTRUTH – The Dreaming Spires / Produced by The Dreaming Spires
THE TOERAG SESSIONS – Emily Barker / Produced by Liam Watson
IF I WAS – The Staves / Produced by Justin Vernon
International Album of the Year – Presented by Bonnie Raitt
BLACKBIRDS – Gretchen Peters / Produced by Doug Lancio, Gretchen Peters, and Barry Walsh
SOMETHING MORE THAN FREE – Jason Isbell / Produced by Dave Cobb
PAGEANT MATERIAL – Kacey Musgraves / Produced by Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, and Kacey Musgraves
INTRODUCING CALE TYSON – Cale Tyson / Produced by Cale Tyson
UK Artist of the Year – Presented by Ricky Ross
Danny & The Champions of the World
Bear’s Den
The Dreaming Spires
Lewis & Leigh
International Artist of the Year – Presented by Jed Hilly
Jason Isbell
The Bros. Landreth
Gretchen Peters
Sturgill Simpson
UK Song of the Year – Presented by Beth Nielsen Chapman
Clear Water – Danny & The Champions of the World / Written by Danny George Wilson and Paul Lush
Agape – Bear’s Den / Written by Andrew Davie, Kevin Jones, and Johannes Refsdal
Rubble – Lewis & Leigh / Written by Al Lewis and Alva Leigh
Black & White – The Staves / Written by The Staves
International Song of the Year – Presented by Elizabeth McGovern
Blackbirds – Gretchen Peters / Written by Gretchen Peters and Ben Glover
24 Frames – Jason Isbell / Written by Jason Isbell
All These Dreams – Andrew Combs / Written by Andrew Combs and Jabe Beyer
American Middle Class – Angaleena Presley / Written by Angaleena Presley
UK Instrumentalist of the Year – Presented by Kimmie Rhodes and Ralph MacLean
BJ Cole
Joseph Bennett
Spencer Cullum Jr
Paul Lush