McMurtry Leads Americana Noms

James McMurtry leads the fifth annual Americana Honors and Awards with three nominations. Also recognized are Rosanne Cash, Rodney Crowell, Marty Stuart, Neil Young, and Dixie Chicks.

McMurtry is nominated for artist of the year, album of the year for Childish Things and song of the year for “We Can’t Make It Here.”

Cash, Crowell and Stuart received two nominations each. Cash was nominated for artist of the year and song of the year for “Black Cadillac.” Crowell was nominated for his album The Outsider and song “Don’t Get Me Started.” Stuart received nods for artist of the year and for his band’s Souls’ Chapel, his third release in a year.

Also nominated for song of the year for “Not Ready To Make Nice” are Dixie Chicks and songwriter Dan Wilson. The group’s Taking The Long Way has topped the charts but most country radio programmers have ignored the record.

Neil Young, whose Living With War features such song titles as “Let’s Impeach The President” and “Shock and Awe,” is also nominated for artist of the year.

“Americana artists have never shied away from being politically outspoken,” Jeff Green, executive director of the Americana Music Association, told The Tennessean. “This is the first time since the ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou?’ soundtrack that the top-selling album in America is on Americana radio but not on any other genre’s stations.”

The awards will be held September 22nd at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.