Sierra Ferrell Wins Big At 23rd Americana Honors & Awards

Breakout star Sierra Ferrell won the top two awards at Wednesday’s 23rd Annual Americana Honors & Awards presented by the Americana Music Association at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Ferrell won Artist of the Year and Album of the Year trophies for her 2024 release Trail of Flowers.

Brandy Clark was awarded with Song of the Year for “Dear Insecurity,” a collaboration with her 2024 self-titled album producer, Brandi Carlile, and written by herself and songwriter Michael Pollack. Sister duo Larkin Poe won their first Duo/Group of the Year award. Country rockers The Red Clay Strays won Emerging Act of the Year. Guitarists Grace Bowers took home Instrumentalist of the Year honors. her first win.

Highlights from the evening include Don Was receiving his Lifetime Achievement Award from surprise presenter Martina McBride; Allison Moorer, singer-songwriter and sister of Shelby Lynne, presenting Lynne with her Lifetime Achievement Award; and Song of the Year winner Brandy Clark delivering Dwight Yoakam his Lifetime Achievement honor.

Buddy Miller — Americana stalwart, songwriter, musician, producer and 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient — returned as musical director for the Americana All-Star Band, featuring Bryan Owings, Don Was, Jerry Pentecost, Jen Gunderman, Jim Hoke, Larry Campbell, and the McCrary Sisters.

Duane Betts opened the show with a performance of the Allman Brothers’ classic “Blue Sky” to honor his father Dickey, who died in April. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Gram Parsons’ Grievous Angel, Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell capped the evening with “Return of the Grievous Angel.”

Rev. Gary Davis posthumously received the Legacy of Americana Award in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music, presented by Director of Education and Exhibitions of NMAAM Noëlle Taylor, and Executive Director, Creative at BMI Nashville and Americana Board member, Shannon Sanders.

Other performers included The Blind Boys of Alabama, Brandy Clark with SistaStrings, Charles Wesley Godwin, Dave Alvin, Dwight Yoakam, Fantastic Negrito, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Jobi Riccio, Kaitlin Butts, Larkin Poe, The Milk Carton Kids, Noah Kahan, Sarah Jarosz, Shelby Lynne, Sierra Ferrell, Turnpike Troubadours, The War and Treaty, Waxahatchee with MJ Lenderman and Wyatt Flores.

“Tonight was a powerful and heartfelt evening,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association. “It represented the commitment to community, which exemplifies the spirit of Americana. This legacy has stood strong for 25 years and will continue for decades to come.”