Alysse Gafkjen
Without fanfare or performance, folk/country supergroup The Highwomen was revealed Tuesday as the runaway, multi-category winner of 2020 Americana Awards. The quartet of Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires won Album of the Year for their 2019 self-titled debut, Song of the Year for “Crowded Table” and Duo/Group of the Year.
In a sad posthumous recognition, John Prine was named Artist of the Year. The era-shaping singer songwriter and 2003 Americana Lifetime Achievement Award-winner was enjoying a vibrant late career run only to be felled by Covid-19 in April. He’d been named Artist of the Year three previous times since 2005.