The Highwomen Sweep Americana Honors and Awards 19th annual slate of winners announced via social media, also includes John Prine, Brittany Haas, Black Pumas and more Tweet
The HighwomenPhoto: Alysse Gafkjen
Thanks to this infernal pandemic, the annual Americana Honors and Awards ceremony was postponed indefinitely back in September. The word came just a few days before the beginning of Thriving Roots, the panel-focused three-day online conference held in lieu of the weeklong in-person AmericanaFest. The Americana Music Association announced that this year s ceremony is officially canceled, and revealed the winners of the awards via social media.
Of the six categories voted on by the association’s members, country supergroup The Highwomen Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris and Amanda Shires took home three. Their Dave Cobb-produced debut album
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.