Who won big at last night's Americana Awards?

Matthew Leimkuehler, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read

Happy Thursday, Pickers. Music reporter Matthew Leimkuehler here with another week of entertainment headlines spinning out of Music City, U.S.A. Let's drop the proverbial needle ...

Americana Awards returns

A new class of artists hoisted trophies Wednesday night at the annual Americana Honors & Awards. Let's take a look at a few winners:

  • Roots truth-teller Allison Russell earned Album of the Year for her transformative solo debut (and top Tennessean release of 2021), "Outside Child."

  • Bluegrass bellwether Billy Strings finished his ascent to the top of the Americana mountaintop, winning his first Artist of the Year honor.

  • Can't-miss country singer-songwriter Sierra Ferrell won Emerging Act of the Year, a tastemaking trophy for the next generation of artists.

Festivities took place at a packed Ryman Auditorium, where artists and audience members paid tribute to the Indigo Girls, Chris Isaak and more. Read on for highlights and a complete list of winners.

Allison Russell accepts the Album of the Year Award during the Americana Music Honors and Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn.
Allison Russell accepts the Album of the Year Award during the Americana Music Honors and Awards show at the Ryman Auditorium Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022, in Nashville, Tenn.

Who *survived* week one of our Survivor League?

Spoiler: Each participating country hitmaker made it through week one of the Tennessean's new Music City NFL Survivor League (because we're playing double-elimination!), but it wasn't without a few upsets along the way. In case you missed the action, let's break down a few highlights:

  • The Miami Dolphins didn't make Darius Rucker cry. His longtime team - and week one pick - beat the New England Patriots.

  • Scotty McCreery picked on the wrong side of the wild overtime Bengals-Steelers game. He's facing elimination with another loss.

  • The Denver Broncos bad clock management burned Chris Young and Natalie Grant, who hoped to see Russell Wilson win the revenge game.

Let's look ahead into week two. Who's making a bold pick?

  • Matt Stell (0-1) takes this week's biggest betting line, picking the Broncos to bounce back against the Texans.

  • Jelly Roll (1-0) looks to keep his winning streak alive with the Browns beating the Jets.

  • Old Dominion's Matthew Ramsey (0-1) takes the Bengals against the Dak Prescott-less Cowboys.

Let's talk about this weekend, music fans

To say it's a busy weekend in Music City would be *such* an understatement. Between AmericanaFest and three shows at Bridgestone Arena, let's break down a handful of ways you could spend your weekend.

  • Friday: Pearl Jam brings a night of grunge-rock hits to the arena for a long-awaited Nashville return.

  • Friday: An AmericanaFest edition of Musicians Corner features Emily Scott Robinson, Early James, Lilli Lewis and more must-see upcoming talent (plus it's free!).

  • Saturday: The Killers take over Bridgestone Arena for a one night show (and admit it: always a blast to sing this band's endless catalog of rock anthems).

  • Saturday: Country-rock staple Nitty Gritty Dirt Band returns to the Ryman Auditorium for a one-night concert and PBS special.

  • Saturday: The aforementioned Sierra Farrell joins a one-two-three punch with Nikki Lane and Madeline Edwards at an AmericanaFest showcase inside Basement East.

  • Saturday (yes, it's that busy this weekend): No-nonsense country hitmaker Parker McCollum headlines Ascend Amphitheater.

  • Sunday: The weekend wraps with Broadway star Ben Platt bringing his latest pop show to Bridgestone Arena.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Billy Strings, Allison Russell win big at Americana Awards | The Pick