Tyler Childers’ Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? was named album of the year at the 2023 Americana Honors & Awards, which were held Wednesday (Sept. 20) at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
The self-produced album consists of three discs, each containing different remixes of eight gospel music songs. The “Hallelujah” versions were recorded live in the studio; the “Jubilee” versions incorporate horn and string sections; and the “Joyful Noise” versions incorporate remixes and sampling. Three of the songs are public domain. Childers wrote the other five. The album reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart and No. 8 on the Billboard 200. It was Childers’ first top 10 album on the Billboard 200.
Bonnie Raitt’s self-penned “Just Like That” won song of the year, nearly eight months after it won in the same category at the 65th annual Grammy Awards. It’s the first song written by a solitary writer to win here since Jason Isbell’s “If We Were Vampires” five years ago.
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Billy Strings won entertainer of the year for the second year in a row. He’s the first artist to win two years running since John Prine in 2017-18.
The War and Treaty won duo/group of the year last year for the second year in a row. They’re the first act to win two years running since the Avett Brothers in 2010-11. The husband-and-wife duo is up for vocal duo of the year at the upcoming CMA Awards.
S.G. Goodman won for best emerging act. Many previous winners have gone on to do very well, including The Avett Brothers (2007), Mumford & Sons (2011), Alabama Shakes (2012), Sturgill Simpson (2014) and Margo Price (2016), Amanda Shires (2017), Childers (2018), The War and Treaty (2019) and Black Pumas (2020).
SistaStrings (sisters Chauntee and Monique Ross) won the instrumentalist of the year award.
The Avett Brothers and Nickel Creek were presented with Trailblazer Awards by two-time artist of the year Brandi Carlile and Kacey Musgraves, respectively.
Other highlights include Patty Griffin receiving the lifetime achievement award for songwriting from presenter Sarah Silverman and Allison Russell receiving the Spirit of Americana / Free Speech in Music Award from First Amendment Center’s John Seignthaler and Democratic lawmakers Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson.
Bettye LaVette accepted the Legacy of Americana Award (in partnership with the National Museum of African American Music), presented by Noelle Taylor and Steve Jordan.
Buddy Miller — 2022 lifetime achievement award recipient — returned as musical director for the Americana All-Star Band, featuring Brady Blade, Catherine Popper, Fred Eltringham, Jen Gunderman, Jim Hoke, Larry Campbell and The McCrary Sisters. In addition, Miller presented George Fontaine Sr., co-founder and owner of New West Records, with the Jack Emerson lifetime achievement for executive.
The evening also included tributes to two albums celebrating their 50th anniversary – Tom Waits’ Closing Time (Rufus Wainwright did the honors), and Paul Simon’s There Goes Rhymin’ Simon (Milk Carton Kids and Noah Kahan paid tribute).
Logan Ledger opened the show with a posthumous tribute to Jimmy Buffett, with a performance of the singer/songwriter’s 1974 breakthrough hit “Come Monday.” A multi-artist tribute to Robbie Robertson, via a performance of “Up on Cripple Creek,” the 1969 hit he wrote for The Band, closed the show.
Other performers on the bill were 49 Winchester, Adeem the Artist, Allison Russell, Angel Olsen, The Avett Brothers, Bettye LaVette, Bonnie Raitt, Brandi Carlile, Brandy Clark, Hermanos Gutiérrez, Margo Price, Nickel Creek, Patty Griffin, S.G. Goodman, Sunny War, The War and Treaty and William Prince.
The program is the marquee event of AmericanaFest, which returns for its 23nd year on Sept. 19 and runs through Sept. 23.
Here’s the full list of nominees for the 2023 Americana Honors & Awards, with winners marked:
Album of the year
Big Time, Angel Olsen; Produced by Angel Olsen and Jonathan Wilson
WINNER: Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, Tyler Childers; Produced by Tyler Childers
El Bueno y el Malo, Hermanos Gutiérrez; Produced by Dan Auerbach
The Man from Waco, Charley Crockett; Produced by Bruce Robison
Strays, Margo Price; Produced by Margo Price and Jonathan Wilson
Song of the year
“Change of Heart,” Margo Price; Written by Jeremy Ivey, Margo Price
“I’m Just a Clown,” Charley Crockett; Written by Charley Crockett
WINNER: “Just Like That,” Bonnie Raitt; Written by Bonnie Raitt
“Something in the Orange,” Zach Bryan; Written by Zach Bryan
“You’re Not Alone,” Allison Russell featuring Brandi Carlile; Written by Allison Russell
Artist of the year
Charley Crockett
Sierra Ferrell
Margo Price
Allison Russell
WINNER: Billy Strings
Duo/group of the year
49 Winchester
Caamp
Nickel Creek
Plains
WINNER: The War and Treaty
Emerging act of the year
Adeem the Artist
WINNER: S.G. Goodman
William Prince
Thee Sacred Souls
Sunny War
Instrumentalist of the year
Isa Burke
Allison de Groot
Jeff Picker
WINNER: SistaStrings (Chauntee and Monique Ross)
Kyle Tuttle