Cash, Ellis, Isbell lead AMA nominations

Monday, May 12, 2014 – The Americana Music Association announced its nominees today for the 2014 Americana Honors & Awards. Rosanne Cash, Jason Isbell and Robert Ellis tied with two nominations apiece.

SiriusXM "Apron Strings" host and artist Elizabeth Cook revealed the nominations during a press conference that broadcast live on SiriusXM's "Outlaw Country" and streamed via MusicCityRoots.com from the network's Music City Theatre in Nashville.

The celebration also featured performances by Honors & Awards host Jim Lauderdale, band leader Buddy Miller, whose acoustic quartet backed Valerie June, Parker Millsap and Hurray For The Riff Raff preceding the opening of the envelopes. Cook closed out the one-hour program joining Miller for a duet of the classic "Burning the Midnight Oil" made famous by Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner.

Nominees are:

Album of the Year:
Build Me Up From Bones, Sarah Jarosz
The Lights From The Chemical Plant, Robert Ellis
The River And The Thread, Rosanne Cash
Southeastern, Jason Isbell

Artist of the Year
Rosanne Cash
Rodney Crowell
Robert Ellis
Jason Isbell

Duo/Group of the Year
The Avett Brothers
The Devil Makes Three
Hard Working Americans
Lake Street Dive
The Milk Carton Kids

Song of the Year
"Cover Me Up" Jason Isbell
"A Feather's Not A Bird" Rosanne Cash
"Ohio" Patty Griffin
"Only Lies" Robert Ellis

Emerging Act of the Year
Hurray For The Riff Raff
Parker Millsap
St. Paul & The Broken Bones
Sturgill Simpson
Valerie June

Instrumentalist of the Year
Larry Campbell
Fats Kaplin
Buddy Miller
Bryan Sutton

The awards show will be held at the Ryman on Sept. 17.