A week to go until the start of this year’s much-anticipated UK Americana Music Week, powered by Sweet Home Alabama, and a stellar line up of performers has been announced for the UK Americana Music Awards on Thursday 23 January at Hackney Church.
Taking to the stage will be this year’s International Trailblazer Award winner, four times Grammy-winning singer, composer and actor Lyle Lovett and groundbreaking Irish singer, songwriter and musician CMAT, who takes home the UK/Ireland Trailblazer Award 2025.
Era-bending rock and roll band The Heavy Heavy, building a growing fanbase Stateside as well as in the UK; multi-award-winning singer-songwriter, dubbed “the real deal” by non-other than Bob Harris OBE, Robert Vincent; Live Act of the Year nominee Kezia Gill, fresh from sold out shows around the UK; and double-Award nominee Hannah White, a huge favourite within the UK Americana community, will all perform.
From the USA, former Old Crow Medicine Show band member, singer-songwriter Willie Watson, nominated for Album of the Year for his eponymous solo album, and Nashville-based singer, songwriter, activist and music therapist, double-Award nominee Kyshona, inspiring audiences with her heartfelt blend of gospel, folk and blues.
Legendary soul icon Candi Staton will receive the AMA-UK Board’s highest accolade, an International Lifetime Achievement Award.
Presenters for this not-to-be-missed event will include broadcasters Baylen Leonard, who will host the show, Bob Harris OBE, BBC Radio Ulster’s Ralph McLean, and Paul Sexton, plus Immy Doman of famed London venue The Green Note.
More to be announced for this special evening in the UK music calendar, where standout achievements in Americana music from the past year will be celebrated.
In a first for UK Americana Music Week, powered by Sweet Home Alabama, Hackney Picturehouse hosts the premiere of a specially commissioned documentary film on Monday 20 January: “I’ll Take You There”, a co-production between the Americana Music Association UK (AMA-UK), Sweet Home Alabama, The Romano Sidoli Consultancy and Northern Cowboy Films. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1045474557/f7af749915
“I’ll Take You There” follows award winning UK Artists Lady Nade, Michele Stodart, St. Catherine's Child, Lauren Housley & The Northern Cowboys and Robert Vincent as they journey around Alabama discovering its sounds, rich culture, and history, including the Civil Rights Movement. The film features Candi Staton, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Jed Hilly (The Americana Music Association), the founders of Single Lock Records, Rodney Hall, Linda Hall, Judy Hood, and local Alabama musicians alongside the UK travellers. Locations include the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Fame Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios, The Orion Amphitheatre in Huntsville, 16th Street Baptist Church and The AG Gaston Motel.
Prior to the film screening, featured artists, including Candi Staton, will take part in a Q&A about the documentary and their experiences in Alabama.
Following the ‘I’ll Take You There’ premiere on Monday 20, two nights of showcases in venues across Hackney will take place on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22, featuring an incredible line-up of artists from around the world including: Danni Nicholls, The Dreaming Spires, Robert Vincent, Savannah Gardner, Viv & Riley, Willie Watson, the Canada House at Moth Club, and many more. Full list below.
During the daytime on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22, the annual AMA-UK conference, the cornerstone of the week’s programming, will be held at Night Tales in Hackney. This year’s theme is “Can Songs Change the World? Americana in 2025,” covering a diverse range of topics tailored for Americana enthusiasts and industry professionals alike.
The week culminates in the prestigious UK Americana Music Awards on Thursday 23 at Hackney Church.
The event is proudly supported by Sweet Home Alabama, who are headline sponsors again for the third year, CIMA (Canadian Independent Music Association), PPL, PRS for Music, Concord, Thirty Tigers, Uncut, Musicians’ Union, Americana Music Sweden, and the US Americana Music Association.
Award Nominations:
UK ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Elles Bailey
Ferris & Sylvester
Hannah White
Katherine Priddy
Robert Vincent
The Heavy Heavy
UK ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Elles Bailey - Beneath The Neon Glow
Hannah White - Sweet Revolution
Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand - Willson Williams
Nina Nesbitt - Mountain Music
The Hanging Stars - On A Golden Shore
The Heavy Heavy - One of a Kind
UK SONG OF THE YEAR
Blue Rose Code – “Sadie”
Brown Horse – “Stealing Horses”
Jack Francis – “Failure”
Nina Nesbitt – “Pages”
Our Man In The Field – “L'Etranger”
Robert Vincent – “Follow What You Love and Love Will Follow”
UK INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Ashley Campbell
Henry Senior Jr
Joe Coombs
Joe Harvey White
Joe Wilkins
Keiron Marshall
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bonny Light Horseman
Charley Crockett
Jason Isbell
Larkin Poe
Sierra Ferrell
Waxahatchee
INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
American Aquarium - The Fear Of Standing Still
Bonny Light Horseman - Keep Me On Your Mind/See You Free
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - Woodland
Kacey Musgraves - Deeper Well
Kyshona - Legacy
Willie Watson - Willie Watson
INTERNATIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – “Empty Trainload of Sky”
Hurray For The Riff Raff – “Buffalo”
Julian Taylor & Allison Russell – “Pathways”
Kyshona – “The Echo”
Lizzie No – “The Heartbreak Store”
Sierra Ferrell – “American Dreaming”
LIVE ACT OF THE YEAR
Ben Ottewell & Ian Ball (of Gomez)
Campbell Jensen
Danny & The Champions of the World
Kezia Gill
Lola Kirke
Morganway
Savannah Gardner
Skinny Lister
The Heavy Heavy
Wunderhorse
AMA-UK Special Awards
International Lifetime Achievement Award
Selected by the board members, their highest honour is awarded to an international artist, duo or group in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the Americana genre over the span of their career and life in music. The 2025 recipient will be Candi Staton
International Trailblazer Award
Selected by the board members, this special award celebrates an international artist, duo or group that has taken an exceptional path, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps in developing the Americana genre. The 2025 recipient will be Lyle Lovett
UK/Ireland Trailblazer Award
Selected by the board members, this special award celebrates an artist, duo or group from the UK or Ireland that has taken an exceptional path, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps in developing the Americana genre. The 2025 recipient will be CMAT
