The most common question at the annual AmericanaFest – a SXSW-style multi-venue music festival held in Nashville since 2000 – is “what is Americana?” “Diverse” seems to be the answer, after decades of favouritism shown towards white, male country singers.
At the event’s opening awards ceremony, which takes place at The Ryman, aka country music’s “mother church”, the sensational Canadian songwriter Allison Russell picks up a well-deserved Album of the Year for her illuminating solo debut Outside Child. Other gongs go to bluesy husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty, flamboyant gypsy jazz renegade Sierra Ferrell, and the Grammys-conquering LGBT+ icon Brandi Carlile. There’s still room for the old guard, too. Robert Plant, Chris Isaak and Lyle Lovett all make appearances, as does the great Lucinda Williams, while tribute is paid to late honky tonk singer-songwriter Luke Bell, who died last month aged 32.
