The 25th Annual Americana Honors & Awards took place Wednesday night at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, honoring some of the genre’s most prominent figures. The ceremony recognized competitive winners including Molly Tuttle, Brandi Carlile, Tyler Childers, and the duo Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, alongside lifetime achievement honors for Robert Plant, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Dolly Parton.
Tuttle secured a surprise victory in the Artist of the Year category, marking her first win in the slot. Her success was attributed to strong touring numbers and the mainstream appeal of her fifth studio album, “So Long Little Miss Sunshine.” On the red carpet, Tuttle noted that the record represented a “sonic leap” that made some traditional bluegrass fans nervous, but she was pleased with the reception. She also revealed she recently married Old Crow Medicine Show frontman Ketch Secor on Aug. 22, who joined her onstage for the ceremony.
Welch and Rawlings claimed Duo/Group of the Year for the second consecutive year. Brandi Carlile won Song of the Year for “Returning to Me,” the title track from her 2025 album. Although absent from the ceremony, Tyler Childers was named Album of the Year winner for “Snipe Hunter,” an honor shared with producers Rick Rubin and Nick Sanborn. Other competitive winners included Ken Pomeroy for Emerging Act of the Year and Mandy Fer for Instrumentalist of the Year.
Robert Plant received the Lifetime Achievement Award, making his first appearance at the event in 15 years. He performed “Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down” and “Angel Dance,” drawing cheers as he hit the high notes characteristic of his earlier career. In his acceptance speech, Plant reflected on his introduction to the Nashville Americana community 20 years prior, crediting Alison Krauss and T Bone Burnett for welcoming him. He paid tribute to genre pioneers such as Lead Belly, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Dolly Parton.
During her acceptance speech, Carlile expressed admiration for fellow nominee I’m With Her, calling their song “Wild and Clear and Blue” her favorite of the past decade. She dedicated the award to her wife, Catherine Carlile, stating, “I think that everyone must make the journey at one point — everyone needs to, at some point, return to themselves.”
The ceremony also featured commentary on the intersection of technology and music. Co-hosts The Milk Carton Kids, Kenneth Pattengale and Joey Ryan, addressed the rise of AI in music creation. Quoting Gillian Welch’s 2000 track “Everything Is Free,” they emphasized that artists create out of compulsion rather than financial necessity. They specifically criticized the CEO of the generative AI app Suno for claims that most people do not enjoy the music-making process, expressing support for pending legal battles involving artists like Jason Isbell.
Instrumentalist winner Mandy Fer spoke about her mission to represent women in lead guitar roles. “When I was picking up the electric guitar, I noticed a huge void of women being highlighted on stage as lead guitarists,” Fer said. “Standing up here 24 years later, receiving this award is the greatest honor of my life.” She thanked trailblazers like Bonnie Raitt and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, hoping her win inspires people of all gender identities to pursue lead guitar.
Interesting they addressed AI, but the real story is Plant’s return after fifteen years. That’s the headline right there.
Robert Plant at the Ryman? That lineup is absolutely electric. I can only imagine the crowd going wild.
Finally, Mandy Fer getting the spotlight she deserves. Women on lead guitar need more recognition like this.
Molly Tuttle just married Ketch Secor? I missed that news entirely. The red carpet moment must have been huge.