The Americana Music Association Announces 2025 Lifetime Achievement Honorees

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 4, 2025) — Today, the Americana Music Association announced this year’s Lifetime Achievement Honorees for its 24th annual Americana Honors & Awards show on Wednesday, September 10. This group of top-honor recipients includes Joe Henry, McCrary Sisters, Old 97’s, Darrell Scott, and Jesse Welles. This year’s honorees will be celebrated during the prestigious ceremony at the Ryman Auditorium.

Joe Henry embraces deeply poetic approach to American music reveals an empathy for the human experience. Across a career spanning nearly four decades, Henry has crafted songs that are intimate, nuanced, and richly textured. A hyper-literate storyteller, he can turn devastation into hope, as he highlights the overlooked details across a broad swath of American musical styles — rock, jazz, and blues — shattering genre boundaries. Albums like Trampoline, Scar, and Civilians are touchstones of Americana music, marked by their subtle arrangements and Henry’s warm voice that carries a gentle authority. Over the years, he has worked with producer T Bone Burnett, jazzman Ornette Coleman, New Orleans legend Allen Toussaint, and longtime collaborators David Piltch, Patrick Warren, and his son, Levon Henry. He embraces imperfection as a source of beauty, reminding us that the most profound truths often emerge from the quietest moments.

The McCrary Sisters embody the soul-deep power of gospel music by blending righteous harmonies, lived experience, and unstoppable energy into one of the most beloved vocal groups in American roots music. Daughters of the late Reverend Samuel H. McCrary, a founding member of the Fairfield Four, the sisters were born into gospel royalty and raised in Nashville’s rich spiritual and musical traditions. Their sound, rooted in the Black church, is equally fluent in soul, blues, and funk, reflecting the sisters’ deep individual and collective histories. Whether appearing on the Grand Ole Opry stage, singing at the Americana Music Honors & Awards, or backing artists at major festivals, The McCrary Sisters radiate a sense of purpose and celebration. Their music is praise, but it is also protest, comfort, connection, and call to action. With deep roots and ever-growing branches, The McCrary Sisters carry forward the gospel tradition not as preservation, but as living, breathing, testifying truth. The McCrary Sisters will receive the Legacy award, co-presented with the National Museum of African American Music.

Old 97’s crashed onto the scene in the early 1990s with a wild blend of Texas twang, garage-band swagger, and heart-on-sleeve songwriting that helped define the alt-country sound. Formed in Dallas in 1993, the band built a reputation for their explosive live shows, razor-sharp lyrics, and a sound that honored country roots while refusing to be confined by them. Alongside peers like Uncle Tupelo and Whiskeytown, they laid the groundwork for the Americana movement that followed. Without chasing trends or commercial formulas, Old 97’s built a devoted following and earned lasting influence across generations of songwriters and bands. They remain one of the most enduring and beloved acts in American roots rock. With more than three decades on the road and no signs of slowing down, Old 97’s prove that Americana music can be rowdy, literate, rebellious, and completely their own.

Darrell Scott traveled the long, wide-open road to become one of the most admired and celebrated songwriters and musicians in roots music. His nuanced guitar playing attracted the likes of Guy Clark, and his lyricism has appealed to country, folk, bluegrass and Americana listeners for decades. Scott’s rich, revealing baritone enchanted folk festival audiences as well as mainstream country artists who revered his storytelling. Patty Loveless, Brad Paisley and Chris Stapleton have all put their personal touch on one of Scott’s masterpieces, “You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive.” His songwriting catalog also includes familiar radio hits such as Sara Evans’ “Born to Fly” and Travis Tritt’s “It’s a Great Day to Be Alive,” and The Chicks recorded masterful versions of “Heartbreak Town” and “Long Time Gone” for their Grammy-winning albums.

Jesse Welles channels the grit and poetry of rock’s golden age through a lens all his own. With a voice that balances intensity and weary soul, Welles crafts songs that echoes the voice of Woody Guthrie: honest, jagged, and prescient. Welles’ ability to weave humor into serious themes is a highlight of his creative ability, and he brandishes the spirit of free expression. His songwriting often cuts into the heart of present-day social issues, touching on themes like isolation, inequality, injustice, and the emotional toll of an absurd modern life. Rather than shying away from uncomfortable truths, he leans into them, using his platform to reflect the world as it is—messy, beautiful, and worth questioning. Welles will receive the Spirit of Americana Award, co-presented by the First Amendment Center, our nation’s leading advocate for Free Speech.

The Americana Honors & Awards ceremony serves as the hallmark event of the association’s annual AMERICANAFEST, taking place September 9-13 in Nashville.

“This year’s Lifetime Achievement honorees represent the heart and soul of the Americana Community. From the legendary to the next generation of stars. It’s a privilege to recognize and celebrate these incredible artists whose expertise in their craft has left an indelible mark,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association and Foundation.

In addition to these Lifetime Achievement Awards, the association will honor distinguished members of the music community with six member-voted awards. View this year’s nominees here.

For more than two decades, the prestigious ceremony has celebrated pioneering mainstays and trailblazing newcomers while featuring unforgettable moments in musical history, including Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash’s last live performance together, as well as offering show-stopping appearances by k.d. lang, Van Morrison, Mavis Staples, Bob Weir, Buddy Guy, George Strait, Don Henley, the late John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Gregg Allman, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, Alabama Shakes, Solomon Burke, Rosanne Cash, the late Dr. John with Dan Auerbach, Irma Thomas, Levon Helm, Robert Plant and many more.

For more information on the Americana Music Association and AMERICANAFEST, please visit www.americanamusic.org.

About the Americana Music Association:
The Americana Music Association is a professional not-for-profit trade organization whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. The Association produces events throughout the year, including AMERICANAFEST and the Americana Honors & Awards program.

About AMERICANAFEST:
AMERICANAFEST brings together hundreds of showcasing artists, industry leaders and music fans throughout the most notable venues in Nashville, Tennessee. To complement the nightly official showcases curated by a festival committee, multiple special events during the day allow agencies, labels and other industry entities to highlight their roster. The destination event also offers a three-day educational conference with networking opportunities, numerous panels, and premium industry interaction. The annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony at Ryman Auditorium recognizes the groundbreaking figures of Americana music and celebrates the music achievements of the past year. AMERICANAFEST serves as a fundraiser supporting the initiatives of the Americana Music Association and its Foundation and will take place in Nashville from September 9-13, 2025.

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