Ameripolitan Awards Officially Announce Return for 2027
The Ameripolitan Awards & Weekender will be returning in 2027 after two years away, and is partnering with another event to make it “bigger and badder than ever.” Set to happen April 16-18, 2027 in Austin, the organization that looks to shine a light on American music with a prominent roots influence will be partnering with the Lonestar Round Up, which is a long-running vintage car show and music festival celebrating its 24th year in 2027.
“Nearly three decades of hot rod heritage meets over a decade of honky tonk, western swing, rockabilly, and outlaw country roots. Badass cars. Badass music. One unforgettable roots music community weekend,” Ameripolitan said in their announcement on Wednesday (9-9).
The event will culminate with an awards show on Sunday night, which they say will be a more intimate affair compared to previous galas, including the 2024 event that happened at Austin’s Moody Theater, and eventually aired on AXS TV. Producing a show of such caliber is not cheap, and so Ameripolitan was forced to regroup after the 2024 presentation.
“Every year Celine [Lee] and I work tirelessly starting right after the awards are over,” said Ameripolitan founder Dale Watson at the time. “Right after clean up, I pay the left over expenses which goes into the tens of thousands. I personally can’t afford it anymore.”
Now they’re hoping that by partnering with the Lone Star Roundup, they can create a more sustainable model for both events that share a lot of the same audience and cultural inspiration. The announcement says they’re also looking for sponsors and vendors, and for folks to follow them on social media.
Nominations for the awards are also now open at ameripolitan.org for Ameripolitan’s four categories: Honky Tonk, Outlaw, Western Swing, and Rockabilly in Male, Female, and Group categories. Venues, festivals, and DJs are also featured through the awards, as are music legends in lifetime achievement awards.
The Ameripolitan Awards were founded in 2014 after Blake Shelton made his notorious comments referring to classic country music fans as “Old farts and jackasses.” The first year of the awards was held in a Wyndham hotel ballroom in Austin. In the subsequent years, they graduated to the Paramount Theater in Austin before moving to Memphis for a number of years, presented at The Guesthouse at Graceland hotel.
Since 2014, Ameripolitan has handed out awards in the Honky Tonk, Outlaw, Western Swing, And Rockabilly categories to dozens of deserving artists who otherwise might not receive recognition from mainstream country award shows. Ameripolitan has been a proving ground, a launching pad, as well as a moment to pay tribute to living legends who also go criminally overlooked.
2024 Ameripolitan winners included Kaitlin Butts, Reckless Kelly, Billy Don Burns, Kelsey Waldon, Brennen Leigh, Sterling Drake, Teddy and the Rough Riders, Kyle Eldridge, and the Carolyn Sills Combo among others. Previous Ameripolitan winners also include Sierra Ferrell, Luke Bell, Rachel Brooke, Mike and the Moonpies, Dallas Moore, and many more.
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September 9, 2026 @ 6:27 pm
I love the idea but is anyone else just really burnt on awards shows?
September 9, 2026 @ 6:57 pm
I mean, this isn’t the CMAs. And Ameripolitan isn’t really an “idea.” It’s a community that’s been cultivated over time that has given support and recognition to deserving artists that otherwise wouldn’t receive it. The awards are just an excuse to gather and share a common love for American roots music.
September 9, 2026 @ 7:10 pm
Conrad, you should come to this one (I remember asking in the comments last time if you were coming). It’s a tiny festival run for musicians by musicians. Super great networking event. The awards are part of it but it’s mostly a mid-winter celebration for folks in independent country and retro country/rockabilly. Sooooo many amazing people there.
September 9, 2026 @ 7:20 pm
oops just saw it’s in April this time. Hope the partnership with the hot rod fest helps, There’s definitely overlap from the rockabilly side of things .
Nominate Wild Bill And The Bruisers for Rockabilly Group!
September 9, 2026 @ 7:05 pm
could have combined it into Fitzgerald’s 44th Annual American Music Festival, which takes place every 4th of July weekend in Berwyn, IL, and saved on the transportation costs, because quite a few of the potential acts / nominees might be playing the fest already.
September 9, 2026 @ 7:17 pm
I propose that we do a big voting bloc push to get Joshua Ray Walker a nomination for Outlaw Male – the “outlaw’ category is their sort of “weird/clearly belongs in this scene but isn’t just pure retro” category. Some amazing people have been nominated there in the past and I don’t think JRW has ever been at the Ameripolitans.
JRW should get a version of the “Pinnell Rips” slogan here.