Ameripolitan Awards Announce 2018 Nominees
The Ameripolitan Awards have just announced the nominees for their 2018 distinctions, and once again they have clearly honored their founding commitment to shining a light on artists with a strong roots influence that otherwise get overlooked by the rest of the industry.
“I’m excited about this year’s nominees and as I’m sure you will find as well, there are some folks I’ve heard of and some folks I haven’t,” says Ameripolitan founder Dale Watson. “I’m very glad it’s the fans’ job to decide the winners, as this is an amazing list of nominees. They should all be considered winners to be nominated with such worthy, talented peers.”
New this year to Ameripolitan’s special awards categories is the Legend Award, added in honor of the move to Memphis and being posthumously awarded to rock’n’roll pioneer Sam Phillips. Rounding out the special awards slate will be Brian Setzer (Master Award), Lloyd Green (Founder of the Sound) and Jim Heath (Keeper of the Key).
The 5th Annual Ameripolitan Awards will be held at the Memphis at Graceland’s Guesthouse Hotel on February 13th, 2018. This is the first year the awards won’t be held in Austin. Early scheduled performers include east Nashville throwback country maven Nikki Lane, the Godfather of Psychobilly The Reverend Horton Heat, the “Kang” of Country and Western Troubadours Unknown Hinson, Western Swing legacy keepers Asleep At The Wheel, and James “Slim” Hand. It had been previously announced that rockabilly god Brian Setzer would also be performing, but it has since been clarified that he will not be able to attend.
Along with these performers, it has also been announced that the 2018 installment will once again be hosted by Ameripolitan founder Dale Watson, along with help from co-host of The History Channel’s American Pickers, Danielle Colby.
Founded by Dale Watson after the “Old Farts & Jackasses” comments of Blake Shelton, the Ameripolitan Awards is Dale Watson’s effort to keep roots traditions alive and celebrate artists going unrecognized by the rest of the country music industry. Since the inaugural year, the awards have grown from a ballroom in a hotel in Austin, to Austin’s Paramount where people from around the country travel to take part in the festivities, to now moving to Memphis. The Ameripolitan Music Awards acknowledges “Artists whose music honors tradition while demonstrating exceptional originality, creativity, and musicianship,” and is a 501(c)3 organization.
Tickets for the event are now on sale.
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Honky Tonk Male
Luke Bell
Tilford Sellers
Zephaniah Ohora
Casey James Prestwood
Charley Crockett
Honky Tonk Female
Brennen Leigh
Kristina Murray
Tommy Ash
Whitney Rose
Emily Nenni
Honky Tonk Group
The Country Side of Harmonica Sam
The Rhyolite Sound
The Lawrence Peters Outfit
Green Line Travelers
The Reeves Brothers
Outlaw Male
James Carothers
Scott H. Biram
Prag Padilla
Steve Griggs
Cody Jinks
Outlaw Female
Summer Dean
Andrea Colburn
Rebecca Jed
Nikki Lane
Sarah Gayle Meech
Outlaw Group
Bucksnort Beauties
Whitey Morgan and the 78s
Barnyard Stompers
Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts
Jenny Don’t & The Spurs
Rockabilly Male
Levi Dexter
Bloodshot Bill
Josh Sorheim
Al Dual
Art Adams
Rockabilly Female
Rockin’ Bonnie
Bailey Dee
Lindsay Beaver
Anita O’Night
Lily Locksmith
Rockabilly Group
The Go Getters
Matt & The Peabody Ducks
The Kokomo Kings
Don Diego Trio
The Twilight Drifters
Western Swing Male
Jason Roberts
Billy Mata
Kyle Eldridge
Keenan Wade
Bobby Flores
Western Swing Female
Sophia Johnson
Wendy Newcomer
Carolyn Sills
Grace Adele
Stacey Lee Guse
Western Swing Group
Mike Penny & His Moonshiners
The Farmer and Adele
The Carolyn Sills Combo
The Western Toneflyers
The Railhouse band
Venue
Don the Beachcomber, Huntington Beach CA
American Legion Hall Post 82, Nashville TN
Southgate House Revival, Newport KY
Lee’s Liquor Lounge, Minneapolis MN
The Nashville Palace, Nashville TN
Skinny Dennis, Brooklyn, NY
Knuckleheads, Kansas City MO
The White Water Tavern, Little Rock AR
4 Corners Music Hall, Untermeitingen Germany
Sportsmen’s Tavern, Buffalo NY
D.J.
Colonel Paco Chaos, 88.1fm WRFL
W.B. Walker, Old Soul Radio Show Podcast
Bailey George, 105.7fm WBCM
Woody Adkins, 89.5fm KOPN
Jimi Palacios, 102.3fm WHIV
Festival
Screamin’ Festival, Calella, Spain
The Rockabilly Rave, England UK
Summer Jamboree, Senigallia Italy
New England Shake Up, Sturbridge MA
Rockin’ Race Jamboree, Torremolinos-MálagSpain
Musician
Chris Scruggs
Mike Bernal
Peter Andersson
Rose Sinclair
Katie Shore
November 7, 2017 @ 10:38 am
Two Swedish band?
November 7, 2017 @ 10:43 am
I’m happy to see “Rebecca Jed” on the Outlaw Female artists list. Her songs are great!
November 7, 2017 @ 10:49 am
I only know about half of these. I’ve got some listening to do.
November 7, 2017 @ 3:50 pm
Hi Eckie..you can hear our debut single at http://www.bucksnortbeauties.com It is a brand new site that I built (Mae Bliss) so love to hear feedback via the mailing list! You can also view our video for Cockadoodledoo there:)
November 7, 2017 @ 7:28 pm
Your music sounded good Mae, thanks for posting.
November 8, 2017 @ 2:16 pm
Why thank’y, Biscuit! You can hear more that I cowrite and sing with Ms. Rebecca Jed at her Reverbnation and purchase at iTunes from her solo EP, Wildfire & Moonshine, and we will be releasing more tracks on the Bucksnort Beauties web that we recorded with Andrija Tojik (Alabama Shakes, Margo Price, Blackfoot Gypsies@ Bombshelter Studios), Ian Craft (Howlin Brothers), and are soon recording more with Andy Gibson (Hank III, Elizabeth Cook, Sarah Gayle Meech). So excited to share the rest of our tunes with y’all! I didnt move to Nash to sing…she recruited me, and hillbilly was just in my DNA so you can imagine how amazing it is to work with such talented folks and end up singing with my fave country singer in Nashville because of a happy meeting in my new roomate’s East Nash home after leaving my fiance (Rebecca had recorded at Cowboy Jack Clement’s Cow it Arms & Recording Spa and my roommate, Jolene, was singin on her record and she heard me singing along in the kitchen when they had band practice!) lol Rebecca also has another solo EP in the works, and eyond excited to finish the Bucksnort Beauties record with Andy! Lookin forward to meeting a bunch of y’all in Memphis for the Ameripolitans and future dates! Xo
November 7, 2017 @ 11:12 am
Cody Effin Jinks
November 7, 2017 @ 3:51 pm
Cody Jinks is great but I really wonder what he thinks about you fuckin Flockers
November 7, 2017 @ 11:25 am
No Angaleena Presley?
November 8, 2017 @ 2:19 pm
Love her!!!
November 7, 2017 @ 11:42 am
YES! Finally someone has mentioned PRAG! This guy is a killer when it comes to keeping to REAL COUNTRY MUSIC! Love this guy a true OUTLAW! https://www.facebook.com/PRAGNATION/videos/858899964261587/
November 7, 2017 @ 7:34 pm
Thanks for the link, I wasn’t familiar with him. Cool voice, will check out more of his stuff.
It’s cool that there are several new acts to check out from this article and the nominations.
November 7, 2017 @ 12:33 pm
Why does anybody care about awards?
November 7, 2017 @ 12:43 pm
This isn’t your bullshit Nashville cookie cutter, edm, popstar, tailgate, fake moonshine, rap induced, ratings machine award show. These are real artists and real musicians that are 110% legit, these folks deserve to get some real attention. Regardless of who wins or loses this is more of a festival/gathering to showcase real honest talented performers that put their heart and soul into their craft!
November 8, 2017 @ 4:24 pm
What attention are they going to get. Nobody is going to find out about these awards. And if they do, they won’t understand what they represent. If anything, it is cookie cutter because they are trying to do what the mainstream music industry does.
November 9, 2017 @ 6:30 am
You couldn’t be further from the truth, these are individuals who take pride in their craft and who deliver top notch music regardless if they are playing to 10,000 or 10 people. Your cookie cutter sentence only shows your ignorance of this genre of music.
November 9, 2017 @ 1:52 pm
So what s the point of a award show ? They were there before, they re going to be there after. That s just a pat on the back. They re just mimicking the folks that they are so proud to be different of. And Dale fired Mojo as a MC because he was a bit over the top. Keep it family friendly. Shoot Elvis from the waist up, don t want to see his dirty leg moves. With all due respect to all involved.
November 7, 2017 @ 12:54 pm
Ultimately the point of awards shows is to be a promotional tool for music. It is very effective for the mainstream industry, so why not have independent artists band together to help spread awareness and a sense of community? I agree that popularity contests are never perfect, but for many of these artists, it’s the only recognition they will ever receive from anyone for lifelong efforts.
November 8, 2017 @ 5:57 pm
Because in the music world musicians appreciate recognition. And for the folks making rockabilly, western swing and honky tonk music, this organization is the only one who’s gonna do it. The Americana world (whatever that is) is more concerned with political correctness than music. Also, Americana ignores these genres largely anyway. The country music organization long ago abandoned country music, so really it’s Ameripolitan or nothing honoring most of these artists. And exactly how is it bad for these folks to get recognition?
November 7, 2017 @ 2:46 pm
Lots to explore here.
November 7, 2017 @ 3:14 pm
James Carothers – excellent
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWUcXExIFks
November 7, 2017 @ 3:53 pm
Hey Gary, you would also love the Bucksnort Beauties stuff then…she is in that band too, and both gals write 🙂
November 7, 2017 @ 8:00 pm
Mae, I love the Bucksnort Beauties, you and Rebecca are both great! I look forward to any new music you release.
November 7, 2017 @ 3:59 pm
How can Tyler Childers be ignored? I despise awards shows… But this is the only one I can stomach due to it’s history and no alterior motives.
November 7, 2017 @ 5:09 pm
Yeah colter wall also
November 8, 2017 @ 10:45 am
I was hoping Lloyd McCarter would get at least a nomination for honky tonk male, but being a regional act in Nebraska makes it an uphill battle. Would definitely encourage people to check him out though.
February 13, 2018 @ 10:04 pm
I am up in Minnesota. I will check that out.
November 8, 2017 @ 2:47 pm
Thank you! Excited for her to be nominated in both Outlaw Female and Outlaw Group, and also happy for our longtime friends the Farmer & Adele to be nominated in all the Western Swing categories (Keenan used to play with Jed @ Layla’s Bluegrass Inn and I was booking @ Douglas Corner and freelance before in a band) They are so sweet! So is the gorgeous and talented Tommy Ash, Emily Nenni, Andrea Colburn and Sarah Gayle Meech, and I Really hope I’m not leaving anyone else I have worked with… we’ve hosted all but Andrea in Nashville at pur Country Wild Nights (and that has been on the radar for a long time and is in the works as I type this, as is a show with Josh Morningstar, whom I expect to see on the Outlaw Male list next year). Very excited to see so many folks I’ve been enjoying/booked or sang with for years shinin from the inside out, and truly grateful to Dale Watson and the Ameripolitan family for including Rebecca Jed & the Bucksnort Beauties for the 2018 awards! I cried…more than once. I am always this verbose, but I’ve alwasy been a writer at heart, and yes, there will be very wild memoirs to look forward to whenever I finally have the time to write them!! lol xo, Mae
November 23, 2017 @ 9:36 am
Why is Paul Cauthen not getting props? The guy is living and breathing neo-traditional and evolving the genre. And his songs are great too.