Dale Watson’s Ameripolitan Awards Will Not Return in 2025
One of the coolest events in all of country music will not happen in 2025. The Dale Watson-founded Ameripolitan Awards has announced that due to funding issues, it will not be returning in February as planned. This doesn’t mean the end of Ameripolitan. But it does mean an indefinite pause.
As we neared mid December with no announcements of nominees or events for 2025, the writing began to appear on the wall. On Saturday (12-14), Dale Watson confirmed the news.
“Every year Celine [Lee] and I work tirelessly starting right after the awards are over,” Dale Watson said. “Right after clean up, I pay the left over expenses which goes into the tens of thousands. I personally can’t afford it anymore. I wish the awards could continue and if some monetary windfall happened to sponsor it, it would be on like Donkey Kong … I am sad that deserving newcomers will not get the recognition this year, but we will try to spotlight them through our socials.”
The news comes after what many long-time Ameripolitan attendees regarded as the greatest year for the event in 2024. The awards themselves were held at Austin’s Moody Theater where Austin City Limits is taped, and were later broadcast on AXS TV. The awards show itself is just one portion of the Ameripolitan experience. Showcases featuring past, present, and future nominees happen throughout the weekend as well.
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.
“Now, this doesn’t mean Ameripolitan is gone,” Dale Watson assures. “We will still sponsor package shows that will feature Ameripolitan up-and-comers and winners of past Awards. In addition we are in talks for an Ameripolitan Show on a popular format. It is my belief that we will find funding to continue the awards maybe next year, and maybe pass the baton to someone else who GETS it … Keep the faith. Let’s hope it’s a temporary set back.”
After country legend Dawn Sears won the first ever Ameripolitan award in 2014, tearfully accepting it and saying she had never won anything in her life, it underscored the importance of the awards. Later that year, she would pass away from Cancer.
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.
December 15, 2024 @ 9:44 am
Bummer, obviously. But silver lining: maybe awards shows aren’t the best way to promote the music.
An annual live music event – without awards – would probably serve much the same purpose as the award show. And it could be scaled to just the right size so that no one’s losing money on it.
Having little satellite showcases in regional scenes throughout the country would be cool too.
One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of these Ameripolitan releases are labors of love that struggle to find an audience. You’ll discover these amazing groups playing on say a Bopflix video, looking and sounding fantastic, but you’ll look up them up on streaming sites and see like one album, from 2014 or something. With like 212 monthly listeners. I think the interest in there, but the music sometimes fails to get on people’s radars.
December 15, 2024 @ 10:18 am
For the record, every year surrounding the awards show are multiple events and showcases that take on a similar aspect to SXSW or AmericanaFest, and this arguably makes up just as much if not more than the awards themselves.
I think the idea is to rival the mainstream, you need to create a buzz. Awards shows do that. I think it’s just trying to find the right funding mechanisms to make that work. They’re really wanted to make this something that can be broadcast on television, and that’s what has created the heavier lift over the last couple of years. Hopefully they get it figured out for the future.
December 15, 2024 @ 10:22 am
“Having little satellite showcases in regional scenes throughout the country would be cool too.”
Agreed, this would be excellent.
Not to beat a dead horse, but Hard Truth Hills in Brown County (Nashville, Indiana) is a great venue to catch some cool acts.
Isaac Rudd & co., etc.
Very homey, & at the same time, a bit upscale.
December 15, 2024 @ 9:59 am
Hate to see it. Hopefully it will eventually come back, as it is on my bucket list to attend one day. Dale and Celine do a great job. Thankful for all the work they have done over the last several years.
December 15, 2024 @ 12:58 pm
One can only wish the other awards’ shows would go the same way. Yes, this award’s show started auspiciously, but the market is what it is. Lack of funding, but ole’ Shelton isn’t running out of money. Can’t blame Watson for trying. Score this round for Goliath.
December 15, 2024 @ 1:24 pm
So with all the mainstream interest in country music, there is no funding for a genuine music-centric event. Who would have thought?
December 15, 2024 @ 4:16 pm
Steven, Dale gets some donors and sponsors plus Go Fund Me from time to time. But the costs have gone up as demand for the event has gone up. They outgrew Memphis and a larger suitable place couldnt be found. So it moved back to Texas. From my limited perspective, having been a supporter and going for several years, I know Dale wants to create a sustainable business model , albeit it’s been a non- profit thus far. Sure, getting a big backer is what’s needed, but there has to be something in it for the backer. At the very least you hope to see the event pay for itself, in a similar manner to how a successful music festival operates year to year. I suspect it can be done, but will require a different approach.
Dale is amazing BTW and he’s poured everything into this, but he’s a road warrior with other priorities such as making a living.
I think a deep pocketed promoter type with an understanding of the business aspects could make it work.
December 16, 2024 @ 5:54 am
I agree, Dale has taken it as far as he possibly could. And like you say: a festival like this needs a business savvy guy or gal that has the cash and passion.
December 18, 2024 @ 1:10 am
because the mainstream isn’t interested in THIS kind of country music
December 15, 2024 @ 3:45 pm
And kudos to Dale for funding this event-shows true love for the music.
When you think of all the money that gets spent elsewhere-maybe Juan Soto could spare a couple of million from his ridiculous contract to help fund this!
Yes hopefully it will return soon!
December 15, 2024 @ 4:07 pm
At least we still have the Josie Awards Lolol