And at last the bad weather had arrived. After a couple of nights at the Evening Music Showcases where there had been a distinct absence of snow or even rain and things had barely been chilly it was distinctly cold in the queue outside Hackney Church for the final night and final event of the AMAUK conference. There were worried discussions about the next day’s cancelled trains and flights to Scotland and Ireland due to the threat of storm Eowyn. Fortunately, when the doors opened, there was a pretty rapid transition to the warmth of one of the capitol’s most impressive venues with seating across the rows of chairs in the main downstairs area and further upstairs gallery seating. We’ve already reported on the winners of the various award categories which cover best artists, songs and albums both internationally and UK based, selected by the votes of AMAUK members as well as a series of Special Awards selected by the AMAUK committee to honour life time achievements or significant Grass Roots contributions by non-musicians.
One hint of a significant change implemented this year came during the red carpet photo shoot when there were regular tannoy calls encouraging the audience to take their seats as the show would be starting promptly.
And it did – starting as it meant to go on with a typically high energy performance from multi-award nominees The Heavy Heavy (who have a UK date coming up at The Scala in London on February 19th).
Things carried on apace with host Baylen Leonard clipping through introductions and catching the start of the traditional “how many hats on stage” count in record time – a pace that continued through the award presentations. Someone had clearly decided that there would be no overrunning this year. There were few comments throughout the evening on events elsewhere although Leonard did wryly note “what a week for an event with America in it.”
It was a good night for Gillian Welch & David Rawlings who beat out the likes of Lizzie No, Julian Taylor and Sierra Ferrell to win International Song of the Year which they accepted by video, which also served, without replaying, for their International Album of the Year award later in the evening. That saw them edge out Willie Watson, Kyshona, Bonny Light Horseman, Kacey Musgraves and American Aquarium.
The next live performance was by Robert Vincent, performing the UK Song of the Year ‘Follow What You Love and Love Will Follow You’. It’s been quite the year for Vincent who was also part of the team who have made the musical road trip documentary ‘I’ll Take You There‘ focusing on the Americana musical legacy of Alabama.
Hannah White emerged as the big winner of the night, taking UK Album of the Year for ‘Sweet Revolution‘. Her performance of ‘Chain Of Ours‘ (which we featured here) benefitted from the on-stage band including her producer Michelle Stodart, and featured a reprise of the big guitar solo by White’s husband Keiron Marshall. It’s a powerful and forceful song that really rocks a bit harder.
Keiron Marshall was soon back on stage being presented with his award for UK Instrumentalist of the Year by Robin Bennett who’d closed out Night Tales the previous evening with The Dreaming Spires. Marshall’s acceptance speech was notable for acknowledging the power of music to change lives – saving him, he said, from a life of crime or drugs which his background could have easily have led to.
Jason Isbell, accepting via video, couldn’t have been happier to win International Artist of the Year. And whilst it’s deserved (if a bit tough on, say, Bonny Light Horseman who had a hell of a 2024) surely the time has arrived for the Trailblazer Award (which Isbell received last year) to come with a disqualification from future nominations, or at least for a few years? Otherwise we’ll have to carry on quoting the Milk Carton Kids every year: “Don’t need to see the envelope, Isbell won it”.
The final award before the interval – offering a chance for a trip to the bar, a few more photos at the Red Carpet or even a chat with familiar faces – was the UK Live Act of the Year which went to Kezia Gill who accepted, but did not sing at this point.
So it was the super throwback country of CMAT who took us into the interval with a joyful and passionate performance.
It was promptly back to the award giving for the second half which concentrated on the AMAUK Board’s chosen awards, but it started with a performance by Kezia Gill who gained plaudits from Baylen Leonard both for the first costume change of the awards and for her song choice saying “I do love a song about whisky.” It is, after all, the drink of Americana (unless you don’t drink of course).
Ian Thomas, the CEO of AMAUK appeared in order to thank the organising committee and the conference’s main sponsors Sweet Home Alabama who had also helped to sponsor the ‘I’ll Take You There‘ documentary and their recording sessions by AMAUK people such as Lady Nade, Robert Vincent and Michelle Stodart – looking at the Americana musical heritage of Alabama, and a short trailer for this was projected. The next award saw previous winners themselves Immy Doman and Risa Tabatznik present the Grass Roots award to promoter David Messer of DMP who has been promoting roots music in London for 35 years – as well as having a hand in setting up a number of festivals.
The mesmerising performance of ‘Only Real Love‘ by Willie Watson – who over the week had confirmed his status as one to see in a full length gig – was preceded by the presentation of UK Artist of the Year to Hannah White who was rather overwhelmed and could only manage a “Thank You” as her acceptance. Willie Watson really was one of the standouts of the evening – the playing, voice, lyrics – it’s all there and tied to an easy and assured presence. Wonderful.
Sadly Bob Harris couldn’t be present at the awards since he was recording at Radio 2, hence his introduction for his Emerging Artist Award was made via a video, and included the observation that Robert Vincent – who had won an award, performed and been part of the Alabama documentary had been Bob’s first emerging artist. Which means that Toby Lee has a lot to aspire to. His confident performance of the blues-rock ‘House Of Fire’ showed him not the least daunted by the fact and revelling in his virtuoso guitar playing.
CMAT returned to the stage to accept the UK/IE Trailblazer award, saying how she was “So grateful to be accepted into your warm bosoms” because she’d felt early in her career that she wasn’t really accepted as a Country artist. Which seems odd, to say the least, “none more country” might be the phrase that comes to mind.
Kyshona gave a typically powerful performance of the moving ‘Echoes‘, to a backdrop of projected family images just emphasizing the “I am here” story of the song.
And then it was time for the International Trailblazer Award, which went to a man with many many years of music making back before the genre name of Americana had been properly coined. His introduction had included reference to his special songwriting skills and unique imagery – with remarks to the effect that no-one else would have written of riding his pony on a boat. True enough, and having accepted the award with an acknowledgement that “it’s such a pleasure to do what you love to do every day of your life” Lyle Lovett and his band, performed ‘If I had A Boat‘.
And it was such a joy to notice that Lovett’s band included both Russ Kunkel and Leland Sklar – why such a thrill, well perhaps this will explain. And if to be in the room whilst they played was exciting, having a few words later with Leland Sklar was the cherry on top.
The final award of the evening went to Candi Stanton who received the Lifetime Achievement – she is probably best known for the likes of ‘Young Hearts Run Free‘ and Baylen Leonard alluded to her role as a Disco Diva, but she started off singing gospel, and has periodically returned to her roots – to the extent that her current (and she claims last) album is solidly within Americana as most people would recognise it.
All that remained was a final ensemble performance of the much remixed ‘Do you feel the Love‘, here played with a far rockier and rootsy feel, and including just a snatch of ‘Young Hearts Run Free‘. A packed stage made for a roof lifting and pretty darn joyful cap to both the evening and the week. All that remained was the after party, and we all know what they say about the after party….
