
I’m attending the AMAUK Awards this week and am looking forward to it. Not necessarily for the thrill of the envelope ripping and smiling winner’s faces as I’m usually standing next to the person whose name hasn’t been read out and it’s not the easiest of conversations to have when they are obviously disappointed and trying not show it. I find a simple ” No way that **** ( insert word as appropriate) should have won it was yours all the way. What a bunch of *******!” helps enormously. It doesn’t, however, get over the fact that someone ‘won’ and someone didn’t….in public… surrounded by their peers. Is this a good thing? I’m not sure.
All musicians. except those in the stratosphere of Bono, Martin, Jagger et al. are generally struggling to be heard and to make a decent living these days. Streaming has ripped out an income stream and replaced it with a vacuous figure that doesn’t put food on the table. And yet we have these ceremonies that delight in the triumph of one struggling artist over another. Sure the publicity of the event may increase profiles and perhaps merch sales but does it make the ‘losers’ feel any better? How can they ‘improve’ enough to win? There’s no answer other than keep plugging away which is what they’re doing anyway. Perhaps I shouldn’t overthink it. Perhaps I should just go and clap and smile and deploy the above sentence if required although I find if I stand by the door to the Gents I’m rarely standing next to anyone.
Having said all that here are my picks – and the results will be out by the time this is published so I’m setting myself up for a fall here – are:
Best International Song – ‘Buffalo’ – Hurray for the Riff Raff
Best UK Album – “On Golden Shore” – Hanging Stars
Best UK Live Act – Danny and the Champs
Best Instrumentalist – Kieron Marshall
UK Artist – Katharine Priddy
UK Song of the Year – ‘Stealing Horses’ – Brown Horse
International Artist – Waxahatchee
International Album – Bonny Light Horseman
This week I went back to the Barr Brothers after a magical night at the O’Meara and I’m loving My Morning Jacket’s new one. The radio show was a blast and featured the new Ella Spencer and Sylvie tracks amongst many others. As ever…
So it was a brilliant night and the joy shared by all the nominees for each other completely negated any disappointment I feel sure. All the acts that performed were wonderful and the organisation was flawless. Of course my picks were wrong apart from one 😂🤦
A lovely communal celebration of Americana !