If we could afford to cover this in person we would, although you do avoid Van on a bad day biting your head off (sorry, lazy journalism there). Rolling Stone Country reports: “Eclectic UK rock legends Van Morrison and Graham Nash, both of whom have been directly influenced by American music will both take the stage to perform at the Americana Honors & Awards Show on September 13th at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
Morrison, who will receive a Lifetime Achievement honor for songwriting, also has a full-length concert scheduled at the Ascend Amphitheater in Music City on September 14th. He’ll be joined onstage by his daughter. Nash, a former member of the Hollies and Crosby, Still, Nash & Young, is set to receive the Spirit of Americana Free Speech in Music Award.
Also performing at the 16th annual awards ceremony are John Prine, the Drive-by Truckers and the Lumineers, along with Rodney Crowell, Robert Cray and Hi Rhythm, Iris DeMent, Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives, Billy Bragg and Joe Henry, Old Crow Medicine Show and Lori McKenna.
Nominated artists Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Rhiannon Giddens, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Brent Cobb, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Sam Outlaw and Amanda Shires will also take the stage to perform. Leading the nominees is Sturgill Simpson, with three nominations including Album, Artist and Song of the Year. A diverse lineup of more than 230 acts will appear at various venues throughout the six-day AmericanaFest.
