Margo Price, Robert Plant, Brandi Carlile, I’m With Her and Kashus Culpepper are among the artists who will take the stage as performers or presenters at the upcoming 25th annual Americana Honors & Awards show set for Sept. 16 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
Plant will return to the Ryman stage for the ceremony, 15 years after his 2011 album of the year-winning project Band of Joy, for a special performance as a 2026 recipient of the Americana Music Association’s lifetime achievement award.
Another special performance is planned to honor the late Dolly Parton, who will also be honored as a lifetime achievement award honoree, for her impact on roots music.
Other artists slated to perform include Boy Golden, Crowe Boys, Flatland Cavalry, Jesse Welles, Kathleen Edwards, Ken Pomeroy, Molly Tuttle, Mon Rovîa and S.G. Goodman.
The Milk Carton Kids will again host the show, while songwriter/musician/producer Buddy Miller will again serve as musical director for the Americana All-Star Band, featuring Don Was, Larry Campbell, Fred Eltringham, Jen Gunderman, Jim Hoke and The McCrary Sisters.
The ceremony will take place during the 26th annual AmericanaFest, held Sept. 15-19 in Nashville.
Doors will open at 5 p.m. CT and the show will begin at 6:30 p.m. CT. The 2026 Honors & Awards will livestream on NPR’s YouTube channel and the Americana Music Association’s Facebook page on Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m. CT, with audio simulcasts available at SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country and Nashville-area terrestrial radio stations WRLT (100.1 FM), WSM (650 AM) and WMOT (89.5 FM). A special edited version of the program will broadcast in the Austin City Limits time slot, premiering on Nov. 21.
This year’s artist of the year nominees are Carlile, Charley Crockett, Price, Molly Tuttle and Jesse Welles. Carlile previously won artist of the year in 2019 and 2021, while two of the other artist of the year nominees are former winners of the emerging artist of the year trophy (Price in 2016 and Crockett in 2021).
