UK Americana Music Week returns to London in January 2025 03 Dec 2024
Celebrating the Best in Americana Music with Performances, Awards, and Industry Insights Including:
UK AMERICANA AWARDS, THURSDAY JANUARY 23
Candi Staton, Lyle Lovett and CMAT to be honoured with Special Awards
SHOWCASES AND CONFERENCE, TUESDAY 21 & WEDNESDAY 22 JANUARY
EXCLUSIVE FILM PREMIERE, MONDAY 20 JANUARY
TICKETS NOW ON SALE:
https://americanafestuk.seetickets.com/content/ticket-options
The highly anticipated UK Americana Music Week, powered by Sweet Home Alabama, is set to return to Hackney, London from Monday, January 20 to Thursday, January 23, 2025, promising an unforgettable celebration of international and homegrown Americana music. This multifaceted event will bring fans, artists, and industry professionals together for an immersive week of music, awards, discussion, and networking.
The week begins with the premiere of a specially commissioned documentary film, “I’ll Take You There”, a co-production between the Americana Music Association UK (AMA-UK), Sweet Home Alabama, The Romano Sidoli Consultancy and Northern Cowboy Films on Monday 20 January. More details to be revealed soon.
Two nights of showcases in venues across Hackney will take place on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22, featuring an incredible line-up of artists from around the world including:Altameda, Annie Dressner, Beth Bombara, Celeigh Cardinal, Chloe Foy, Ferris & Sylvester, Julian Taylor, The East Pointers, Willie Watson, and many more. Full list below.
During the daytime on Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22, the annual AMA-UK conference, the cornerstone of the week’s programming, will be held at Night Tales in Hackney. Next year’s theme is “Can Songs Change the World? Americana in 2025,” covering a diverse range of topics tailored for Americana enthusiasts and industry professionals alike.
The week’s events will culminate in the prestigious UK Americana Music Awards, powered by Sweet Home Alabama, hosted at Hackney Church on Thursday 23 January, where standout achievements in Americana music from the past year will be celebrated.
The AMA-UK Board’s Special Awards for 2025 honour: Iconic, multi-platinum singer and songwriter Candi Staton - International Lifetime Achievement Award; Four times Grammy Award-winning singer, composer and actor Lyle Lovett - International Trailblazer Award; and acclaimed Irish singer, songwriter and musician CMAT - UK/Ireland Trailblazer Award.
Categories for the eight panel and member-voted Awards include UK and International Artist of the Year, UK and International Album of the Year, Live Act of the Year, and more. Nominees feature leading talents in the global Americana genre such as: Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Waxahatchee, Bonny Light Horseman, Jason Isbell, Charley Crockett, Larkin Poe, Sierra Ferrell, Kacey Musgraves, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Julian Taylor & Allison Russell, Lizzie No, Elles Bailey, Robert Vincent, Katherine Priddy, Nina Nesbitt, Hannah White, The Heavy Heavy and Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand. Full list below.
The event is proudly supported by Sweet Home Alabama, who are headline sponsors again for the fourth year, CIMA (Canadian Independent Music Association) , PPL, PRS for Music, Concord, Thirty Tigers, Uncut, Musicians’ Union, Americana Music Sweden, and the US Americana Music Association.
Award Nominations:
UK ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Elles Bailey
Ferris & Sylvester
Hannah White
Katherine Priddy
Robert Vincent
The Heavy Heavy
UK ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Elles Bailey - Beneath The Neon Glow
Hannah White - Sweet Revolution
Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand - Willson Williams
Nina Nesbitt - Mountain Music
The Hanging Stars - On A Golden Shore
The Heavy Heavy - One of a Kind
UK SONG OF THE YEAR
Blue Rose Code – “Sadie”
Brown Horse – “Stealing Horses”
Jack Francis – “Failure”
Nina Nesbitt – “Pages”
Our Man In The Field – “L'Etranger”
Robert Vincent – “Follow What You Love and Love Will Follow”
UK INSTRUMENTALIST OF THE YEAR
Ashley Campbell
Henry Senior Jr
Joe Coombs
Joe Harvey White
Joe Wilkins
Keiron Marshall
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bonny Light Horseman
Charley Crockett
Jason Isbell
Larkin Poe
Sierra Ferrell
Waxahatchee
INTERNATIONAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR
American Aquarium - The Fear Of Standing Still
Bonny Light Horseman - Keep Me On Your Mind/See You Free
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings - Woodland
Kacey Musgraves - Deeper Well
Kyshona - Legacy
Willie Watson - Willie Watson
INTERNATIONAL SONG OF THE YEAR
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings – “Empty Trainload of Sky”
Hurray For The Riff Raff – “Buffalo”
Julian Taylor & Allison Russell – “Pathways”
Kyshona – “The Echo”
Lizzie No – “The Heartbreak Store”
Sierra Ferrell – “American Dreaming”
LIVE ACT OF THE YEAR
Ben Ottewell & Ian Ball (of Gomez)
Campbell Jensen
Danny & The Champions of the World
Kezia Gill
Lola Kirke
Morganway
Savannah Gardner
Skinny Lister
The Heavy Heavy
Wunderhorse
AMA-UK Special Awards
International Lifetime Achievement Award
Selected by the board members, their highest honour is awarded to an international artist, duo or group in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the Americana genre over the span of their career and life in music. The 2025 recipient will be Candi Staton
International Trailblazer Award
Selected by the board members, this special award celebrates an international artist, duo or group that has taken an exceptional path, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps in developing the Americana genre. The 2025 recipient will be Lyle Lovett
UK/Ireland Trailblazer Award
Selected by the board members, this special award celebrates an artist, duo or group from the UK or Ireland that has taken an exceptional path, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps in developing the Americana genre. The 2025 recipient will be CMAT
SHOWCASE LINE-UP
Altameda â— Annie Dressner â— Annie Keating â— Beth Bombara â— Celeigh Cardinal â— Chloe Foy â— Chris Acker â— Daniel Kimbro â— Danni Nicholls â— Digging Roots â— Dom Glynn & His Sunday Best â— Ella Spencer â— Ferris & Sylvester â— Georgia van Etten â— Grayling â— Jade Turner â— James Hodder â— Jill Jackson â— Joe Harvey-Whyte & Bobby Lee â— Jonny Morgan â— Julian Taylor â— Liam Cromby â— Logan Richard â— Logan Staats â— Louis Brennan â— Madeleine Roger â— Malin Pettersen â— Our Man in the Field â— Peter Bruntnell â— Robbie Cavanagh â— Robert Vincent â— Rube & Rake â— Run Remedy â— Ryland Moranz â— Sarah Jane Scouten â— Savannah Gardner â— Simeon Hammond Dallas â— Steady Habits â— Tapes For Diane â— The Dreaming Spires â— The East Pointers â— The Once â— The Lucky Ones â— The Roseline â— Toria Wooff â— Trevor Moss & Hannah Lou â— Viv & Riley â— Willie Watson
TICKETS NOW ON SALE
Tickets for UK Americana Music Week, powered by Sweet Home Alabama are available now:https://americanafestuk.seetickets.com/content/ticket-options
NEWS & PRESS
Modern Women have signed to One Little Independent Records
Modern Woman, the London art-rock outfit fronted by primary songwriter Sophie Harris, are set to release their anticipated debut album ‘Johnny’s Dreamworld’ on May 1st 2026 via their new label One Little Independent Records. ‘Johnny’s Dreamworld’ represents the culmination of...more
TMRW Music Group Joins LabelWorx for Global Distribution and Label Services
LabelWorx, the leading global distribution and label services provider for independent electronic music, today announced a new partnership with TMRW Music Group, one of Australia’s most respected and influential electronic music companies. Under the new agreement, LabelWorx will provide full...more
Atlantic Screen Group Secures $30m from Corrum Capital to Accelerate Film, TV Score and Music Catalogue Acquisitions
Atlantic Screen Group (ASG) is pleased to announce that it has secured up to $30m in funding from Corrum Capital. The investment will enable ASG to continue its strategic acquisition of film and television scores, while also providing additional capital...more
Amazon Music Unveils Global 2026 Artists to Watch Campaign
The initiative spotlights breakout artists poised to shape music in 2026, including Destin Conrad, Seyi Vibez, EJAE, Max Styler, PRESIDENT, NewDad, MEOVV, and Adam Klobi across 28 key playlists worldwide The program also includes seven new Amazon Music Originals from VENGAYO,...more
First details revealed for BRITs Fringe with Brighter Sound
BRING ON THE BRITs WITH MASTERCARD: THE 2026 NOMINATIONSWATCH ON WEDNESDAY 21ST JANUARY FROM 5PM ON THE BRITs’ INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK WHATSAPP ANNOUNCED AS 2026 OFFICIAL VOTING PARTNER THE BRIT AWARDS 2026 WITH MASTERCARDSATURDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 2026 AT CO-OP LIVE, MANCHESTER ON ITV In a...more
Mercury Prize shines global spotlight on Newcastle and the North East
New figures have shown the region's economy received a boost of more than £1.4 million by hosting the 2025 Mercury Prize. A new report commissioned and published by Newcastle City Council has highlighted the huge impact the awards ceremony and fringe activity had...more
Winners of the 2025 European Festival Awards
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2025 European Festival Awards. For this year, festivals from over 30 countries participated and 300,000 single votes have been cast by the public. This resulted in 104 shortlisted nominees in 13 distinct categories,...more
PRS Foundation and Amazon MGM Studios reveal 4 talented composers receiving targeted Prelude support in 2026
Carrie Penn, Fernando Gimeno, Jolene Khor and Rebekah Fitch selected to receive up to £3,750 each in grant support and mentoring Grantees were announced at a special event at BAFTA PRS Foundation, the UK's leading charitable funder of new music and talent...more
Cutting Edge Group acquires music catalog of award-winning composer John Paesano
Deal includes scores from billion-dollar franchises including Maze Runner trilogy,Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, Invincible, and Marvel’s Daredevil, adding over 80 premium film, TV and video game scores to Cutting Edge’s portfolio. Cutting Edge Group (“CEG”), the leading specialist investor in and manager...more
10 UK music creators receive support to attend Eurosonic Noorderslag 2026 through PRS Foundation’s International Showcase Fund
Supported artists across the UK include EV, Mount Palomar, Plantoid and SOAPBOX 2026 marks the 20th year of International Showcase Fund enabling UK artists to break into new overseas territories PRS Foundation, the UK’s leading charitable funder of new music and talent development,...more
A Greener Future Honours the Greenest Global Events & Festivals
Although last year was characterised by instability and geopolitical tensions, 25 festivals and events spanning 12 countries and 4 continents demonstrated their commitment to a better, greener future, successfully achieving AGF Certification in 2025. A Greener Future (AGF)’s mission is to...more
Merlin Announces its Board for 2026-27, Welcoming Five New Board Members
Merlin, the digital music licensing partner for the world's leading independent labels and distributors, kicks off 2026 by announcing its new Board, bringing together leaders from the independent music industry in 12 different countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America,...more
Musical AI Raises $4.5M US to Expand its Proprietary AI Attribution Technology
Already in use, Musical AI’s attribution tech can immediately ensure a fully licensed future for AI companies. Musical AI, the pioneering attribution and rights management platform for generative AI, has closed a $4.5M US round led by Heavybit and supported by BDC and Build...more
BBC Radio 2 presents a stellar line-up for Piano Room month
Radio 2’s Piano Room makes a triumphant return next month on Vernon Kay’s mid-morning show (9:30-12pm weekdays) with 16 incredible live performances from a star-studded line-up including Tori Amos, Melanie C, Mumford and Sons, Pulp, Darius Rucker, Labi Siffre and...more
Fender unveils connected music ecosystem with Fender Studio Pro, audio interfaces and controllers
A New Era Of Music Creation Begins With The Next Generation Of Studio One Pro As Fender Studio Pro, Quantum LT, Quantum HD, AudioBox Go™ and Motion™ Production Controllers Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) today announced a significant milestone in its evolution...more
Zo Lief announced as Record Store Day Unsigned winner
Record Store Day and Breed Media are delighted to announce Zo Lief as the winner of RSD Unsigned 2025, the nationwide competition celebrating the UK’s most exciting unsigned talent. Selected from hundreds of entries across the country, Zo Lief impressed the judging...more
Merlin: Dan Waite, Better Noise Music CEO – Joins as Board Observer
Merlin, the digital music licensing partner for the world's leading independent labels and distributors, kicks off 2026 by announcing its new Board, bringing together leaders from the independent music industry in 12 different countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America,...more
Frontiers Label Group launches Blkiiblk Records and appoints Mike Gitter Global Head Of A&R
FRONTIERS LABEL GROUP is proud to announce the launch of its metal, hard rock and extreme music label, BLKIIBLK RECORDS. Having released tentpole signings, BIOHAZARD in 2025; with thrash titans, MEGADETH unleashing their much anticipated, self-titled final album on January 23, Frontiers is taking...more
Watch A$AP Rocky Perform New Music from Don't Be Dumb in Upcoming Episode of Amazon Music’s “Songline” Series
Premiering on Yams Day—January 18—at 9 p.m. ET, this special episode of “Songline” will showcase the hip-hop icon as he brings his new album to life, with special guests and unexpected moments filmed in New York City Watch exclusively on Amazon...more
Eternal Research Opens New Hollywood Studio, the Demon Lair
2026 will mark a series of firsts for Eternal Research, the creative studio building a new multimodal, synesthetic orchestra. One of the biggest developments is that the company will open its first physical location: a studio dubbed the Demon Lair, after...more
Globally renowned independent music retailer Rough Trade announces 50th anniversary plans for 2026
INCLUDING: LIMITED EDITION VINYL RELEASESROUGH TRADE CLUB: ESSENTIAL, A NEW YEAR-LONG VINYL SUBSCRIPTIONEXCLUSIVE LIVE EVENTS+ MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED Throughout 2026, Rough Trade marks its 50th anniversary with a year-long programme of releases and events, reflecting both its history and its...more
Sony Music Publishing Acquires Renowned Nashville Publisher Big Yellow Dog Music
Sony Music Publishing Nashville today announced the acquisition of legendary independent publishing and artist development company Big Yellow Dog Music (BYD), effective immediately. With the agreement, the company now owns and administers Big Yellow Dog’s renowned catalog of songs and serves...more
Peermusic signs producer/songwriter/recording artist Dan Lancaster
Peermusic, the global independent music publishing company with 39 offices in 33 countries, has signed songwriter/producer and recording artist Dan Lancaster to a go-forward worldwide publishing deal as announced today by Ralph W. Peer, Managing Director, U.K., Australasia and Vice President of peermusic's...more
Universal Music Group appoints Hannah Poferl as Chief Data Officer
Universal Music Group (UMG), the world leader in music-based entertainment, announced today the appointment of Hannah Poferl as its Chief Data Officer, effective immediately. She will be based in Santa Monica and report to UMG's Chief Operating Officer, Boyd Muir. A...more
Time to stand up for culture - ahead of keynote at Eurosonic, Impala sets out crucial questions on UMG/Downtown, AI, sovereignty and more for EU & music sector
Are diversity, identity, independence and sovereignty important in music? If yes, we as Europeans should strengthen the independent sector today, and not weaken it. This is one of the questions IMPALA's Executive Chair Helen Smith will be pitching at her keynote interview with Ben Homewood,...more
Steve Lamacq and Huw Stephens celebrate Independent Venue Week 2026 on BBC Radio 6 Music
From Monday 26th – Thursday 29th January (4-7pm), BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds will broadcast programmes to mark Independent Venue Week – the UK’s annual, seven-day celebration of independent music and arts venues and the people that own, run and...more
Chandler Limited and Abbey Road announce ‘The Redd Mixing System’
The first EMI recording console in 50 years Today (13 Jan), Abbey Road Studios and Chandler Limited proudly unveil the REDD Mixing System, a groundbreaking, fully modular console that brings together every era of EMI’s legendary recording equipment in one elegant,...more
Sony Music Publishing and Daniel Nigro Sign Global Deal with Jon Buscema
Sony Music Publishing, in partnership with renowned producer and songwriter Daniel Nigro and his publishing venture, Amusement, have signed hitmaker Jon Buscema to a global deal.Jon Buscema has quickly made a name for himself as a trusted collaborator across genres,...more
“Mental Torture for Thousands”: NTIA Seeks Legal Advice on Businesses Marginalised from Rates Support
The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) has confirmed it is seeking legal advice following continued government signalling, through media briefings rather than formal policy announcements, that upcoming business rates relief may be limited to pubs, while excluding large parts of the...more
Shazam Fast Forward 2026 Revealed
It’s the start of a new year, which means Shazam Fast Forward is back with its 2026 class. Fast Forward takes a look ahead at some of the most exciting talent being discovered on Shazam. Spanning 20 genres and 22...more
THE HEADLINES
Court battle over unpaid royalties could have implications for the industry in the streaming era (see News)
Luminate released its 2025 year-end music report (see Reports)
Impala sets out crucial questions on UMG/Downtown, AI, sovereignty and more for EU & music sector (see Comment)
Spotify’s new co-CEOs highlight what’s ahead for the company (see Digital)
Music publishers sued by X in growing licensing battle (see News)
Call on EU to clamp down on unauthorised ticket reselling (see News)
Lucian Grainge outlines UMG's 2026 plans in staff memo (see News)
Skye Newman wins Radio 1's Sound of 2026 (see News)
Spotify now lets you share what you’re streaming in real time with friends (see Digital)
Streamed and retail entertainment sales grew four times faster than UK economy in 2025 (see News)
UMG announces collaboration with NVIDIA to pioneer responsible AI for music discovery, creation, and engagement (see News)
2026 music industry predictions (see Features)
New wave of global British breakthrough talent helps UK recorded music grow for 11th consecutive year (see News)
What’s going to give you the marketing edge in 2026? (see Features)