The nominees for the 2020 Ameripolitan Music Awards are finally here! For the seventh year running, the award show will honor those artists whose music “does not readily conform to the tastes of today’s ‘country’ or other music genres associations,” according to its website.
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The awards show was founded in 2014 by Dale Watson, and the Ameripolitan Music Awards took place in Watson’s hometown of Austin Texas until 2018. He had always envisioned different cities hosting the Ameripolitan Music Awards, and given Memphis’ history with roots music and the blues, he thought it was a natural fit for the show’s mission.
Memphis welcomed the awards show with enthusiasm that Watson attributed to the city’s reverence for live music and musical heritage.
“It’s about the music. That’s what it’s solely about. They really want live music. And it’s the whole weekend, you know? It starts on Friday and ends up on the awards show on Monday — where it goes into the after-party! But it’s nothing but a whole weekend of live music, original music, all over town.”
2020 Ameripolitan Music Awards Nominees List
Honky Tonk Group
The Country Side of Harmonica Sam
Western Centuries
The Shootouts
Casey James Prestwood Band
Honky Tonk Male
Zephaniah OHora
Charley Crockett
Pat Reedy
Johnny Falstaff
Honky Tonk Female
Jaime Wyatt
Sarah Gayle Meech
Kathryn Legendre
Sarah Vista
Western Swing Group
The Farmer and Adele
The Urban Pioneers
Bill and the Belles
50 Shades of Hay
Western Swing Male
Ranger Doug
Kyle Eldridge
Keenan Wade (of The Farmer and Adele)
Dave Stuckey
Western Swing Female
Georgia Parker
Cheryl Deserée
Wendy Newcomer
Katie Shore
Rockabilly Group
Modern Don Juans
Bebo & The Good Time Boys
Mark Gamsjager and the The Lustre Kings
Trix O Treat Band
Rockabilly Male
Bloodshot Bill
Eddie Clendening
Jittery Jack
Shaun Young
Rockabilly Female
Laura Palmer
Amber Foxx
Ruby Ann
Linda Gail Lewis
Musician of the Year
Joel Patterson
Rose Sinclair
Sean Mencher
Amy Griffin
Bobby Trimble
Becky Hinson
Mike Bernal
Venue of the Year
American Legion Post 82 — Nashville, Tenn.
Southgate House Revival — Newport, Ky.
Luckenbach Texas — Fredericksburg, Texas
Skinny Dennis – Brooklyn, N.Y.
Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge – Nashville, Tenn.
Duke’s Indy – Indianapolis, Ind.
Festival of the Year
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion — Bristol, Tenn.
High Rockabilly — Calafell, Spain
Western Swingout Weekender — Tehachapi, Calif.
SYMCO Weekender — Symco, Wisconsin
DJ of the Year
Kevin Martinez
Celia Villagran
Don Sticksel
Marivi Yubero García
Jimi Palacios
Eddie White