Americana Music Association Inks Multi-Year Television Deal with AXS TV

Nashville, Tenn.) August 27, 2012 – Americana Music Association Executive Director, Jed Hilly, today announced a new partnership with AXS TV which will result in a two-year commitment of the network’s live broadcast of the annual Americana Honors & Awards. Starting with this year’s September 12 event at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, AXS TV will deliver viewers an exclusive experience including live behind-the-scenes coverage of sound checks, red carpet arrivals and interviews with the evening’s special guest artists.

The program, described by Paste Magazine as “the best awards show in the world,” will honor Bonnie Raitt, Booker T. Jones, Richard Thompson and many more. Performances throughout the night will feature, in addition to the aforementioned honorees, Guy Clark, John Hiatt, and new Americana torchbearers Alabama Shakes, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit. The critically acclaimed show will also remember the legendary Americana trailblazer, Levon Helm, with a special all-star tribute.

“The Americana Music Association is home to a great community of independently spirited artists, and as an entrepreneur with the largest independently owned and operated television network, I relate to these musicians and their spirit,” says AXS TV co-founder and President Mark Cuban. “AXS TV shines a spotlight on the Americana Honors & Awards to celebrate the important history of this music genre and more importantly, to celebrate these incredibly talented artists and all they offer music fans everywhere.”

In addition to the live broadcast on AXS TV, the Americana Honors & Awards will broadcast live on radio, satellite and the web via outlets including Nashville’s famed WSM, SiriusXM’s “Outlaw Country” and NPR.org, respectively. The show’s current TV partner, Austin City Limits, will broadcast an edited special ACL Presents version to its potential audience of more than 250 million on November 10, while Voice of America and Bob Harris’ BBC Radio 2 will broadcast overseas in following weeks.

“We’ve seen consistent growth in our conference and show, approximately 25 percent per year, since I started in 2006. This partnership is a natural next step for our organization and the artists who call it home. I’m proud to continue my work with Austin City Limits’ Terry Lickona for the special PBS airing of the show, and I’m looking forward to the creating an exponential growth of impressions through this partnership with Mark and the AXS TV team,” offers Hilly.

The Americana Music Association Festival & Conference, presented by Nissan, will kick off at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel on Wednesday, September 12 with a series of panels and workshops; a highlight of the conference will be the Keynote Interview with Lifetime Achievement for Performance honoree Bonnie Raitt moderated by NPR’s Ann Powers. The conference is designed to educate, discuss, advance and inspire everyone interested in the genre from industry professionals and artists to enthusiasts of the genre.

"The Americana Music Association represents a genre that has demonstrated consistent and dramatic growth, and this new partnership with AXS TV is proof of that," Mayor Karl Dean shares. "I always look forward to the Americana Honors & Awards show and I'm proud that Nashville is home to the Americana Music Association and the many Americana musicians who live and work here. Jed has done a remarkable job growing the Americana genre and brand and I congratulate him and the Americana Music Association for their new collaboration with AXS TV."

Each evening from September 12-15, the Americana Music Association produces the festival portion of the event, which brings more than 100 acts to clubs throughout Music City. The festival is open to conference registrants, who get priority admission, and to the general public. Last year more than 12,000 fans enjoyed the festival’s musical events. Festival wristbands are still available online at www.americanamusic.org.