Van Morrison to Be Honored With Lifetime Achievement for Songwriting at Americana Awards

Van Morrison will be presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting at the 2017 Americana Honors and Awards on Sept. 13 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. Van follows in the esteemed footsteps of past winners John Prine, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, John Fogerty and more.

Van, who penned such tunes as “Brown Eyed Girl,” “Into the Mystic,” “Domino” and “Gloria,” is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Van will also headline Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on Sept. 14 with his daughter, Shana Morrison, during the 18th annual Americana Fest. The performance will mark Van’s first show in Nashville in eight years. Tickets for the show go on sale on May 19 at 10 a.m. CT.

Americana Fest will bring more than 200 artists to multiple venues around Music City, including 3rd & Lindsley, The Basement, City Winery, The High Watt, The Cannery Ballroom, Mercy Lounge, The Family Wash, Station Inn, Downtown Presbyterian Church, The 5 Spot and more. The event includes conferences, panels and workshops throughout the week, Sept. 12–17.

In the coming days, Americana Fest will announce additional honorees in their Lifetime Achievement Award categories.

The full list of nominees for the 2017 Americana Honors & Awards show is below.

Album of the Year
American Band – Drive-By Truckers (Produced by David Barbe)
A Sailor’s Guide to Earth – Sturgill Simpson (Produced by Sturgill Simpson)
Close Ties – Rodney Crowell (Produced by Kim Buie and Jordan Lehning)
Freedom Highway – Rhiannon Giddens (Produced David Bither, Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell)
The Navigator – Hurray for the Riff Raff (Produced by Paul Butler)

Artist of the Year
Jason Isbell
John Prine
Lori McKenna
Margo Price
Sturgill Simpson

Duo/Group of the Year
Billy Bragg & Joe Henry
Drive-By Truckers
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
The Lumineers

Emerging Artist of the Year
Aaron Lee Tasjan
Amanda Shires
Brent Cobb
Sam Outlaw

Song of the Year
“All Around You” – Sturgill Simpson (Written by Sturgill Simpson)
“It Ain’t Over Yet” – Rodney Crowell (feat. Rosanne Cash & John Paul White) (Written by Rodney Crowell)
“To Be Without You” – Ryan Adams (Written by Ryan Adams)
“Wreck You” – Lori McKenna (Written by Lori McKenna and Felix McTeigue)

Instrumentalist of the Year
Spencer Cullum Jr.
Jen Gunderman
Courtney Hartman
Charlie Sexton