The Americana Music Association® announced today that CMT will air the 90-minute special “2018 AMERICANAFEST®,” featuring performances from the 17th annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony held earlier this year at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. The special celebrates the Americana genre and will not only feature performances from longtime fan favorites and present-day Americana artists, but will also include new, exclusive interviews. “2018 AMERICANAFEST” will premiere on CMT on Thursday, December 6 at 9 pm ET/PT.
The new CMT special will celebrate music with a variety of performances from Americana artists including Brandi Carlile (“The Joke”), Buddy Guy (“Damn Right, I’ve Got The Blues”), I’m With Her (“Overland”), Irma Thomas (“Time Is On My Side”), Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit (“White Man’s World”), John Prine (“Summer’s End”), k.d. lang (“Trail Of Broken Hearts”), Lukas Nelson & Promise Of The Real (“Forget About Georgia”), Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (“Hey Mama”), Fantastic Negrito, Nelson and Rateliff (“Fortunate Son”), Margo Price (“A Little Pain”), Rosanne Cash (“Everyone But Me”) and Tyler Childers (“Nose On The Grindstone”). The group also comes together for a never-before-seen version of the late Aretha Franklin’s “Chain of Fools.”
“Music lovers, even those who may not be familiar with Americana, will want to see this show,” says Leslie Fram, SVP Music and Talent, CMT. “The level of performance and musicality with these artists is something extremely special and we hope these 90 minutes will entertain those who already love Americana music, and will turn more people into fans of the genre.”
“We are beyond thrilled to bring this incredibly special show to CMT,” adds Jed Hilly, Executive Director, Americana Music Association®. “We hope that friends and families will be able to come together this holiday season and experience what makes Americana music a beautiful melding of genres that celebrates artists from all walks of life.”
