Nashville, Tenn. — Alison Krauss & Robert Plant and Levon Helm were among the winners at tonight’s Americana Music Association’s 7th Annual Honors & Awards show at Nashville’s Historic Ryman Auditorium. Appearing at the festivities to pick up two awards for their critically-acclaimed “Raising Sand” Krauss and Plant won Album of the Year and Duo/Group of the Year.

• Album of the Year: Alison Krauss & Robert Plant — “Raising Sand”
• Artist of the Year: Levon Helm
• Duo/Group of the Year: Alison Krauss & Robert Plant
• Instrumentalist of the Year: Buddy Miller
• New Emerging Artist of the Year: Mike Farris
• Song of the Year: “She Left Me for Jesus” by Hayes Carll and Brian Keane

Additional Lifetime Achievement Honors were given to:

• Spirit of Americana Free Speech in Music - Joan Baez
• Lifetime Achievement — Songwriting - John Hiatt
• Jack Emerson Lifetime Achievement — Executive - Terry Lickona
• Lifetime Achievement — Performance - Jason & The Scorchers
• Presidents Award - Jerry Garcia
• Lifetime Achievement — Instrumentalist - Larry Campbell
• Trailblazer — Nanci Griffith
• Lifetime Achievement — Producer / Engineer - Tony Brown

The spirited three hour program was hosted by two-time Americana Honors & Awards and Grammy recipient Jim Lauderdale. Award winner Buddy Miller also returned as the band leader. Other special guests included Ryan Bingham and Joe Ely, The Sam Bush Band, Kane, Welch and Kaplan, The SteelDrivers, Tift Merritt, Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer, Justin Townes Earle, James McMurtry, Miller and Robert Plant, and Steve Earle and Alison Moorer.

Photos are available at http://www.americanamusic.org

The event was broadcast live on XM Satellite Radio and amazon.com. BBC 2 Radio will also broadcast the show at a later date.

The 7th Annual Honors & Awards show was produced by Claire Armbruster and Jed Hilly and is part of the four day and night annual Americana Festival and Conference. For a complete list of nominees, showcase performers and a conference schedule, go to: http://www.americanamusic.org