Alabama stars shine at Americana Music awards

Alabama artists had a big night at the Americana Music Honors & Awards, with the Red Clay Strays and Shelby Lynne among the top honorees.

The awards are presented by the Americana Music Association (AMA), a nonprofit trade organization that advocates for "the authentic voice of American roots music." Wednesday night's show was held in Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium.

It was a night of milestones for two acts with Alabama roots. The Red Clay Strays, a fast-rising group from the Mobile area, was honored as emerging act of the year. It's yet another achievement in a year that has included a major-label deal, the release of a breakthrough album , a sold-out tripleheader at the Ryman and a date opening for The Rolling Stones.

Shelby Lynne, who also grew up in the Mobile area, was among the recipients of the AMA's lifetime achievement awards. In her case, the award was presented by none other than her sister, singer-songwriter-author Allison Moorer. Lynne recently released the album "Consequences of the Crown" after moving from California back to Nashville.

According to information released by the AMA, the evening's roster of performers featured additional acts with Alabama ties, including Emmylou Harris, the Blind Boys of Alabama and Waxahatchee.

Other top winners were Sierra Ferrell (artist and album of the year), Brandy Clark (song of the year), Larkin Poe (duo/group of the year) and Grace Bowers (instrumentalist of the year). Don Was and Dwight Yoakam also received lifetime achievement honors, and the Rev. Gary Davis received the Legacy of Americana Award.

For more on the AMA, visit americanamusic.org .