Arts and Entertainment

In the late 1990s, Bryan Sutton was a young phenom who dropped jaws across the country as the lead guitarist in Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. And he was more than a flash in the pan, becoming the most in-demand studio session acoustic guitar player in Nashville and a ten-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year. The latest in his string of solo recordings is an anthology of guitar duos with friends, peers, and heroes that he’s recorded on his own over two decades.

Americanafest 2026 threw a lot at us over five days last week. Our rambling writer Craig sensed a new trend in country singing and it led to some gorgeous and dramatic sets with ties to history, he reports.

The 25th annual Americana Honors Awards opened with an authentically historic American rock and roll reunion of The Heartbreakers and ended with a first-time Artist of the Year award for progressive acoustic guitarist and songwriter Molly Tuttle. Dolly Parton and Robert Plant also received Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Buddy Miller is the most awarded musician in the history of the Americana Music Association, with two Artist of the Year trophies, three Albums of the Year, and the lifetime achievement Wagonmaster Award. That’s a lot of attention on one humble man. But he’s worn his ambassador status for the format with distinction as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer. On the eve of Americanafest 2026, Miller released his first solo album in fifteen years. The self-titled set made a perfect occasion to bring Buddy on The String for a lifetime-spanning chat.

There's no easy way to forge a path through the beautiful sprawl that is Americanafest. But here, our journalist Craig Havighurst scans the newcomers and the veterans alike to assemble a day-by-day guide to some of the most compelling acts among this year's offerings.

It’s the calm before the storm around here, but we know when next week hits, we’ll be up to our earballs for five days and nights of good music. And of course a lot of that is going to be on offer at our 9th annual WMOT Americanafest Day Stage, presented in partnership with NPR Music, World Cafe, and Nashville PBS. See our full schedule here.

A decade after her national breakout as a top alt-country visionary, more than two decades after her move to Nashville and her long, grueling apprenticeship in Music City, Margo Price is one of Americana music’s leading stars and cultural voices. She’s sung protest songs at Newport with Joan Baez and joined the board of Farm Aid, where she’s a veteran performer. Now she’s released the first political album of her career. Craig sits down with Margo to talk about her life in Nashville and her new Days Of Unrest.

This Wednesday, Sept. 2, marks the tenth birthday of WMOT's Roots Radio all-Americana music format. This is an account of how a team of music fans and broadcasting veterans built something new in a heritage medium. WMOT invites the public to two gatherings on Wednesday to hang out with the staff and hear some live music: 11:30 pm for lunch hour at Brown's Diner at 2102 Blair Blvd. and 4:30 for happy hour at Robert's Western World on Lower Broadway.

Dolly Parton’s passing on Tuesday at 80 years old marks the end of one of American music’s most important chapters. Her mix of rural Tennessee roots, pop music savvy, songwriting genius and vivacious persona made her an authentic icon. By way of appreciation, Craig Havighurst has pulled a never-published interview from his archives, in which Dolly talks about tuning her voice to the times, taking chances, and staying true to her conception of country music.

Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80. The artist's death was confirmed in a statement from her representatives, as well as in a video posted to social media from her nephew Bryan Seaver. "A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth, and kindness that made us all feel like family," reads the statement, which notes that Parton "died peacefully" in Nashville, Tenn., on Aug. 25, 2026.