Buddy Guy to Receive Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist

Photo: Paul Natkin

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 23, 2018) – The Americana Music Association® names Buddy Guy as its 2018 Americana Lifetime Achievement Award recipient for Instrumentalist. The honor will be presented to Buddy at the 17th annual Americana Honors & Awards which will be held Wednesday, September 12 at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

A seven-time GRAMMY® Award-winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Buddy has forged an unparalleled career path of his own, beginning at the crossroads of golden-era Chicago blues and searing rock ‘n' roll flair. From his early days of playing the blues guitar on countless Chess Records sessions with Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters to his own award-winning recordings like “Damn Right I’ve Got the Blues” and “Born to Play Guitar,” the 81-year-old icon has cemented his place in history with his signature flavor of blues and definitive artistry.

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​"Buddy Guy’s incomparable musical craftsmanship has been lovingly shared with us over the years,” said Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association®. “As a community who reveres and honors groundbreaking artists and their work, we are humbled to present Buddy with this Lifetime Achievement honor in recognition and thanks for his musical and artistic contribution.” 

For over six decades, Buddy has been responsible for preserving the blues genre while also fostering its future, impacting distinguished guitarists who have followed, ranging from Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton to John Mayer.

His upcoming release, the aptly titled “The Blues is Alive and Well," (June 15) will feature Mick Jagger, James Bay and more, while further reinforcing why Rolling Stone has named him among their list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

Buddy will be presented with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award for Instrumentalist during the Americana Music Association's® 17th annual Americana Honors & Awards, which includes six member-voted annual awards as well as several top Lifetime Achievement honors. This announcement follows the unveiling of the critically acclaimed event’s nominees including Artist of the Year contenders Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, Margo Price and John Prine — click here for a full list of this year’s nominations. The prestigious ceremony celebrates pioneering mainstays and trailblazing newcomers as the hallmark of AMERICANAFEST® week, taking place September 11-16 in Nashville, TN.

Since its inception in 1999, the mission of the Americana Music Association® has been to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. In recent years, the association's unwavering dedication to artist advocacy has been evidenced by several milestones, including the addition of the Best Americana Album GRAMMY® category by the Recording Academy and Billboard’s Americana/Folk Albums Chart, as well as the inclusion of the musical term, Amer·i·ca·na, to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

For more information on the association or to purchase tickets for this year's Americana Honors & Awards and passes to AMERICANAFEST®, please visit www.americanamusic.org.