 My only hope was that the music would never end.”

Indeed, the annual fall festival and conference has attracted some of the most important figures in the history of Americana Roots Music, including Mavis Staples, Gregg Allman, Judy Collins, John Prine, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Rodney Crowell, Solomon Burke and Lyle Lovett.Paste journalist Geoffrey Himes declare the Americana Honors, “the best awards show in the world,” and author Ann Patchett, writing for "The New York Times", proclaimed the Americana movement as “the coolest music scene today.”

Fueled by established musicians Bonnie Raitt, Booker T. Jones and Richard Thompson, and the next generation of stars including Alabama Shakes, Punch Brothers and John Fullbright, along with music industry heavyweights, the 2012 Americana Music Festival and Conference saw over 15,000 fans, 300 artists and more than 1,200 music industry professionals attend the five-day event.The Association’s capstone event, the Americana Music Honors & Awards aired live nationally on September 12 via AXS TV, broadcast via SiriusXM, WSM radio, and streamed by NPR.org.