The Americana Music Association was founded in 1999 as a not-for-profit to advocate for the voice of authentic roots music around the world. As a fundraising event, we created what was then known as the Americana Music Conference - a local music business forum to serve as a common ground for our community to come together in Nashville and celebrate this beautiful form of art with proceeds going toward keeping our doors open year-round.
Two decades later, AMERICANAFEST: The Americana Music Festival & Conference has grown into a "veritable juggernaut" (American Songwriter) with over 30,000 attendees and 700 performances across more than 70 prestigious venues in Music City. With continued support from our community, we have held our annual fundraiser year after year with the sole mission of bettering the overall musical landscape for showcasing artists by providing a platform to assist them in making a respectable living from pursuing their craft.
It's important to note that showcases are not just for up-and-comers; they're for any artist regardless of their tier. High-profile headliners like Brandi Carlile, Iron & Wine, The Lumineers, John Prine and Lucinda Williams have all officially showcased over the years, some even underplaying in intimate settings and unique configurations.
Artists who are chosen to perform will be giving back to the only not-for-profit artist advocacy group that serves to support their craft. With that generous donation of time comes a sweet bonus - artists are essentially participating in Nashville's biggest music party of the year and playing for key players all in one place including:
- Top Americana tastemakers
- First-rate industry professionals (A&R reps, booking agents, talent buyers, managers and more)
- National press outlets like AP, Rolling Stone and NPR Music
- Die-hard music fans
Our attendees are not just festivalgoers; they're a loyal community like no other. That being said, if you're looking to elevate your profile in the Americana music world, look no further than showcasing at AMERICANAFEST.
In addition to the value outlined above, artists who showcase would also receive the following:
• Honorarium - a small token of appreciation for donating artist time and talent to a worthy cause
• 1 Conference + Festival Pass per band member
• Four-person night-of-show guest list per band
• Beverage hospitality backstage (we are unable to honor contract riders)
• Basic backline
