Judy Collins To Be Celebrated At The UK Americana Awards
Judy Collins and The Waterboys’ Mike Scott are among the musicians to be honoured by the UK Americana Awards 2022.
After two years’ of COVID cancellations, the UK Americana Music Week returns to Hackney in London from 23-26 January 2023. It’s the UK’s biggest celebration of American roots music – from blues to bluegrass; gospel to folk; alt. country to Southern rock – and features an impressive array of showcases, industry panels and special events, all rounded off by the prestigious UK Americana Awards Show at Hackney Empire on 26 January.
Judy Collins will be awarded the International Lifetime Achievement Award for the huge impact she has made on artists on both sides of the Atlantic during a career which spans more than six decades and has seen her release nearly 30 studio albums. Judy Collins’ distinctive voice and interpretations of folk songs and standards have brought acclaim and success during a distinguished and varied career. As well as worldwide hits with Stephen Sondheim’s Send In The Clowns and Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now, she brought Leonard Cohen’s songs to a wider audience. Musicians citing her as an influence include Joan Baez, Dolly Parton and Rufus Wainwright who have all recorded versions of Collins’ songs.
Judy Collins said: “The Americana Music Association UK does an amazing job bringing new Americana artists to UK audiences while continuing to shine a light on artists who already are established within the genre. It’s an important role in the music community. I am greatly honored be given the Lifetime Achievement Award and am looking forward to attending the conference in 2023 and hearing new music.“
Mike Scott, creator and front man of folk-rock group The Waterboys receives the UK Lifetime Achievement Award for a career which has seen him defy categorisation, with musical explorations into Celtic roots, traditional folk and sonic rock, and several seminal album releases including 1985’s This Is The Sea which included the original version of the band’s top 5 hit The Whole of the Moon and 1988’s folk and country infused Fisherman’s Blues.
Mike Scott said: “I’m surprised and very happy to be honoured by the Americana Music Association UK. I’ve played music of American inspiration – roots, rock and roll, folk and blues since I was a kid and country, soul and gospel since expanding my horizons in the 1980s – without ever considering myself or The Waterboys as an Americana act. Yet Americana has fuelled, inspired and informed everything we’ve ever done. It is like a landmass I’ve been standing on the whole time, and I’m proud and honoured to consider our music part of it. Thankyou AMA-UK.”