While we love Neil Young, his 2005 release Prairie Wind was somewhat disappointing. Young's nomination for Artist of the Year was surprising in a year when there were so many great Americana artists from which to choose.

  The collaboration of Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez produced a fun and compelling release in 2005 entitled Red Dog Tracks. We were happy to see them receive a nomination for Duo/Group of the Year. (By the way, did you know that Chip Taylor is the brother of Jon Voight. That makes him the uncle of Angelina Jolie. Chip also wrote classic garage rocker "Wild Thing.")

  A few months back we wrote about the emergence of The Greencards as one of the breakthrough bands of 2005. We were obviously happy to see their nomination for Duo/Group of the Year.

  We were surprised to see the nomination of "Not Ready To Make Nice" by the Dixie Chicks as Song of the Year. While we love the Dixie Chicks last album - Home, and we thought the political fallout from Natalie Maines Bush-bashing comments was ridiculously exaggerated and overblown, we are not even sure that the Dixie Chicks belong on a list of Americana nominees. Even if you do consider the Dixie Chicks an Americana band, their latest release just hit shelves and would be a more worthy nominee for next year’s awards. The real problem is that "Not Ready To Make Nice" is simply not a worthy nominee as the best Americana song released this part year.

  A few months back, we wrote an article criticizing the Grammys for nominating Neil Young’s Prairie Wind in the "Rock" category and Rodney Crowell’s The Outsider in the "Contemporary Folk" category. We suggested that the two releases should have been placed in the same musical category. It is worth noting that both releases are now nominated as Americana "Album of the Year."

  While we enjoyed James McMurty’s Childish Things, we thought that the release was over-nominated for this year’s Americana awards. McMurtry was the only artist nominated in three separate categories. "We Can’t Make It Here" is a good song, but again we would have probably looked elsewhere for Song of the Year.

  This year’s list of nominees is obviously dominated by established artists who achieved their commercial peak many years ago (see Rosanne Cash, Delbert McClinton, Rodney Crowell, Neil Young, Marty Stuart). Where are all the younger Americana artists who produce compelling music which distinguishes this musical genre from country or rock music? Where was Ryan Adams’ Cold Roses? What about BR549 or Jack Ingram? How about Neko Case’s Fox Confessor Brings The Flood or Shawn Mullins’ 9^th Ward Pickin’ Parlor? Reviewing this year’s list of nominees, we are concerned that the Americana Honors & Awards may be evolving into the "Former Country Music Star" Honors & Awards.