Ameripolitan Awards: Stepping Stone for Two Honky Tonkers on the Rise

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The 2019 Ameripolitan Awards took place in Memphis on Monday night, with events that took over the entire weekend. If you’re not familiar with Ameripolitan, just think of the Americana subgenre, except everyone associated with this one absolutely adores being accepted into the family. It’s good ol country music like your mama and daddy listen to and it’s rockabilly and swing like your grandparents loved. Don’t let this deter you, this music is current and sure to give you hours of enjoyment if you run down the list of artists that fall under the label.

The term Ameripolitan was coined by Dale Watson and a promoter from Wisconsin, Phil Doran, to describe Dale‘s sound. A mix of classic country and rockabilly, Dale didn’t want to lumped in with what most of the public perceives as country music, although at its roots, that is what this is. The awards show is in its sixth year now and gaining steam each and every time, with past winners for various categories such as: Margo Price, Whitey Morgan & the 78’s, Billy Joe Shaver, Wayne Hancock, etc.

This year two rising stars took home awards in their respective categories, Jesse Daniel (Honky Tonk Male) and Summer Dean (Outlaw Female). Jesse released his self-titled debut album, on which he played every instrument during the recording process, in May of last year and has been on an absolute tear ever since. A Santa Cruz, CA native, Jesse has done most of his road work on the west coast, but will be making waves across the country very soon. Summer released her debut EP ‘Unladylike’ in 2016, but looks to have a big year in 2019 with a hopeful album release, that will be sure to set her off to the races. She has such a glowing personality and the fact that she is a grown woman making music for grown women will bode well for her as she makes her ascent to the top of the heap. She has been blazing a trail in the Texas Music scene and hasn’t shown any signs of letting up.

The Ameripolitan‘s were full of amazing performances, established and breakout artists, and the amazing Dale Watson emceeing the entire night. It’s truly a pleasure to be able to enjoy the family atmosphere created by Dale and the many artists who consider themselves Ameripolitan. Make sure you’re keeping an eye out for Jesse and Summer and follow them on their respective social media pages. @thejessedaniel & @summerdean and also keep up with @ameripolitan and @dalewatson for all future events.