The Grammy Award for Best American Roots Performance is an award category at the annual Grammy Awards. It was first presented in 2015.
The award was first approved by the board of trustees of the Grammy Awards in June 2014.Grammy.com, 12 June 2014 According to NARAS, the award encompasses all of the subgenres of the American Roots category field, which include bluegrass, blues, folk and regional roots styles of music such as Cajun, Hawaiian, Indigenous, Polka, Zydeco, go-go, second line brass, swamp pop, and Conjunto music. The category is open for solo artists, duos, groups and other collaborations and is for singles or tracks only. It was joined by a sister category, Best Americana Performance, in 2023.
The Grammy is awarded to the performer(s) of the winning recording.
Winners and nominees
2010s Year Work Artist 2015 Rosanne Cash "A Feather's Not a Bird" Gregg Allman and Taj Mahal "Statesboro Blues" Billy Childs featuring Alison Krauss and Jerry Douglas "And When I Die" Keb' Mo' featuring the California Feet Warmers "The Old Me Better" Nickel Creek "Destination" 2016 Mavis Staples "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn "And Am I Born to Die" Buddy Guy "Born to Play Guitar" The Milk Carton Kids "City of Our Lady" Punch Brothers "Julep" 2017 Sarah Jarosz "House of Mercy" The Avett Brothers "Ain't No Man" Blind Boys of Alabama "Mother's Children Have a Hard Time" Rhiannon Giddens "Factory Girl" Lori McKenna "Wreck You" 2018 Alabama Shakes "Killer Diller Blues" Blind Boys of Alabama "Let My Mother Live" Glen Campbell "Arkansas Farmboy" Leonard Cohen "Steer Your Way" Alison Krauss "I Never Cared for You" 2019 Brandi Carlile "The Joke" Sean Ardoin "Kick Rocks" Jon Batiste "St. James Infirmary Blues" Anderson East "All on My Mind" Willie Nelson "Last Man Standing"
2020s Year Work Artist 2020 Sara Bareilles "Saint Honesty" Calexico and Iron & Wine "Father Mountain" Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi "I'm on My Way" I'm with Her "Call My Name" Yola "Faraway Look" 2021Grammy.com, 24 November 2020 John Prine "I Remember Everything" Black Pumas "Colors" Bonny Light Horseman "Deep in Love" Brittany Howard "Short and Sweet" Norah Jones and Mavis Staples "I'll Be Gone" 2022 Jon Batiste "Cry" Billy Strings "Love and Regret" The Blind Boys of Alabama featuring Béla Fleck "I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free" Brandy Clark featuring Brandi Carlile "Same Devil" Allison Russell "Nightflyer" 2023 Aaron Neville and The Dirty Dozen Brass Band "Stompin' Ground" Bill Anderson featuring Dolly Parton "Someday It'll All Make Sense" Madison Cunningham "Life According to Raechel" Fantastic Negrito "Oh Betty" Aoife O'Donovan and Alison Russell "Prodigal Daughter" 2024 Allison Russell "Eve Was Black" Jon Batiste "Butterfly" The Blind Boys of Alabama "Heaven Help Us All" Madison Cunningham "Inventing the Wheel" Rhiannon Giddens "You Louisiana Man" 2025 Sierra Ferrell "Lighthouse" Shemekia Copeland "Blame It on Eve" The Fabulous Thunderbirds featuring Bonnie Raitt, Keb' Mo', Taj Mahal and Mick Fleetwood "Nothing in Rambling" Rhiannon Giddens "The Ballad of Sally Anne" 2026 Mavis Staples "Beautiful Strangers" Jon Batiste featuring Randy Newman "Lonely Avenue" I'm with Her "Ancient Light" Jason Isbell "Crimson and Clay" Alison Krauss & Union Station "Richmond on the James"
Artists with multiple wins 2 wins Mavis Staples
Artists with multiple nominations
4 nominations Jon Batiste Blind Boys of Alabama Rhiannon Giddens
3 nominations Brandi Carlile Sarah Jarosz (2 with I'm with Her) Alison Krauss Aoife O'Donovan (2 with I'm with Her) Allison Russell Mavis Staples
2 nominations Madison Cunningham I'm with Her Keb' Mo' Taj Mahal
References and links