FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MAY 2014 GRAMMY AWARD WINNING ARTIST & SONGWRITER RODNEY CROWELL RECEIVES AMERICANA MUSIC ASSOCIATION'S NOMINATION FOR ARTIST OF THE YEAR AS NEW ALBUM TARPAPER SKY TAKES #1 POSITION ON AMERICANA RADIO TO VIEW AN EXCLUSIVE VIDEO OF RODNEY CROWELL PERFORMING “FRANKIE PLEASE” CLICK HERE Nashville, TN –Acclaimed musician and songwriter Rodney Crowell has been nominated for the Americana Music Association’s prestigious Artist Of The Year Award. Crowell is currently touring in support of his most recent effort Tarpaper Sky (released April 15 on New West Records) which just moved up to #1 on the Americana Radio Chart this week. Tarpaper Sky is a follow-up to Crowell's collaboration with Emmylou Harris, Old Yellow Moon, which took home a Grammy for Americana Album of the Year as well as the AMA's 2013 trophy for Album of the Year. In 2009, the AMA also honored Crowell with their Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting, and since that time he’s only added to his vast and diverse body of work. Long before the term Americana was coined, Rodney Crowell has pushed the envelope of country, folk and roots music, balancing a career that has straddled the line between mainstream success and artistic integrity. Now celebrating 40 years of making music, Crowell's Tarpaper Sky is a throwback to the sound of one of his most beloved albums, Diamonds & Dirt. The album’s release marked Crowell’s highest Billboard chart position in the history of his career and is quickly becoming a favorite at Americana radio. The collection has received praise from USA Today, Associated Press, Garden & Gun, Rolling Stone.com, Penthouse, Country Weekly and many many more. The Austin Chronicle wrote that “Tarpaper Sky proves that the Houston Kid in his 60s remains as vital as ever, balancing ballads and barroom stomps, both cut with his characteristic sense of autobiographical detail and precarious mortality”. Between stops on a rigorous tour schedule Crowell has taped an NPR Tiny Desk Concert (set to post 5/26), performed live on IMUS (click here), taped a forthcoming session with AARP, and will be performing on Mountain Stage on May 18th. For a complete list of press highlights for Tarpaper Sky click here, and for a full list of upcoming tour dates for Rodney Crowell click here or see below. The Americana Honors & Awards will take place at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN on September 17th. The awards are part of the Americana Music Festival, held September 17-21 at venues throughout Music City. RODNEY CROWELL 2014 TOUR DATES 5/14 Grand Valley Dale Ballroom - Columbus, OH 5/15 20th Century Theatre - Cincinnati, OH 5/17 Gathering in the Gap Music Festival - Big Stone Gap, VA 5/18 Mountain Stage at the Culture Center Theater - Charleston, WV 6/04 The Castle Theatre - Bloomington, IL 6/05 Off Broadway - St Louis, MO 6/06 Folly Theater - Kansas City, MO 6/12 Texas Union Theatre - Austin, TX 6/13 Sam's Burger Joint - San Antonio, TX 6/14 Crighton Theatre - Conroe, TX 6/15 Kessler Theater - Dallas, TX 6/17 Lensic PAC - Santa Fe, NM 6/18 Musical Instrument Museum - Phoenix, AZ 6/20 Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA 6/21 Slims - San Francisco, CA 6/22 Chateau Amphitheatre - Seattle, WA 6/24 The Triple Door - Seattle, WA 6/25 Aladdin Theater - Portland, OR 6/26 Rogue Theatre - Grants Pass, OR 6/28 Kate Wolf Music Festival - Laytonville, CA 8/06 Americanafest NYC - New York, NY 8/07 Fishwalk - Livingston, MT 8/08 Braun Brothers Reunion - Challis, ID 9/06 Wheatland Music Festival - Remus, MI 9/07 Wheatlands Music Festival - Remus, MI 9/20 FreshGrass Bluegrass Festival - North Adams, MA For more information about Rodney Crowell please contact Donica CHristensen or Jim Flammia at All Eyes Media (615)-227-2700 [email protected] [email protected] New West Records Contact Tim Plumley (818)-433-3500 / [email protected] .