The Star-Studded Special Features Unforgettable Performances
by Some of the Hottest Names in Honky Tonk, Western Swing, Rockabilly, and Outlaw Music
AUSTIN, Texas—The Ameripolitan Country Music Awards announced today a partnership with premier music channel AXS TV, which will broadcast the organization’s two-and-a-half-hour awards special on Sunday, August 18 at 1 p.m. ET. The exclusive event was taped at the iconic Austin City Limits (ACL) Moody Theater during the 10th Annual Ameripolitan Awards show on February 18, 2024. The special is hosted by Founder, country star, and original Ameripolitan maverick Dale Watson, and also includes all-star presentations and performances.
“We are very excited to be presenting this broadcast special featuring the best of our 2024 award show,” said Watson, who Co-Founded the Awards with his wife, Celine Lee Watson. “It showcases some amazing talent and highlights the breadth and appeal of roots country music.”
Awards show Executive Producer Mitchell Cohen helmed the initiative to turn the live awards show into a full broadcast special. The program recognizes Texas music legends Ray Benson (Master Award Honoree) and Texas Tornados Augie Meyers & Flaco Jiménez (Founders of The Sound Honorees). Other notable performers appearing in the special include Tammi Savoy, Brennen Leigh, Melissa Carper, Junior Brown, Reverend Horton Heat, Big Sandy, Wayne Hancock, Kelly Willis, Trevor Lake and Les Greene. 2024 Ameripolitan winners include Kaitlin Butts (Honky Tonk Female), Sterling Drake (Honky Tonk Male), and Carolyn Sills Combo (Western Swing Group), among many others.
The awards show earned a wave of positive feedback from fans and media outlets, alike, with country music-focused outlets such as The Amp and Saving Country Music characterizing Ameripolitan as “a better way forward.” Additionally, a review of the awards show in The Austin Chronicle described a “sense of community spearheaded by Watson, who generated gratitude from the fans and especially the nominees.” The Chronicle also noted that, “Whether rising stars or hardened lifers, many were being recognized for the first time.”
A subsidiary of Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc., AXS TV is the premier music channel on television. The Network delivers a diverse music-themed programming lineup, giving viewers the ultimate all-access pass to the industry’s top news stories and showcasing music’s biggest names with iconic concerts, in-depth artist profiles, acclaimed original series, exclusive specials, and so much more.