The Difference Between the American Music Awards and Americana

Everybody already knows what the American Music Awards (AMA) show is so the easiest way to explain the difference between the AMAs and Americana is to tell you about Americana. 

No, it’s not the annual Dick Clark Productions spectacle honoring all types of music that is going to be held at the Microsoft Theater in lovely semi-tropical Los Angeles (which has a better climate than NYC–especially in fall) on Sunday, November 24. That’s not the AMA, that’s different. 

The AMA is a terrific way to see the performances and watch the stars react to their awards in real time, while you soak in the energy of the nominees, the vitality of the hosts and stagehands, the beehive of activity and the sheer glut of all sorts of celebrityhood concentrated in one place. 

Behind the Scenes: What the AMA Is All About

As was noted before, The AMA isn’t Americana, although roots rock is revered, gospel is praised, the blues are suffered and country music still makes me want a shot of bourbon with a beer chaser.

Heck, make that a red beer.

Another difference is that VIP Concierge has tickets to the AMA and the exclusive mega-swinging after party. Those tickets can put you where everybody else wants to be–unless they’re there already.

They want to hang out with the gorgeous music stars wearing too much makeup and those beautiful sequined outfits. 

It’s not just the men, either. The women get dressed up too. Don’t be confused. To see what I mean, just look at Marty Stuart’s hair.

Now that’s a statement all right. Could be that he slept on it funny, but we’ll probably never know.

The Music: What to Expect at the AMA

Americana is defined as a blend of country, rock, blues, gospel and bluegrass in no particular order.

The AMA celebrates all types of music, and the winners are determined based on how much $$ they generate from their fans for CDs, downloads, streaming, radio airplay and touring.

No electoral college needed here. These awards are decided by fan support alone.

The AMA isn’t just roots rock, either, with such categories as Pop/Rock, Alternative Rock, Country, Rap/Hip-Hop, Soul/R&B, Adult Contemporary, Contemporary Inspirational, Latin, EDM and Soundtrack, alongside awards for New Artist of the Year, Collaboration of the Year, Tour of the Year, Video of the Year, Favorite Song and Artist of the Year. 

There’s plenty of room for all sorts of performances and a curious cross-section of winners, like a Venn diagram with three overlapping circles–one for established stars, one for newcomers, and one for journeymen who never had the teenage idol cult of personality to get them to the top of the music industry bonfire, but they are an important component of the kindling. 

And lastly, the AMA is in no way associated with Americanos, those caffeine-laden adrenalin bomb drinks made with 2 shots of espresso, 1 shot of hot water and 1 shot of steamed milk.

I guess there wasn’t enough room in the mug for a shot of Red Bull to really get the party started. 

So, next time someone asks you what’s the difference between the American Music Awards and Americana, tell them to look it up on their own time. You’re too busy making plans for your trip to Hollywood and the AMA festivities this November!