Now is the right time to become an American Federation of Musicians member. From ragtime to rap, from the early phonograph to today's digital recordings, the AFM has been there for its members. And now there are more benefits available to AFM members than ever before, including a multi-million dollar pension fund, excellent contract protection, instrument and travelers insurance, work referral programs and access to licensed booking agents to keep you working.
As an AFM member, you are part of a membership of more than 80,000 musicians. Experience has proven that collective activity on behalf of individuals with similar interests is the most effective way to achieve a goal. The AFM can negotiate agreements and administer contracts, procure valuable benefits and achieve legislative goals. A single musician has no such power.
The AFM has a proud history of managing change rather than being victimized by it. We find strength in adversity, and when the going gets tough, we get creative - all on your behalf.
Like the industry, the AFM is also changing and evolving, and its policies and programs will move in new directions dictated by its members. As a member, you will determine these directions through your interest and involvement. Your membership card will be your key to participation in governing your union, keeping it responsive to your needs and enabling it to serve you better. To become a member now, visit www.afm.org/join.
January 1, 2021
IM -The Americana Music Association honored the late John Prine during the 19th annual Americana Honors & Awards on December 15, 2020. Prine, a member of Local 257 (Nashville, TN) before he died in April 2020 at age 73 due to complications related to COVID-19, was named the AMA 2020 Artist of the Year.
The 2003 Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting honoree became the first artist in Honors & Awards history to be posthumously nominated in this category and this was his fourth Artist of the Year win since 2005.
The Americana Honors & Awards program provides a unique platform for commemorating the best and brightest musicians in the Americana music scene. The awards are usually handed out during a ceremony at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, in an effort to preserve the safety of musicians, fans, and other members of the close-knit roots community, the Americana Music Association chose to forego having an in-person ceremony this year.