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AWARDS.

2024 Scott B. Bomar

2024 Scott B. Bomar

Scott B. Bomar is the 2024 honoree for the Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism.

2024 Belmont Book Award

2024 Belmont Book Award

The 2024 Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year is awarded to Country and Midwestern: Chicago in the History of Country Music and the Folk Revival

2023 Belmont Book Award

2023 Belmont Book Award

The 2023 Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year is awarded to Marissa Moss for Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to and David Cantwell for The Running Kind: Listening to Merle Haggard

2023 Alanna Nash

2023 Alanna Nash

Alanna Nash is the 2023 honoree for the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism.

2022 Stacy Chandler

2022 Stacy Chandler

Stacy Chandler is the 2022 honoree for the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism. Chandler will be honored for "Violent Verses: Modern Musicians Grapple with the Legacy of Murder Ballads".

2022 Belmont Book Award

2022 Belmont Book Award

The 2022 Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year is awarded to Rural Rhythm: The Story of Old-Time Country Music in 78 Records by Tony Russell

2021 Marcus K. Dowling

2021 Marcus K. Dowling

Marcus K. Dowling is the 2021 honoree for the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism.

2021 Belmont Book Award

2021 Belmont Book Award

The 2021 Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year is awarded to Nashville Cats: Record Production in Music City by Travis Stimeling.

2020 Belmont Book Award

2020 Belmont Book Award

Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns were honored with the Belmont University Country Music Book of the Year Award for Country Music: An Illustrated History.

2019 Emily Yahr

2019 Emily Yahr

Emily Yahr is the 2019 honoree for the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism. Pictured: Don Cusic, Holly George Warren, Emily Yahr, Jon Freeman.

2019 Belmont Book Award

2019 Belmont Book Award

The 2022 Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year is awarded to A&R Pioneers: Architects of American Roots Music on Record by Brian Ward and Patrick Huber.

2018 Marissa Moss

2018 Marissa Moss

Marissa Moss is the 2018 honoree for the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism.

2018 Belmont Book Award

2018 Belmont Book Award

The 2018 Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year is awarded to Woman Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives by Holly Gleason.

2017 David Cantwell

2017 David Cantwell

David Cantwell is the honoree for the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism. Pictured Left to Right: James Akenson, Rolling Stone Editors Joe and Jon Freeman, David Cantwell, Tamara Saviano, and Don Cusic.

2017 book

2017 book

The 2017 Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year is awarded to Without Getting Killed or Caught: The Life and Music of Guy Clark by Tamara Saviano

2016 Belmont Book Award

2016 Belmont Book Award

The 2016 Belmont University Curb Music Industry Award for Country Music Book of the Year is awarded to Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll by Peter Guralnick.

2016 Pete Finney

2016 Pete Finney

Pete Finney is the 2016 honoree for the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Excellence in Country Music Journalism Award. Pictured, left to right: James Akenson, Rolling Stone Nashville Editor Beville Dunkerly, Pete Finney, Michael Gray (for Peter Guralnick), and Don Cusic.

2015 Jewly Hight

2015 Jewly Hight

Barry Mazor is the honoree for the 2015 Belmont Country Music Book of the Year Award. Jewly Hight is the honoree for the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Excellence in Country Music Journalism Award. Pictured left to right: James Akenson, Belmont Book Honoree Barry Mazor, Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Honoree Jewly Hight, Rolling Stone Country Senior Editor Beville Dunkerley, Don Cusic.

2015 Belmont Book Award

2015 Belmont Book Award

Barry Mazor was honored with the 2015 Belmont University Country Music Book of the Year for his book Ralph Peer and the Making of Popular Roots Music published by Chicago Review Press.

2014 Belmont Book Award

2014 Belmont Book Award

Robert Helman was honored with the 2014 Belmont University Country Music Book of the Year for his biography Johnny Cash: The Life published by Little Brown.

2013 Belmont Book Award

2013 Belmont Book Award

Diane Diekman was the 2013 Belmont University Country Music Book of the Year honoree for The Life of Marty Robbins: Twentieth Century Drifter published by the University of Illinois Press.

2012 Charlie Lamb Awards

2012 Charlie Lamb Awards

ictured left to right are Gary and Peggy Walker (sponsors of the Charlie Lamb Awards), Roni Stoneman (who assisted in presenting the Charlie Lamb Award), Contemporary Category honoree Alanna Nash (selected for her article in Vanity Fair about the legendary photograph of the kiss between Elvis and an unknown young woman), and Don Cusic. Not pictured is Rich Kienzle, winner in the Career Category, who could not be present.

2012 Belmont Book Award

2012 Belmont Book Award

The Belmont Book Award, given for the Best Book on country music. Pictured are James Akenson, Honoree Nate Gibson for his book The Starday Story: The House That Country Music Built, and Don Cusic.

2011 Charlie Lamb Awards

2011 Charlie Lamb Awards

Pictured left to right are Peggy Walker, Frances Preston, Gary Walker, Contemporary Charlie Lamb Honoree Peter Cooper, Charlie Lamb, Career Charlie Lamb Honoree Colin Escott

2011 Belmont Book Award

2011 Belmont Book Award

Pictured are Don Cusic with Belmont Book Award winner Bar Biszick-Lockwood (Restless Giant: The Life and Times of Jean Aberbach & Hill and Range Songs) and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Ralph Emery.

2010 Belmont Book Award

2010 Belmont Book Award

Don Cusic presents the 2010 Belmont Book Award to Barry Mazor (left) for his book Meeting Jimmie Rodgers.

2010 Charlie Lamb Awards

2010 Charlie Lamb Awards

Pictured left to right: Belmont Book Honoree Barry Mazor, James Akenson, Buzz Cason, Peggy Walker, Contemporary Charlie Lamb Honoree Derek Halsey, Charlie Lamb, Career Lamb Honoree Walt Trott, Dickey Lee, Gary Walker, Merle Russell, and Don Cusic.

2009 Charlie Lamb Awards

2009 Charlie Lamb Awards

Pictured left to right: James Akenson, ICMC; Barry Mazor, Charlie Lamb Journalism Award winner; Pat Huber, Belmont Book Award winner; Shelby Singleton; Fred Foster; Charlie Lamb; Alanna Nash, Charlie Lamb Journalism Award winner; Peggy and Gary Walker, endowers of the Charlie Lamb Awards; and Don Cusic, Belmont University.

​2009 Lifetime Achievement Award

​2009 Lifetime Achievement Award

The University of Illinois Press received the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award for their series "Music in American Life." Pictured left to right: Judith McCullough, former editor at the University of Illinois Press; Don Cusic, Belmont University; and Laurie Matheson, current editor at the University of Illinois Press.

2009 Belmont Book Award

2009 Belmont Book Award

Don Cusic presents the 2009 Belmont Book Award to Patrick Huber (right) for his book Linthead Stomp: The Creation of Country Music in the Piedmont South

2007 Belmont Book

2007 Belmont Book

Will the Circle Be Unbroken edited by Paul Kingsbury and Alanna Nash.

2004 Belmont Book Award

2004 Belmont Book Award

The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley by Alanna Nash

1998 Belmont Book Award

1998 Belmont Book Award

The Devil's Box: Masters of Southern Fiddling by Charles Wolfe

1997 Belmont Book Award

1997 Belmont Book Award

Ernest Tubb: The Texas Troubadour by Ronnie Pugh

1996 Belmont Book Award

1996 Belmont Book Award

Prairie Nights to Neon Lights: The Story of Country Music in West Texas by Joe Carr & Alan Munde published by Texas Tech University Press.

1995 inaugural Belmont Book Award

1995 inaugural Belmont Book Award

The Hank Snow Story by Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow, Jack Ownbey, Robert Burris published by Illinois University Press

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