Follow up report about Mary Chapin Carpenter award event

MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER HONORED WITH FREE SPEECH IN MUSIC AWARD,
CEREMONY IN NATION'S CAPITAL PLAYS TO CAPACITY CROWD


April 28, 2010. Washington, DC: Mary Chapin Carpenter was honored by the Americana Music Association and the Newseum's First Amendment Center Tuesday night with the "Spirit of Americana Free Speech" award, presented to artists who use freedom of expression through music to raise awareness and build understanding. The setting for the sold-out event was the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater in the Newseum, a museum that chronicles history through news coverage.

Carpenter was honored for "a remarkable body of work that engages heart, head and soul, and which will resonate for a very long time to come" according to Ken Paulson, president of the First Amendment Center and Newseum.

The "Freedom Sings" program featured an interview with Carpenter and stirring performances by Rodney Crowell. Judy Collins and Eric Brace of "Last Train Home." Crowell is a current member of the Americana Music Associations Board of Directors and previously has been honored by the organization with its Lifetime Achievement in Songwriting Award. Collins, who was honored with the "Spirit of Americana" award in 2005, presented the crystal award to Carpenter.

"What an incredible evening" commented Jed Hilly, Executive Director of the Americana Music Association, "it was more than a concert, it was a celebration of our greatest freedom, but also of art and artistry - you could hear a pin drop in the room."

The event also celebrated the release of her new album, "The Age of Miracles", released Tuesday on Rounder Records.

About the Organizations
The Americana Music Association is a professional non-profit trade organization whose mission is to promote awareness, provide a forum, and advocate for the creative and economic vitality of the Americana music genre. The Association produces a weekly radio chart and events throughout the year including the annual Americana Music Festival and Conference which will take place September 8-11, 2010 in Nashville, TN. Americana Music Festival and Conference Registrations are now available by calling the Americana Music Association office at (615) 386-6936 or through the store at www.americanamusic.org.

The First Amendment Center, with offices at the Newseum and Vanderbilt University, works to build support for First Amendment freedoms through education, information and entertainment. www.firstamendmentcenter.org

The Newseum – a 250,000-square-foot museum of news – offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits. Its nonpartisan mission is to champion the First Amendment as the cornerstone of democracy. For more information on the Newseum go to www.newseum.com