Levon Helm Wins Best Americana Album at 2012 Grammy Awards

During a ceremony prior to the official start of the 2012 Grammy Awards, Levon Helm topped four other nominees to win the Best Americana Album. He was one of approximately 70 winners announced prior to the 8PM ET start time of the CBS broadcast.

Helm was not on hand to accept the award for his 'Ramble at the Ryman' album, unfortunately. The project captured a show Helm's Midnight Ramble played at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville in 2008. Sheryl Crow, Billy Bob Thornton and Buddy Miller were amongst the other performers to appear during the special, which is also available on DVD.

Other nominees for the Best Americana Award were Linda Chorney for ‘Emotional Jukebox,' Ry Cooder for ‘Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down,’ Emmylou Harris's ‘Hard Bargain’ and Lucinda Williams for ‘Blessed.' Helm also won a Grammy Award in the same category in 2010. 'Electric Dirt' was his second consecutive album to win an award, following 2007's 'Dirt Farmer' which won in the Best Traditional Folk Album category.