Loretta Lynn [ tickets ] leads this year's pack of nominees for the Americana Honors & Awards, which will be handed out on Sept. 24 in Nashville.

Album of the Year nominees are Lynn's "Van Lear Rose," Mindy Smith's "One Moment More," Rodney Crowell's "Fate's Right Hand" and Slaid Cleaves [ tickets ]' "Wishbones." Vying for Artist of the Year honors are Allison Moorer, Jim Lauderdale, Patty Griffin and Lynn.

Nominees for Song of the Year (presented to the songwriter) are Lynn's "Portland, Oregon"; Smith's "Come To Jesus"; Crowell's "Fate's Right Hand"; and "Wishbones," penned by Cleaves with Ray Wylie Hubbard.

Jerry Douglas, Kenny Vaughan, Sam Bush and Will Kimbrough are up for Instrumentalist of the Year, while Adrienne Young, Greencards, Mindy Smith and Old Crow Medicine Show are nominated for New/Emerging Artist of the Year.

The ceremony takes place during this year's Americana Music Association Conference, set for Sept. 23-25 at the Nashville Convention Center.

'NSync will sing the national anthem before their Challenge for the Children charity basketball game, marking the group's first performance together since the 2003 Grammy Awards.

The game takes place during the July 23-25 benefit for the Challenge for the Children Foundation, which 'NSync formed to raise money for children's programs and charities.

Raphael Saadiq [ tickets ] issues his second solo studio album, "Raphael Saadiq as Ray Ray," in late September, according to his publicist.

His former Tony Toni Tone [ tickets ] bandmate Dwayne Wiggins and Lucy Pearl's Dawn Robinson contribute vocals to the album track "Rifle Love."