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Episode premiere: Allison Russell/The Weather Station

Allison Russell and band tape Austin City Limits, May 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits showcases a pair of breakthrough Canadian singer-songwriters: Montreal native Allison Russell shares the hour with The Weather Station, the performance name of Toronto’s indie-folk singer/songwriter  Tamara Lindeman. Russell makes her show debut with a radiant set featuring songs from her 2022 Grammy-nominated solo debut album Outside Child; while The Weather Station presents a hypnotic set highlighting selections from Ignorance, an album that topped many 2021 year-end-best-of lists. The new Season 48 installment premieres October 22 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 48 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast. 

After years of collaborations with like-minded artists, Allison Russell released her debut solo effort Outside Child to much critical acclaim, earning a trio of 2022 Grammy nominations, including Best Americana Album; it was recently named 2022 Album of the Year by the Americana Music Association. The starkly beautiful breakthrough deals with the abuse Russell suffered as a child and her subsequent survival. Now based in Nashville, the singer/songwriter and multi instrumentalist begins a magnetic set with the folk rocker “The Runner,” joined by a six-piece all-female band; the number soars with exquisite backing vocals and strings. She picks up her banjo for the powerful “All of the Women,” an attempt to find survivor’s joy despite continued societal injustices and senseless tragedy. “We believe that music, shared like this, is creative communion, an essential service that helps build up our empathy,” Russell tells the crowd. A co-founder of the supergroup Our Native Daughters, Russell closes with the stunner “You’re Not Alone,” from the 2019 album Songs of Our Native Daughters. 

Tamara Lindeman and her band The Weather Station perform on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Tamara Lindeman, leader of the Toronto outfit The Weather Station, has earned critical acclaim for the thoughtful, soulful songcraft showcased on her 2021 breakthrough Ignorance, a commentary on climate change issues. Ignorance was named a Top 10 Album of 2021 by Pitchfork, The New Yorker, Spin, New York Times, Uncut, The Guardian, and several others. In a captivating set centered on the album and accompanied by her five-piece band, Lindeman opens kneeling for the riveting single “Robber,” as the tempo and urgency increase, amplified by saxophone and keyboards for dramatic, atmospheric effect. The musically inventive performance draws from elements of jazz, folk and indie-rock. A highlight is the mesmerizing “Stars,” the main track from her stripped-down companion album, 2022’s How Is It That I Should Look At the Stars. Backed only by keyboards, Lindeman’s voice rings out with pure grace, with the crowd remaining intensely hushed for the entire song. 

“No artist can sing or express a song better than the writer, and Allison and Tamara are living proof of that,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Their emotional evocations cover the deeply personal to the global, and their songs resonate with meaning as we try to navigate the world around us.”

Allison Russell:

THE RUNNER

ALL OF THE WOMEN

POISON ARROW

YOU’RE NOT ALONE

The Weather Station:

ROBBER

ATLANTIC

PARKING LOT

STARS

TRIED TO TELL YOU

BETTER NOW

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (first half of season)

October 1 Brandi Carlile

October 8 Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

October 15 Sylvan Esso/Lucius

October 22 Allison Russell/The Weather Station

October 29 Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

November 5 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

November 12 Cimafunk and The Tribe

Watch live, stream anytime, The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2023, will be announced at a later date.  Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 48th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  
Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Sylvan Esso and Lucius

Sylvan Esso on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits returns with an entertaining hour you can dance to, featuring two different dynamic duos: electro-pop stars Sylvan Esso along with the versatile vocal powerhouses known as Lucius. Sylvan Esso present songs from their 2022 album No Rules Sandy and their Grammy-nominated Free Love; Lucius perform numbers from their recent album Second Nature alongside career highlights. The new Season 48 installment premieres October 15 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 48 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.

Durham, North Carolina-based electronica duo Sylvan Esso, composed of singer/lyricist Amelia Meath and keyboardist/producer Nick Sanborn, make their ACL debut performing songs from their new album No Rules Sandy as well as favorites from 2020’s Free Love and 2017’s What Now, both of which received Grammy nominations for Best Dance/Electronic Music album. The pair create rapturous sounds with 21st century sensibilities, as Meath sings the irresistible hooks with a playful magnetism. Opening with two songs from their acclaimed Free Love, the duo shine on their pop-groove hit “Ferris Wheel.” They perform a suite of songs from the experimental No Rules Sandy, a platform for partner Sanborn’s animated manipulation of his electronics, triggering beats and sounds in the moment, even remixing Meath’s vocals live on the buoyant “Look At Me.”

Lucius on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Los Angeles-via-Brooklyn indie act Lucius’ versatility is on full display with their fourth album, 2022’s acclaimed Second Nature, as they shape-shift through synth-pop, country, melodic folk and dance-groove funk. Produced by pals Brandi Carlile and Dave Cobb, the album was made for joyful dancing through life’s unpredictable tangents — which has always been Lucius’s sunny mission in their decade-long career. Lucius leaders Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig deliver a highly stylized visual presentation that’s as much a part of their identity as their sound, sporting matching green ensembles and identical hair styles. Accompanied by a four-piece band, they open with a pair of highlights from Second Nature, first donning blinged out keytars and synchronized stage moves for the discofied “Next to Normal,” then stunning a rapt crowd with their entwined vocals on “The Man I’ll Never Find.” Wolfe and Laessig thrill with the early career gem “Dusty Trails” as they unite their soaring sopranos in perfect harmony, stepping back from the mic to sing in a capella glory. They close with highlights from 2013’s Wildewoman, the album that first brought them to wide attention. The duo stroll into the audience for a powerfully intimate moment on “Two of Us On the Run,” a tribute to their friendship and collaboration, for a shimmering set-closer.

“Both Sylvan Esso and Lucius represent what musical female empowerment is all about in the 2020’s,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Amelia, Holly and Jess write and sing about all the raw emotions of life, from darkness to light, sadness to joy, and ACL captures their electric live shows. You won’t be able to sit still for this hour!”

Sylvan Esso

WHAT IF

FERRIS WHEEL

DIE YOUNG

SUNBURN

LOOK AT ME

SOUND

COFFEE

ECHO PARTY

Lucius

NEXT TO NORMAL

THE MAN I’LL NEVER FIND

DUSTY TRAILS

TEMPEST

TWO OF US ON THE RUN

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (first half of season)

October 1 Brandi Carlile

October 8 Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

October 15 Sylvan Esso/Lucius

October 22 Allison Russell/The Weather Station

October 29 Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

November 5 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

November 12 Cimafunk and The Tribe

Watch live, stream anytime, The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2023, will be announced at a later date.  Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 48th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

Japanese Breakfast plays Austin City Limits, Season 48. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits spotlights a pair of compelling acts making their ACL debuts: Japanese Breakfast, featuring acclaimed indie singer-songwriter Michelle Zauner and 21-year-old British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks. Philadelphia’s Japanese Breakfast play songs from their breakthrough Jubilee; while Parks performs numbers from her Mercury Prize-winning Collapsed in Sunbeams. These two celebrated acts both earned 2022 Grammy nods for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Album and both received raves for their deeply personal lyrics and powerful connection with audiences. The new hour-long installment premieres October 8 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 48 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast.

Acclaimed pop-alternative act Japanese Breakfast performs highlights from Jubilee, their lauded 2021 album. Bandleader Michelle Zauner is also the New York Times bestselling author of Crying in H Mart, her powerful 2021 memoir about growing up Korean-American and dealing with the loss of her mother. The book paved the way for the band’s third release, Jubilee, an album about giving yourself permission to welcome joy back into your life after tragedy. Opening the set with the dreamlike “Paprika,” Zauner bangs a light-up gong at center stage to punctuate the lyrics. She smiles widely as she dances across the stage for the hit “Be Sweet,” a synthy, sparkly power-pop confection. The six-song set elicits a rush of feelings anchored by gorgeous song craft and probing lyrics, in an ultimate celebration of life and love. Zauner and her ace eight-piece band, augmented by horns and violin, provide sublime melodies for a radiant ACL debut. 

Arlo Parks performs on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Fast-rising West London singer-songwriter Arlo Parks showcases gems from her breakout debut Collapsed in Sunbeams. Parks blends poetic lyrics with music to create luscious vignettes via sweet, ruminative indie pop songs. Her thoughtful, relatable lyrics resonate emotionally with fans and foster connection and support. She captivates with her soft vocals and lush sonic palette in a magnetic ACL debut. Set opener “Caroline” sparks an audience singalong of the titular name throughout the chorus, and on the soul-pop “Eugene” the crowd belts the painful lyrics about unrequited love with collective emotion. “I guess my favorite songs that I’ve written come pouring out of me by accident…and this is one of them,” says Parks as she closes out with the electro-pop marvel “Softly,” a cathartic, upbeat anthem about bracing for impact in the face of a relationship’s inevitable demise. 

“We’re especially proud this season to be showcasing so many emerging young female singer-songwriters,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, “And there will be more to come. In the case of both Michelle and Arlo, the fact that Grammy voters considered them worthy of a Best New Artist nominee speaks volumes.”

Japanese Breakfast setlist: 

Paprika

Be Sweet

Kokomo, IN

Savage Good Boy

Slide Tackle

Posing For Cars

Arlo Parks setlist:

Caroline

Eugene

Black Dog

Hurt

Too Good

Softly

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (first half of season)

October 1 Brandi Carlile

October 8 Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

October 15 Sylvan Esso/Lucius

October 22 Allison Russell/The Weather Station

October 29 Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

November 5 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

November 12 Cimafunk and The Tribe

Watch live, stream anytime, The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2023, will be announced at a later date.  Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 48th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Season 48 premiere episode recap: Brandi Carlile

Brandi Carlile on Austin City Limits, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits launches a historic new season spotlighting an unprecedented line-up of diverse and eclectic female artists with a season premiere featuring celebrated singer-songwriter and six-time Grammy Award winner Brandi Carlile. The acclaimed Americana artist, accompanied by a nine-piece band, shines in a breathtaking hour, delivering an eleven-song set with selections from her latest In These Silent Days alongside fan-favorite classics. The hourlong season premiere airs October 1 at 8pm CT/9pm ET as part of the esteemed broadcast’s fourteen episode season. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for 48 years as the music institution nears a remarkable half-century milestone. ACL airs weekly on PBS stations nationwide (check local listings) and full episodes are made available to stream online at pbs.org/austincitylimits immediately following the initial broadcast. . 

There are few musicians in the current era more respected and beloved than Brandi Carlile, and this award-winning singer/songwriter/producer/author and activist makes her third appearance on the ACL stage with a stunning show centered around her seventh album In These Silent Days. Carlile first-appeared on Austin City Limits in 2010 and is now firmly established at the forefront of Americana music. A magnetic performer, she dazzles with numbers from her acclaimed album, including the hard-rocking set opener “Broken Horses,” and a joyful “You And Me On The Rock,” joined by a trio of guest vocalists. Carlile soars with a radiant take on the chart-topping “Right on Time,” a triple Grammy-nominated number named “Song of the Year” at the 2022 Americana Music Awards. Carlile pays tribute to her influences with inspired covers of choice classics, including David Bowie’s “Space Oddity,” Radiohead’s “Creep” and Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock.” Carlile’s ace band features her longtime collaborators Tim and Phil Hanseroth, twin brothers on guitar, bass and harmonies, album co-producer Shooter Jennings joins on keyboards, along with a guest appearance from guitar ringer Celisse. Carlile’s remarkable showmanship is on full display throughout as she thrills with “The Joke,” the 2019 multiple Grammy-winning anthem of love and empowerment that’s become her signature tune, earning rapturous applause from the ACL audience. Accompanied by strings, piano, Hanseroth-brother harmonies and her own acoustic guitar, Carlile closes with the stripped-down benediction “Stay Gentle,” seguing beautifully into a potent solo rendition of the beloved standard “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

“All of us are so proud of Brandi’s incredible success story since her debut on the ACL stage 12 years ago,” said ACL Executive Producer Terry Lickona. “Her growth not only as a singer but as a superstar entertainer in every sense of the word is inspiring. She helped lead the way for a new generation of talented young female artists, many of whom will be showcased in future episodes.”

Episode setlist:

BROKEN HORSES

YOU AND ME ON THE ROCK

THIS TIME TOMORROW

MAMA WEREWOLF

SPACE ODDITY

CREEP

RIGHT ON TIME

THE JOKE

WOODSTOCK

STAY GENTLE

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (first half of season)

October 1 Brandi Carlile

October 8 Japanese Breakfast/Arlo Parks

October 15 Sylvan Esso/Lucius

October 22 Allison Russell/The Weather Station

October 29 Parker McCollum/Robert Earl Keen

November 5 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

November 12 Cimafunk and The Tribe

Watch live, stream anytime, The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including seven new episodes to air beginning January 2023, will be announced at a later date.  Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future tapings and episode schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits (ACL) offers viewers unparalleled access to featured acts in an intimate setting that provides a platform for artists to deliver inspired, memorable, full-length performances. Now in its 48th Season, the program is taped live before a concert audience from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. Austin City Limits is the longest-running music series in television history and remains the only TV series to ever be awarded the National Medal of Arts. Since its inception, the groundbreaking music series has become an institution that’s helped secure Austin’s reputation as the Live Music Capital of the World. The historic Austin PBS Studio 6A, home to 36 years of ACL concerts, has been designated an official Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Landmark. In 2011, ACL moved to the new venue ACL Live at The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. ACL received a rare institutional Peabody Award for excellence and outstanding achievement in 2012.  

Austin City Limits is produced by Austin PBS and funding is provided in part by Dell Technologies, Workrise, the Austin Convention Center Department, Cirrus Logic and AXS Ticketing. Additional funding is provided by the Friends of Austin City Limits. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

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ACL Presents: Americana 20th Annual Honors

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 22: (L-R) Amanda Shires and Maren Morris of The Highwomen, Yola, Brandi Carlile of The Highwomen, Jason Isbell and Natalie Hemby of The Highwomen perform onstage at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

Austin City Limits returns to Nashville for a special broadcast featuring performance highlights from the 20th Annual Americana Honors. For two decades, the annual celebration of roots music has honored the best and brightest musicians in Americana music while showcasing one-of-a-kind performances and collaborations. The program is filled with musical highlights from many of the event’s award-winners and honorees, among them (in order of appearance): Fisk Jubilee Singers with Leon Timbo, Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan & Joe Henry, Allison Russell, The Highwomen, featuring Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires with Yola, Jason Isbell, Valerie June & Carla Thomas, Charley Crockett, Amythyst Kiah, Buddy Miller, Brandi Carlile & The Mavericks. The hourlong special premieres Saturday, April 2 at 7pm CT/8pm ET on PBS and varies by market (check local listings for times).  Check PBS listings for local airtimes. The special will be available to music fans everywhere to stream online beginning Sunday, April 3 @10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming Season 48 tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates. 

Recorded live at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium in 2021, The Americana Music Association’s 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony is a celebration of the confluence of roots, blues, soul, folk and country music.  For the tenth year, the producers of Austin City Limits, in conjunction with producers Martin Fischer, Michelle Aquilato, and Jed Hilly for the Americana Music Association, proudly deliver a special ACL Presents.  

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Fisk Jubilee Singers perform onstage at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Fisk Jubilee Singers, the award-winning choir formed at Nashville’s HBCU Fisk University, open the hour and raise the Ryman roof with the stirring spiritual “I Believe” joined by gospel great Leon Timbo. Americana’s Artist of the Year Brandi Carlile delivers a gorgeous solo performance of her 2022 triple Grammy-nominated song “Right On Time” and also performs with her bandmates Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby and Amanda Shires in country supergroup the Highwomen, joined by greats Yola and Jason Isbell for the occasion. Multiple Americana Album of the Year nominees showcase highlights: Americana stalwart Sarah Jarosz performs “I’ll Be Gone,” a gem from her celebrated World on the Ground, joined by John Leventhal; Valerie June performs her Song of the Year-nominated “Call Me A Fool” from her The Moon And Stars: Prescriptions for Dreamers, joined by Stax great and Lifetime Achievement honoree Carla Thomas; and one of the genre’s top stars, Jason Isbell, is joined by wife and collaborator Amanda Shires for “Letting You Go,” a poignant song written for their young daughter from his acclaimed Reunions.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Valerie June performs onstage at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

The award’s Emerging Artist honorees take the stage to showcase their talents: the year’s Emerging Artist Award-winner and “the pride of San Benito, Texas,” Charley Crockett, makes a sparkling debut with his singular brand of Gulf & Western music, performing the two-stepping “Are We Lonesome Yet.” Fellow nominee, genre-bending artist Allison Russell, delivers her 2022 double Grammy-nominated “Nightflyer,” a soulful number from her critically-acclaimed solo record Outside Child, also a 2022 Grammy nominee for Best Americana Album. Breakout singer-songwriter Amythyst Kiah showcases her bonafides with a powerhouse “Fancy Drones (Fracture Me),” forecasting the future of the genre. 

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Amythyst Kiah performs at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

The special pays tribute to a pair of Americana greats we lost in 2021: Country-folk legend Nanci Griffith, a trailblazer in the genre, is saluted with a gorgeous reading of her “Gulf Coast Highway,” performed by Aoife O’Donovan and Joe Henry;  country great Tom T. Hall is honored by famed musician Buddy Miller, who performs a memorable rendition of Hall’s classic “That’s How I Got to Memphis.” 

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Aoife O’Donovan and Joe Henry perform at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

The show closes with the eclectic rock-country-Latin band the Mavericks, recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award, celebrating the diversity of the genre with “La Sitiera,” from their acclaimed Spanish-language album En Español.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 22: Raul Malo of The Mavericks performs at the 20th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at Ryman Auditorium on September 22, 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Americana Music Association)

Broadcast setlist:

Fisk Jubilee Singers ft. Leon Timbo “I Believe”

Sarah Jarosz ft. John Leventhal “I’ll Be Gone”

Aiofe O’Donovan & Joe Henry “Gulf Coast Highway” 

Allison Russell “Nightflyer”

The Highwomen (Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby) ft. Yola & Jason Isbell 

Jason Isbell ft. Amanda Shires “Letting You Go”

Valerie June ft. Carla Thomas “Call Me A Fool”

Charley Crockett ”Are We Lonesome Yet” 

Amythyst Kiah “Fancy Drones (Fracture Me)”

Buddy Miller “That’s How I Got to Memphis”

Brandi Carlile “Right on Time”

The Mavericks “La Sitiera”

About AMERICANAFEST:

The 22nd annual AMERICANAFEST will take place September 13-17, 2022 in Nashville, Tenn., once again bringing together music industry professionals and fans alike for five days of discovery, insight and connections. Declared a “veritable juggernaut” by American Songwriter, AMERICANAFEST showcases hundreds of artists and bands throughout many notable venues in Nashville, TN. The destination event also features a first-rate industry conference, bringing together the top tier of the music business to discuss current industry topics and issues. Musical festivities are kicked off by the critically acclaimed Americana Honors & Awards, which celebrates luminaries and welcomes the next generation of trailblazers while offering one-of-a-kind performance pairings at Nashville’s famed Ryman Auditorium. For more information, please visit www.americanamusic.org.

About the Americana Music Association:

The Americana Music Association is a professional not-for-profit trade organization whose mission is to advocate for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world. The Association produces events throughout the year; including AMERICANAFEST and the critically acclaimed Americana Honors & Awards program. The Americana Music Association receives enormous support from the Tennessee Department of Tourism, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, ASCAP, BMI, SESAC.

About ACL Presents:

ACL Presents is music programming created by, or in association with, Austin PBS, the producers of Austin City Limits (ACL). ACL Presents programming includes television specials, live events, web series and recorded music presentations and is made in the spirit and standards of the legendary PBS series Austin City Limits, the longest-running live music series in television history. ACL Presents collaborations have included: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass with KQED and Americana Music Festival with Nashville Public Television (NPT). 

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New broadcast: The Best of Nanci Griffith

Nanci Griffith on Austin City Limits, Season 27. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits proudly wraps up Season 47 with a gem: a salute to late folk and country singer-songwriter legend Nanci Griffith. A beacon in the Texas music scene, the Austin original had a deep association with Austin City Limits, performing on the program eight times between 1984 and 2001. Sadly we lost Griffith in 2021, but ACL celebrates her life and legacy with twelve classic performances. “The Best of Nanci Griffith” offers a fascinating look at the renowned country-folk artist through her many appearances and premieres February 12 @ 8pm ET/7pm CT. Check local PBS listings for times. The episode will be available to music fans everywhere, streaming online the next day beginning February 13 @ 10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. The Peabody Award-winning program continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music television show in history, providing viewers a  front-row seat to the best in live performance for a remarkable 47 years. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to have delivered a full season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. In the following weeks, ACL will continue to broadcast fan-favorite encore episodes until the new season premieres this fall. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding future Season 48 tapings, encore broadcast schedules and select live stream updates.

One of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of her generation, Nanci Griffith released more than 20 albums, sold millions of records and won a Grammy. Her previously uncategorizable blend of folk music and country provided an early blueprint for Americana. She is recognized as a pioneer in the genre whose influence has been felt on nearly every Texas singer-songwriter who came afterward, and broke ground for countless artists including Lyle Lovett, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Robert Earl Keen. Her songs have been covered by a wide range of artists and she has earned worldwide recognition for her music.

Born in Central Texas and raised in Austin, Nanci Griffith became an early favorite on the Texas singer-songwriter circuit, and this poignant hour chronicles her times on the program from her ACL debut in Season 10 to her final appearance during Season 27 in 2001. For that first appearance on Austin City Limits she wore a bright yellow, flowered dress she made herself especially for the occasion, and showcased songs from her 1984 career breakthrough Once in a Very Blue Moon, including the title track, later covered by Dolly Parton. Joined by a mini-orchestra of Nashville and Austin luminaries (including a young singer-songwriter named Lyle Lovett on backing vocals), the sweet-voiced singer and storyteller wowed the hometown crowd. 

Nanci Griffith on Austin City Limits, Season 10. Photo by Scott Newton.

Upon her 1988 ACL return she tells the audience “It’s nice to be home again,” and performs selections from her 1986 folk-country classic The Last of the True Believers. A set highlight is her early rendition of the Julie Gold penned “From A Distance,” an anthem first recorded by Griffith that became her first international #1 hit, and was later famously covered by Bette Midler. She captivates the crowd with “Love at the Five and Dime,” a small-town tale featuring Austin’s original Woolworth’s at its centerpiece, filled with Griffith’s keen eye for detail and emotion. 

A frequent collaborator whose peers lined up to play with her, the hour also highlights her work alongside other artists. An outspoken social justice advocate, Griffith appears on a Songwriters Special in 1991, and performs her powerful social commentary, the anti-racism ode “It’s A Hard Life Wherever You Go,” joined by songwriters Mary Chapin Carpenter and Indigo Girls on harmonies. She appears in 1994 performing songs from Flyer, an album which featured guest appearances from members of R.E.M. and U2. For a 1997 appearance, she performs a pop-country set with her longtime heroes, Buddy Holly’s Crickets, as her backing band, and pays tribute to the songwriters of West Texas she credits as her earliest influences. She returns in 1997 for one of the most revered episodes in the ACL archives, a Celebration of Townes Van Zandt, appearing with fellow greats including Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, Emmylou Harris and Steve Earle, and sings the legendary Texas songwriter’s classic “Tecumseh Valley,” a version from her repertoire widely-known to have been favored by Townes himself, featured on her Grammy-winning 1993 all-covers album Other Voices, Other Rooms. Griffith’s influence transcended genre and generations: in 1999 she appears as a guest of Hootie & the Blowfish’s Darius Rucker for a gorgeous duet of her “Gulf Coast Highway,” singing the lyrics: “And when we die we say, we’ll; Catch some blackbirds wing; Then we will fly away to Heaven come; Some sweet blue bonnet spring.”

“Nanci was literally an Austin original, but besides being her hometown, she epitomized Austin’s influence on her generation of singer-songwriters,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Her songs were mini literary masterpieces, filled with vivid stories and imagery – all set to great melodies!”

The Best of Nanci Griffith setlist:

The Ballad of Robin Winter-Smith

Once In A Very Blue Moon

The Last of the True Believers

From A Distance

Love at the Five and Dime

It’s A Hard Life Wherever You Go

Listen to the Radio

These Days In An Open Book

This Heart

Tecumseh Valley

Gulf Coast Highway

Traveling Through This Part of You

Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding live streams, future Season 48 tapings and encore episode broadcast and streaming schedules or by following ACL on Facebook, Twitter and IG. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews.

ACL’s Season 47 premiered in October 2021 with standout performances featuring many 2022 Grammy nominees, including New Orleans musician/bandleader Jon Batiste, multi-platinum Olivia Rodrigo, country superstar Miranda Lambert, bluegrass star Billy Strings, legendary Jackson Browne, R&B singer-songwriter Leon Bridges, indie-rock original Phoebe Bridgers, country standout Brandy Clark, alt.rock icon St. Vincent and Americana singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz alongside acclaimed performances from eclectic groove trio Khruangbin, celebrated singer Brittany Howard, UK singer-songwriter Jade Bird, “Gulf & Western” country sensation Charley Crockett, breakthrough singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun, superstars Duran Duran, cult songwriting favorite Terry Allen and more. ACL returned in January 2022 with a special installment, Austin City Limits 7th Annual Hall of Fame Honors, celebrating a new class of inductees: Wilco, Lucinda Williams and Alejandro Escovedo, featuring all-star music salutes and collaborations from Jason Isbell, Margo Price, Japanese Breakfast, Rosanne Cash, Sheila E., John Doe, Lenny Kaye, Bill Callahan, Terry Allen and more.