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Featured Important Feature News

ACL Artists Nominated for 2026 GRAMMY Awards

The 2026 GRAMMY OFFICIAL nominations have been announced, and Austin City Limits congratulates all the amazing nominees populating 95 categories.

We’d like to give special recognition to the nominees who have appeared on Austin City Limits. We’re thrilled to showcase many of this year’s nominees during our current Season 51. Stay tuned for new episodes premiering weekly on PBS.

R&B innovator Leon Thomas leads the pack as one of this year’s top nominees with an impressive six nominations, including the prestigious Album of the Year and Best New Artist. The chart-topping artist recently taped a sensational ACL debut featuring songs from his Grammy-nominated album Mutt. ACL is thrilled to spotlight the breakout star in a full-hour performance airing early next year as the Season 51 finale.

Congratulations to Country star Kelsea Ballerini, nominated for Best Contemporary Country Album for Patterns. Ballerini shines in an irresistible ACL hour premiering November 15, showcasing highlights from the acclaimed album. Country standout CAM, who shares the episode, also earned a Grammy nomination for her latest release A Different Light, beautifully showcased in her forthcoming ACL debut.

A big shoutout to Jon Batiste, a triple 2026 Grammy nominee for his latest album Big Money, including a nod for Best Americana Album and Best Americana Song for the title track. Already a 7x Grammy Award-winner, Batiste made his ACL debut in 2021 and recently returned for an unforgettable full-hour performance spotlighting Big Money highlights, set to air in December.

10x Grammy-winning artist FINNEAS, who opened Season 51 with a revelatory solo ACL debut, adds two more nominations to his growing collection—recognized for his collaboration on Billie Eilish’s “Wildflower” in the top categories of Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

ACL favorite and country maverick Charley Crockett, who first graced the ACL stage in 2021 and returned for a powerhouse Season 51 set, earned a Best Traditional Country Album nomination for Dollar A Day.

Samara Joy on Austin City Limits. Photo by Scott Newton.

Jazz standout Samara Joy, who captured Best New Artist at the 2023 Grammys and holds five Grammy Awards, continues her remarkable rise with two new nominations, including Best Jazz Vocal Album for Portrait, which the 25-year-old vocalist showcased in a stunning recent ACL hour, and Best Jazz Vocal Performance.

ACL also celebrates breakout band The Marías, nominated for Best New Artist. Their hypnotic full-hour Season 51 debut has become one of the season’s most-watched and beloved episodes—a total vibe.


And last but not least, a special salute to legendary 91-year-old bluesman Bobby Rush, nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album. The Blues Hall of Famer is living proof the blues is alive and well, delivering a swaggering, joy-filled performance in this week’s ACL episode, Austin City Limits Celebrates Antone’s and the Blues, honoring the genre alongside Austin’s iconic “Home of the Blues,” Antone’s.

From ACL executive producer Terry Lickona – “We’re so proud to have so many great Grammy nominees on the ACL stage this year! After 50 years, it’s exciting to discover and share a new generation of talent with music fans everywhere. And a big shout-out to Bobby Rush, still going strong at 91!”

A special shoutout to other ACL alumni spanning our 51-year legacy who earned nominations: Billie Eilish (Record of the Year, Song of the Year), Kendrick Lamar (Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Rap Performance, Best Melodic Rap Performance,Best Rap Album ), Dan Auerbach (Producer of the Year), Robert Glasper (Best Alternative Jazz Album), Brandi Carlile (alongside Elton John for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, Best Song Written for Visual Media), Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton (Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Song), Margot Price (alongside Tyler Childers for Best Country Duo/Group Performance,Best Traditional Country Album ), George Strait And Chris Stapleton (Best Country Duo/Group Performance), Reba McEntire And Miranda Lambert (with Lainey Wilson for Best Country Duo/Group Performance), Lukas Nelson (Best Traditional Country Album), our good friend Willie Nelson (Best Traditional Country Album, Best Americana Album), Jelly Roll (Best Contemporary Country Album), Miranda Lambert (Best Contemporary Country Album), Jason Isbell (Best American Roots Performance, Best American Roots Song, Best Folk Album), Alison Krauss & Union Station (Best American Roots Performance,Best Bluegrass Album), Mavis Staples (Best American Roots Performance, Best Americana Performance), Sierra Hull (Best Americana Performance,Best American Roots Song, Best Bluegrass Album,Best Instrumental Composition), Molly Tuttle (Best Americana Performance, Best Americana Album), Sarah Jarosz (Best American Roots Song), Billy Strings (Best Bluegrass Album), Buddy Guy (Best Traditional Blues Album), Patti Griffin (Best Folk Album), Carín León (Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)), Duran Duran (Best Recording Package), Wilco (Best Album Notes), Japanese Breakfast (Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical), Jacob Collier (Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals). 

Willie Nelson on Austin City Limits, Season 50.

A full list of all GRAMMY nominees can be found here – good luck to all. Co-produced by ACL executive producer Terry Lickona, the 2026 Annual GRAMMY Awards will telecast on Sunday, February 1, 2026 from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. 

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Featured News Ticket Giveaway

Taping Pass Giveaway: Marcus King Band

*UPDATE: GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED* Austin City Limits will tape a performance by Marcus King Band on Tuesday, November 4th at 8 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). Austin City Limits Taping Giveaways are presented by AXS Events.

Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified via email. Duplicate entries for a single taping will be automatically voided. Tickets are not transferable and will be voided if sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras, computers or recording devices allowed in the venue. While we do our best to accommodate all winners, we cannot guarantee admissionThese passes are based on space available therefore you will be filling in spots available on the floor or balcony depending on the tickets that are available when you arrive.


With Darling Blue, Grammy-nominated Marcus King reunites with his longtime live band for their first recorded album together since 2018’s Carolina Confessions. Inspired heavily by the Blue Ridge Mountains in his home state of South Carolina, the new album incorporates elements of country, folk, psychedelic rock and Motown-era R&B and continues the conversation on King’s experience with addiction and depression. Recorded at the legendary Capricorn Studios in Macon, Georgia, the album features collaborations with Billy Strings, Noah Cyrus, Jesse Welles, Jamey Johnson and Kaitlin Butts, with co-writes from the band Midland and Lainey Wilson. Tracks like “Carolina Honey,” “Heartlands” and “Honky Tonk Hell” pay homage to King’s Greenville roots and deep appreciation for his home state. Set for release September 26 on American Records/Republic Records, Darling Blue captures the spirit of a live band performance. “It truly felt like home,” King shares. “My band and I were just working out songs to perform live but ended up creating a piece of recorded music for our fans. More than anything I’ve done before, this album felt like a real concerted effort to make music for myself, and for ourselves as a band—creating for the love of creating and being as honest as we possibly can. We put everything we had into making something that we love and we have faith that the audience will feel that and love it too.” Following a successful run of critically acclaimed releases with the Marcus King Band, the singer and guitar phenom made his solo debut with the Grammy-nominated El Dorado in 2020, followed by Young Blood (2022) and Mood Swings (2024). This summer saw the return of King’s beloved Marcus King Band Family Reunion festival in Charleston, SC. King continues to tour internationally throughout 2025, sharing stages with Eric Church, Chris Stapleton and Cody Johnson. 


For entry to Austin City Limits tapings, you agree to abide by the Taping Health & Safety Protocols based on the current COVID-19 Community Risk Stage in effect at the time of the event. By attending the ACL tapings, you agree to the Terms & Conditions.

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Featured News Ticket Giveaway

Giveaway: Reneé Rapp

**UPDATE: Giveaway is now closed** Austin City Limits will tape a performance by Reneé Rapp on Tuesday, October 21 at 8 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). Austin City Limits Taping Giveaways are presented by AXS Events.

Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified via email. Duplicate entries for a single taping will be automatically voided. Tickets are not transferable and will be voided if sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras, computers or recording devices allowed in the venue. While we do our best to accommodate all winners, we cannot guarantee admissionThese passes are based on space available therefore you will be filling in spots available on the floor or balcony depending on the tickets that are available when you arrive.


Reneé Rapp is a critically acclaimed multi-hyphenate with experience in music, film and TV acting, and Broadway. In just a few short years, Rapp has solidified her position as a dynamic force across all industries, reaching widespread critical acclaim while simultaneously cultivating her rapidly growing fan-base. Recently, she hit a major career milestone with her sophomore album BITE ME, landing her first ever #1 in the UK and the Netherlands, #1 on the Billboard chart for Pure US Album Sales, and #3 on the Billboard 200 chart.  

After landing her breakout role as Regina George in Mean Girls on Broadway, Rapp eventually turned her attention to her solo music career in 2022. That year saw the release of her debut EP, Everything to Everyone, which featured standout tracks “Too Well,” and “In The Kitchen.” Following the momentum of Everything to Everyone, Rapp channeled her raw talent and authentic voice into the creation of her first full-length studio album Snow Angel in 2023. The project, which earned the largest first-week sales for a female artist’s debut album in the U.S. upon release that year, showcased her powerful vocals, introspective songwriting, and ability to connect with her fans on a deeply emotional level. Snow Angel marked a significant step in Rapp’s musical journey, cementing her status as one of the most compelling and dynamic new artists in the pop landscape, now amassing over 1.4 billion streams and counting across her entire discography. 

Across her career, Rapp has played to packed crowds at iconic festivals across the globe, including Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, Lollapalooza, Governors Ball, Boston Calling, and many more. She’s been nominated for two MTV VMA Awards, in the categories of ‘Best New Artist’ and ‘PUSH Performance of the Year,’ and held performance spots on a number of coveted television programs including Saturday Night Live, The Today Show’s Summer Concert Series, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and more. This consistent presence on major stages and recognition from tastemakers across industries firmly establishes Reneé Rapp as a burgeoning powerhouse and a vital new voice shaping the future of pop culture. 

Rapp released her highly anticipated sophomore album BITE ME, which features “Leave Me Alone, “Mad” and “I Think I Like You Better When You’re Gone” on August 1st via Interscope Records. Rapp’s BITE ME North American headlining tour kicked off September 23rd in Colorado at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.  The 16-city run includes major arena plays at venues across the country including the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York, TD Garden in Boston, and The Kia Forum in Los Angeles


For entry to Austin City Limits tapings, you agree to abide by the Taping Health & Safety Protocols based on the current COVID-19 Community Risk Stage in effect at the time of the event. By attending the ACL tapings, you agree to the Terms & Conditions.

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Featured Live Stream News

Role Model’s ACL TV Debut to Stream Live Worldwide 10/7 @ 8 PM CT

Role Model’s No Place Like Tour touches down in Austin and Austin City Limits (ACL) is thrilled to present a worldwide livestream of the in-demand musician’s full-set ACL debut on Tuesday, October 7. Riding high with his career-defining album Kansas Anymore and his first-ever Billboard No. 1 single, Role Model arrives on the ACL stage amid one of the year’s hottest tours, a featured slot on our namesake ACL Festival, and just days before his Saturday Night Live debut on October 11

Fans everywhere can experience this highly anticipated taping live in its entirety from the iconic Austin City Limits stage in Austin, Texas. The taping performance streams free and live at YouTube.com/AustinCityLimitsTV, starting promptly at 9pm ET/8pm CT on Tuesday, October 7. The stream will only be available to watch in real time. The broadcast episode of this performance will air on PBS and stream nationwide on pbs.org/austincitylimits on December 13, 2025, as part of the television series’ upcoming Season 51, which launches October 4 with a season premiere featuring Grammy-winning artist and producer FINNEAS.

Role Model—aka Tucker Pillsbury—first made waves with his 2022 debut album Rx, a confessional, genre-blurring pop record. His sophomore release Kansas Anymore expands his sound with 13 folk-tinged, lyrically driven tracks, including the viral hit “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out.” Praised by GQ for its “big-swing pop music” and Paper for its “folk-tinged, heart-heavy” sound, the album cemented his rise as one of music’s most exciting voices. Following his sold-out No Place Like Tour, which sold over 90,000 tickets worldwide, the Maine native released a deluxe edition, Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), featuring four new songs that expand the emotional and sonic scope of the original album. Expanding his creative reach, he is also set to make his acting debut opposite Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo in Lena Dunham’s upcoming Netflix film Good Sex.

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Featured News Ticket Giveaway

Taping Pass Giveaway: Role Model

*UPDATE: GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED* Austin City Limits will tape a performance by Role Model on Tuesday, October 7th at 8 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). Austin City Limits Taping Giveaways are presented by AXS Events.

Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified via email. Duplicate entries for a single taping will be automatically voided. Tickets are not transferable and will be voided if sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras, computers or recording devices allowed in the venue. While we do our best to accommodate all winners, we cannot guarantee admissionThese passes are based on space available therefore you will be filling in spots available on the floor or balcony depending on the tickets that are available when you arrive.


Role Model, the performance name of Tucker Pillsbury, first made waves with his 2022 debut album Rx, a confessional and genre-blurring pop record that introduced him as a bold new voice in alternative music. With his sophomore album Kansas Anymore, Role Model showcases his evolution as a songwriter and performer with 13 folk-tinged, lyrically driven tracks. Working alongside Noah Conrad, Ian Fitchuk, Scott Harris, and Jonah Shy, he crafted standout pieces including the viral hit “Sally, When the Wine Runs Out,” which he performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonGQ praises the album’s “big-swing pop music” and Paper hails its “folk-tinged, heart-heavy” sound. Following the success of his No Place Like Tour, which sold over 90,000 tickets worldwide, the Maine native released a deluxe edition, Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), featuring four new songs that expand the emotional and sonic scope of the original album. In addition to his musical accomplishments, Pillsbury is stepping into the world of acting with his debut role in Good Sex, the upcoming Netflix film from Lena Dunham, starring opposite Natalie Portman and Mark Ruffalo.


For entry to Austin City Limits tapings, you agree to abide by the Taping Health & Safety Protocols based on the current COVID-19 Community Risk Stage in effect at the time of the event. By attending the ACL tapings, you agree to the Terms & Conditions.

Categories
Featured News Ticket Giveaway

Taping Pass Giveaway: Jon Batiste

*UPDATE: GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED* Austin City Limits will tape a performance by Jon Batiste on Friday, October 3rd at 8 pm at ACL Live at The Moody Theater (310 W. 2nd Street, Willie Nelson Blvd). Austin City Limits Taping Giveaways are presented by AXS Events.

Winners will be chosen at random and a photo ID will be required to pick up tickets. Winners will be notified via email. Duplicate entries for a single taping will be automatically voided. Tickets are not transferable and will be voided if sold. Standing may be required. No photography, recording or cell phone use in the studio. No cameras, computers or recording devices allowed in the venue. While we do our best to accommodate all winners, we cannot guarantee admissionThese passes are based on space available therefore you will be filling in spots available on the floor or balcony depending on the tickets that are available when you arrive.


One of America’s most celebrated musicians and entertainers, Jon Batiste delivered an electrifying and ecstatic performance in his 2021 Season 47 debut. He returns a seven-time Grammy Award winner and makes his highly anticipated return to the ACL stage with highlights from his ninth studio album, Big Money. A genre-defying body of work, Big Money (Verve/Interscope), features collaborations with artists including No I.D., Randy Newman, and Andra Day, and further deepens the New Orleans native’s exploration of the American musical canon. Expansive yet deeply personal, the album weaves together elements of soul, hip-hop, jazz, blues and pop, continuing Batiste’s tradition of blending innovation with emotional resonance. “We have such a profoundly rich cultural inheritance in America that many of us don’t know of, don’t fully embrace, don’t fully understand,” the artist recently told Rolling Stone. “And artists just have to keep making statements that point back to that and counter things that are trying to dilute that or erase it.” In support of the release, Batiste will bring his Big Money Tour across the U.S. with over 30 dates. A versatile and prolific artist, Batiste has released multiple albums since he made his ACL debut with songs from 2021’s landmark WE ARE. Batiste released his eighth studio album, Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1), in late 2024, which delivered his biggest debut sales week, debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Classical Albums chart and spending nine consecutive weeks at No. 1 on Classical Crossover, while entering the Billboard 200 at No. 64. The first installment in a solo piano series, that project showcased Batiste’s personal spin on some of Beethoven’s most iconic works, reimagined through an expansive lens. These reimagined classics embody the indomitable spirit of the blues, and – true to Batiste’s “message of open-armed inclusivity” (The New York Times) – embrace a broad genre spectrum. The release followed 2023’s World Music Radio, a globetrotting album of originals that drew inspiration from Batiste’s mission to create community and expand culture with the power of music. Featuring collaborators including Jon Bellion, Lana Del Rey, Lil’ Wayne and more, the album was praised by critics for its universal message and genre-defying sound. Hailed by NPR as “a sprawling exploration of what global music can sound like,” World Music Radio received a total of five Grammy nominations, including ‘Album of the Year.’ 


For entry to Austin City Limits tapings, you agree to abide by the Taping Health & Safety Protocols based on the current COVID-19 Community Risk Stage in effect at the time of the event. By attending the ACL tapings, you agree to the Terms & Conditions.