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Episode Recap Featured New Broadcast News

Episode premiere: Cimafunk & the Tribe

Cimafunk on Austin City Limits, May 3, 2022. Photo by Scott Newton.

Austin City Limits fans will be on their feet for a supercharged hour showcasing Afro-Cuban funk sensation Cimafunk. Hailing from Havana Cuba, the celebrated showman and his eight-piece powerhouse band, The Tribe, make a thrilling ACL debut with standouts from Cimafunk’s acclaimed album El Alimento. The new installment rounds out the first half of ACL’s Season 48 and premieres November 12 at 8pm CT/9pm ET. The complete line-up for the full broadcast season will be announced shortly, with new episodes premiering beginning January 7, 2023. The program, recorded live at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas, continues its 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.

In a remarkable ACL debut, Cimafunk & The Tribe deliver an electric, unique blend of high-energy funk, Caribbean rhythms and Afrobeat. Cimafunk and his band are earning raves for their incredible live performances tearing up stages across the globe. The freewheeling set explodes with a spectacular James Brown-influenced rhythm for the blazing “Relajao,” with Cimafunk flexing his dazzling vocals and radiant starpower alongside dance moves from percussionists Big Happy and Machete, a finger-busting bass solo from Caramelo, horns (and backing vocals) from Hilaria and Katy Cacao, and a merciless groove from drummer Dr. Zapa. “Put your hands up!” Cimafunk exclaims as he introduces “Funk Aspirin,” the band’s collaboration with funk legend George Clinton which opens 2021’s widely-hailed El Alimento. “Never forget,” the sweat-soaked Cimafunk laughs as the set reaches a fever pitch, “Shake that booty!” They close with “Me Voy,” the 2018 hit that made Cimafunk a household name in Cuba, bringing lucky audience members onstage and taking the groove to the next level.

“Cimafunk’s ACL debut was breathtaking,” says ACL executive producer Terry Lickona “He barely took a breath himself, and for that matter neither did the crowd, which was too busy dancing and screaming themselves. It was one of those rare shows where the performer and audience literally came together as one.”

“Austin is starting to feel like home away from home, and I wanted to bring the energy to Austin City Limits,” says Cimafunk. “It got really funky and sweaty in there with a lot of groove!”

Cimafunk & The Tribe

LA PAPA

SALVAJE

SE ACABO

BEAT CON FLOW

APRETADO

RELAJAO

FUNK ASPIRIN

ME VOY

Watch live on PBS, or 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.  The series will continue to air fan-favorite encore episodes through the end of 2022. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding episode schedules, future tapings and select live stream updates 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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Featured New Broadcast News

ACL announces Season 48 lineup

Brandi Carlile on Austin City Limits, Season 48., Photo by Scott Newton.

Iconic television series Austin City Limits proudly announces the fall return of the program and the initial Season 48 broadcast line-up with seven all-new installments to begin airing October 1 at 8pm CT/9pm ET as part of the esteemed broadcast’s fourteen episode season. ACL brings fans a new season, packed with a stellar slate of ACL legends and highly-anticipated debuts from some of today’s most talked-about live acts. 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.

Austin City Limits returns this fall with a season opener featuring celebrated singer-songwriter and six-time Grammy Award recipient Brandi Carlile in her third appearance on the ACL stage. The acclaimed Americana artist is at the top of her game in a sterling hour, and delivers a career-spanning performance alongside selections from her latest In These Silent Days, backed by a nine-piece band. 

The new season continues with a number of highly-anticipated debut appearances from a diverse slate of artists. ACL spotlights a pair of 2022 Grammy Best New Artist nominees: Japanese Breakfast, featuring acclaimed indie singer-songwriter Michelle Zauner, perform songs from their breakthrough Jubilee; sharing the hour with 21-year old British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks in a soaring set filled with numbers from her Mercury Prize-winning Collapsed in Sunbeams. A pair of indie sensations shine in a captivating double-bill with synth-pop duo Sylvan Esso performing songs from Free Love, a 2022 Grammy nominee for dance/electronic album, as well as the forthcoming No Rules Sandy; and indie-pop duo Lucius debut songs from their latest Second Nature, stunning with spellbinding harmonies. ACL showcases a pair of standout Canadian singer-songwriters: Montreal native Allison Russell makes her ACL debut with a radiant set featuring songs from her 2022 triple Grammy-nominated solo debut album Outside Child, backed by an all-female band; sharing the hour is The Weather Station, the performance name of Toronto indie-folk singer-songwriter Tamara Lindeman, in a mesmerizing set featuring selections from Ignorance, which topped many 2021 year-end-best-of album lists. Two Texas originals are paired in a highly-anticipated hour: Fast-rising country star Parker McCollum makes his ACL debut with songs from his major label debut Gold Chain Cowboy and in a special appearance, ACL veteran and Americana great Robert Earl Keen, who announced his retirement from touring this year, returns for a poignant final bow featuring beloved classics from across his over four-decade career.

A season highlight is the long-awaited return of ACL Hall of Famer Lyle Lovett, joined by his iconic Large Band, making his first appearance in a decade with songs from his first new album in 10 years, 12th of June. Cuban funk sensations Cimafunk and The Tribe round out the first half of Season 48 with an ecstatic hour; the nine-piece powerhouse band make a thrilling ACL debut with standouts from their soulful album El Alimento in a must-see installment.

“We’re especially proud of what is truly a historic line-up for our new season, and we’re only half-way there,” said longtime ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Never before have we showcased such an amazing mix of such diverse and eclectic female artists, each making their mark on contemporary music with their own unique talents. We continue our musical journey from Country to Funk, plus the return of a tried-and-true favorite.”

Season 48 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately)

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 and Cirrus Logic. 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).