Americana Music Association Lifetime, Trailblazer, and Legacy Award winners, 2023. Top row, L-R: George Fontaine, Sr., Bettye LaVette, Patty Griffin. Bottom row, L-R: the Avett Brothers, Nickel Creek.
Austin City Limits congratulates the winners of last night’s Americana Music Awards, presented, of course, by the Americana Music Association. It was a very special ceremony for some very special artists, including many of our friends from our show. We’ll broadcast highlights from the ceremony on Nov. 25 as part of ACL Presents: Americana 22nd Annual Awards.
Billy Strings, who lit up Season 47 with his clever songs and sizzling guitar, won Artist of the Year for the second year in a row. Singer/songwriter and former Emerging Artist of the Year Tyler Childers won Album of the Year for his top 10 triple album Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? Childers appeared on ACL in Season 44 as a special guest of John Prine, and will return to the stage to pay tribute to his mentor at this year’s ACL Hall of Fame Awards. Song of the Year honors went to longtime ACL veteran Bonnie Raitt’s self-penned tune “Just Like That,” from her LP of the same title. The singer, songwriter, and slide guitarist will perform songs from that album at her fourth ACL taping on Oct. 15.
The Duo/Group of the Year nod went to Nashville soul powerhouses The War and Treaty, who were one of the few performers to tape during our pandemic-afflicted Season 46. Violinist Chauntee Ross and cellist Monique Ross, AKA SistaStrings, took home the Instrumentalist of the Year honors, as well they should have – we can testify to their talents after seeing them perform with both Brandi Carlile’s and Allison Russell’s tapings last year. The Emerging Artist of the Year for 2023 was singer/songwriter S.G. Goodman.
The AMA also presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to singer, songwriter, and ACL frequent flyer Patty Griffin. Fellow ACL pals and folk rockers the Avett Brothers and progressive bluegrass band Nickel Creek both received Trailblazer Awards. Season 48 standout Allison Russell received the Spirit of Americana/Free Speech in Music Award, while the great Bettye LaVette, who visited ACL in Season 34, accepted the Legacy of Americana Award. The evening also included tributes to Seasons 2 and 9 guest Jimmy Buffet, Season 4 performer Tom Waits’ debut album Closing Time, and Season 42 premiere artist Paul Simon’s There Goes Rhymin’ Simon. George Fontaine, Sr., owner and co-founder of New West Records, who have released many ACL episodes on CD and DVD as the Live From Austin TX series, received this year’s Jack Emerson Award.
Congratulations to all the winners! You can catch performances by AMA honorees in this year’s ACL Presents: Americana 22nd Annual Awards on Nov. 25 on your local public television station.
Margo Price tapes ACL, 2023. Photo by Scott Newton.
Congratulations to singer/songwriters Margo Price and Charley Crockett for their multiple nominations for the 2023 Americana Music Awards. Most recently seen taping our current Season 49’s first show, Price received top honors of Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year. Crockett, who debuted on the ACL stage in Season 47, garnered nominations in the same prestigious categories. For the past decade, ACL has partnered with the Americana Music Association to deliver an annual ACL Presents broadcast featuring performance highlights from the Americana Honors celebration.
We’d also like to extend a hearty “huzzah” to Price and Crockett’s fellow ACL alumni Bonnie Raitt, Billy Strings, Allison Russell, The War and Treaty, Angel Olsen, Nickel Creek, Tyler Childers, and SistaStrings (who backed both Brandi Carlile and Allison Russell in Season 48) for their well-earned nominations. Rolling Stone helpfully rounded up all the noms here.
The AMA winners will be announced on Sept. 20 during the 22nd Annual Americana Honors & Awards at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN.
The nominations for the 64th annual Grammy Awards are out! We congratulate all the nominees this year, and we’d like to throw a spotlight on all the Austin City Limits alumni who received nods. The Grammy Awards telecast will broadcast on January 31, 2022 at 8 pm ET.
We’re thrilled to note that not only did Season 47 firebrand Jon Batiste lead the pack with a whopping 11 nominations, but they’re spread out across more categories than possibly anyone in Grammy history: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, two R&B nominations, two Jazz nominations, two American Roots nominations, and one each for soundtrack, classical composition and Best Music Video. The Marfa Tapes, the album showcased beautifully on our stage by Miranda Lambert and songwriting partners Jack Ingram & Jon Randall in our S47 premiere, received a nod for Best Country Album. S47 alumnus Olivia Rodrigo, whose ACL debut premieres December 4, scored seven nods, including top honors of Record, Song and Album of the Year, Best New Artist, two in the Pop category and Best Music Video. Season 47 artists with a pair of Grammy noms apiece include Leon Bridges, Billy Strings and Japanese Breakfast (who guested in our upcoming Hall of Fame episode) earning top honors in the R&B, Bluegrass and Alternative categories along with Jackson Browne, St. Vincent, Sarah Jarosz and Brandy Clark with prestigious nominations covering the Americana, Alternative, Folk and Roots spectrum.
St. Vincent, Austin City Liimits, 2021. Photo by Scott Newton.
A stellar slate of previous ACL performers wracked up the nominations as well, with Season 45 breakout H.E.R. earning eight nods, including Album and Song of the Year, Season 45 star Billie Eilish gaining seven, including Record, Album and Song of the Year, and Seasons 36 and 44 killer Brandi Carlile getting four, including Record and Song of the Year. Singer extraordinaire Angelique Kidjo and gospel queen CeCe Winans each earned three nominations, while Foo Fighters, Black Pumas, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Rhiannon Giddens, Sturgill Simpson, Yola, Femi Kuti, Bela Fleck and Robert Glasper of August Greene got two apiece.
The list of ACL veterans who received a nomination is too long to list here, but trust us: it’s impressive, and worth clicking through to the Grammys page to peruse. Congratulations and good luck to all the nominees!
Austin City Limits is proud to showcase a pair of American originals: Sarah Jarosz and Billy Strings in a new installment premiering October 23 at 9pm ET/ 8pm CT as part of the series new Season 47. The roots music stars share a spell-binding hour that forecasts the genre’s future: Sarah Jarosz makes her third appearance on the ACL stage with selections from World On the Ground, the 2021 GRAMMY-winner for Best Americana Album; while fan favorite Billy Strings delivers an electrifying set with songs from Home, his 2021 GRAMMY Award-winning Best Bluegrass Album and debuts new numbers from his latest release, Renewal. Despite the challenges facing live music during the past year, ACL is proud to deliver a new season of performances for viewers, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The 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. 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.
Sarah Jarosz makes her third appearance on the ACL stage with highlights from her acclaimed World on the Ground, a collection of songs inspired by her formative years growing up in Central Texas. The singer, songwriter and gifted multi-instrumentalist made her ACL debut in 2010 at the age of 19, and she returns as a four-time GRAMMY Award-winning artist. “I would say this is a good way to re-emerge into the world after the last year,” notes Jarosz. Accompanied by renowned producer/musician John Leventhal, who produced World on the Ground, Jarosz delivers the bittersweet “Hometown,” a gorgeous reflection on home and the 2021 GRAMMY-nominee for Best American Roots Song. She delivers a luminous set, acknowledging the emotional resonance of returning to her home state to perform the Texas-based songs. Jarosz displays her extraordinary range, with a sparkling solo rendition of U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” turning the rock anthem into a soulful folk song, amplified by her skillful mandolin playing.
photo by Scott Newton
Billy Strings makes his ACL debut holding bluegrass music’s hottest hand, with a newly-minted 2021 GRAMMY Award and the reigning Entertainer of the Year and Guitar Player of the Year from the International Bluegrass Music Association. The Michigan-born musician, now based in Nashville, is the genre’s new superstar, taking a progressive approach to string music, folding in influences from rock, jazz and psychedelia. Strings sings of modern American woes, and opens the breathtaking set with his early career breakout, 2013’s “Dust in a Baggie,” the parable of a meth addict who heeds warnings too late. The exuberant 29-year-old flatpicking virtuoso and his band of aces deliver highlights from the 2021 GRAMMY-winning breakthrough Home and new songs from his latest Renewal, showcasing the dazzling dexterity and boundary-pushing artistry that has earned him legions of fans.
“Sarah Jarosz and Billy Strings represent the past, present and future of American roots music, and no one else even comes close,” said ACL executive producer Terry Lickona. “Billy is setting the bluegrass world on fire, and beyond. Meanwhile, in her own quiet and personal way, Sarah continues to expand the horizons of Americana music.”
Sarah Jarosz setlist:
PAY IT NO MIND
HOMETOWN
JOHNNY
MAGGIE
WHAT DO I DO
STILL HAVEN’T FOUND WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR
I’LL BE GONE
Billy Strings setlist:
DUST IN A BAGGIE
MUST BE SEVEN
RED DAISY
LOVE LIKE ME
AWAY FROM THE MIRE
Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):
October 2Miranda Lambert with Jack Ingram & Jon Randall
October 9Jade Bird / Dayglow
October 16Jon Batiste
October 23Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings
October 30Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett
November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin
November 13Jackson Browne
November 20 Brittany Howard
Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2022, 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 47th 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.
Iconic television series Austin City Limits proudly announces the fall return of the program and the initial Season 47 broadcast line-up with eight all-new installments to begin airing October 2at 8pm CT/9pm ET as part of the blue-chip broadcast’s thirteen-episode season. ACL brings fans a full season, packed with a stellar slate of ACL legends and highly-anticipated debuts from some of today’s most talked-about live acts. Despite the challenges facing live music during the last year, ACL is proud to deliver brand new performances for fans, all recorded at ACL’s studio home in Austin, Texas in 2021, in front of limited live audiences. The 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. 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 singular highlight as the season opener: country superstar Miranda Lambert joined by songwriting partners Jack Ingram and Jon Randall, showcase their acclaimed The Marfa Tapes, an album recorded in the West Texas desert town of Marfa. This dazzling acoustic hour spotlights the three longtime friends and co-writers, and offers a fascinating look at the trio’s collaborative and creative process, filled with the stories behind the songs and late night tales behind the recording.
The season continues with highly-anticipated debut appearances: New Orleans bandleader Jon Batiste, a Grammy and Oscar-winning musician, delivers a high-energy tour-de-force backed by an 18-piece band, performing selections from his soulful album WE ARE in a must-see hour. ACL spotlights next-generation standouts: acclaimed young British singer-songwriter Jade Bird brings songs from her new album Different Kinds of Light; she shares an hour with Austin indie-pop breakout artist Dayglow, who performs songs from his Harmony House. A pair of country sensations shine in a captivating double-bill with CMA Award-winner and eight-time Grammy nominee Brandy Clark showcasing her 2021 Grammy-nominated Your Life is a Record; while rising star Texas country singer Charley Crockett debuts songs from his new Music City USA. Grammy-winning bluegrass stars share a spell-binding hour that forecasts the genre’s future: Sarah Jarosz makes her third appearance on the ACL stage with selections from World On the Ground, the 2021 Grammy-winner for Best Americana Album; while fan favorite Billy Strings delivers an electrifying debut with songs from Home, his 2021 Grammy Award-winning Best Bluegrass Album and debuts new numbers from his upcoming Renewal. Two Texas originals share a highly-anticipated hour: Grammy-winning Fort Worth R&B artist and songwriter Leon Bridges makes his second ACL appearance with highlights from his latest, Gold-Diggers Sound, and Houston eclectic groove trio Khruangbin make their ACL debut with standouts from their global sensation Mordechai.
A season highpoint is the ACL return of legendary singer-songwriter Jackson Browne for the first time in nearly 20 years, as he showcases a chart-topping new collection of songs, Downhill From Everywhere, alongside career highlights from his five decade career. Celebrated singer and multiple Grammy recipient Brittany Howard rounds out the first half of Season 47, returning to the ACL stage for a long-awaited solo debut with songs from her 2021 Grammy-winning gem Jaime.
“The world is still fighting its way out of this pandemic, but Austin City Limits is back – without missing a beat,” says longtime executive producer Terry Lickona. “As always, we love to mix things up with some remarkable new talent as well as fan favorites, along with a few surprises. ACL celebrates the return of live music!”
Season 47 Broadcast Line-up (second half of season to be announced separately):
October 2Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram & Jon Randall: The Marfa
Tapes
October 9Jade Bird / Dayglow
October 16Jon Batiste
October 23Sarah Jarosz / Billy Strings
October 30Brandy Clark / Charley Crockett
November 6 Leon Bridges / Khruangbin
November 13Jackson Browne
November 20 Brittany Howard
Watch live, stream anytime, and let ACL be a trusted sidekick for entertainment during these challenging days. The complete line-up for the full 13-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2022, 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 47th 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.
Singer, songwriter and guitarist Billy Strings has taken the bluegrass world by storm in the past few years, winning a Grammy for his acclaimed 2019 LP Home. But it’s not just his deep love of tradition that’s made him the genre’s new superstar – it’s his willingness to push, even rip into, the edges of the envelope, folding in influences from rock, jazz and psychedelia. All of his attributes were on full display on his debut Austin City Limits taping, which we live streamed around the world to his thousands of loyal fans.
Backed by his band of aces, longtime touring partners Jarrod Walker (mandolin), Billy Failing (banjo) and Royal Masat (bass), Strings – William Apostol to his mom – took the stage with a hearty “Austin City Limits, how are ya?” Then it was straight into “Dust in a Baggie,” an early Strings tune right out of the tradition of songs about prison time and the lamentations thereof. Strings then explained how he grew up watching bluegrass legends like Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley on ACL, recorded by his parents on their VCR until, as his mother reminded him, the young Billy shoved a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich into the machine. That kicked off “Hide and Seek,” on which he displayed how far he’s expanding his chosen milieu, putting his jazzy acoustic guitar through delay, phase and distortion effects – much to his audience’s delight. Fire breathed, Strings and company slowed things down with the lovely, melancholy “Show Me the Door,” penned by Walker. The tempo sped back up to normal bluegrass levels with “Must Be Seven,” a celebration of leaving the past in the rearview mirror. “Red Daisy” pumped up the velocity to freight train levels for a song squarely in the old school tradition.
After that barnburner, everyone needed another chance to catch breath, so Strings and band performed another ballad with “Love Like Me.” The anthemic “Fireline” followed, with its tough demeanor and rock-inflected solos from Strings, Failing and Walker. While Walker switched mandolins, Strings “just picked one while we’re waiting,” with a great solo instrumental that showed off his Doc Watson side. Mando changed and tuned, the band then went into the sociopolitical “Watch It Fall,” one of the hit singles from Home. Then it was back to tradition for “Slow Train,” featuring some of the musicians’ most fleet-fingered solos. Next, Strings got introspective on “Away From the Mire,” a song about letting go of past regrets and future anxieties that featured an epic psychedelic guitar solo. From the crowd’s enthusiastic reaction, it’s a fan favorite. After another blazer with “Long Forgotten Dream,” Strings capped off the set with “Meet Me at the Creek,” a high-energy closer with lots of room for virtuoso soloing from all players that incorporated everything from folk standards to heavy metal power chords. The fans went wild, needless to say.
Greeted almost like conquering heroes, the band surrounded a single, old-fashioned Grand Ole Opry microphone for the encore. Cheekily acknowledging the city in which they were performing, Strings and company went into a bluesy take on Willie Nelson’s “Devil in a Sleeping Bag,” to the great delight of the audience. The group then ended the show with the four-part harmonies of the satirical spiritual lesson “If Your Hair’s Too Long, There’s Sin in Your Heart.” The audience gave them a standing ovation as they took a bow and quit the stage. It was a great show, and we can’t wait for you to see it when it airs this fall on your local PBS station.
