Tag: Season 51

ACL Artists Nominated for 2026 GRAMMY Awards

Post author By Lily Angelle
Post date November 7, 2025

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.

Leon Thomas on Austin City Limits, 2025. Photo by Scott Newton.

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.

Charley Crockett on Austin City Limits, 2025. Photo by Scott Newton.

FINNEAS on Austin City Limits — Charley Crockett on Austin City Limits, 2025. Photo by Scott Newton.

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!”

Bobby Rush on ACL TV, 2025. Photo by Scott Newton.

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.

Tags Grammy Awards, Season 51

Coming Soon Featured Important Feature New Broadcast News

Austin City Limits Announces Season 51 Broadcast TV Schedule

Post author By Lily Angelle
Post date August 27, 2025

FINNEAS on Austin City Limits, 2025. Photo by Scott Newton.

Trailblazing live music series Austin City Limits is proud to write the next chapter in its remarkable 50+ year run, forging ahead with the announcement of the series’ Season 51 broadcast season. ACL presents an all-star slate of highly-anticipated debuts and callbacks, including FINNEAS as the season opener and multiple 2025 Grammy nominees, including The Marías, My Morning Jacket, Charley Crockett, Waxahatchee, Samara Joy, Kelsea Ballerini, Cam and Jon Batiste. ACL will also celebrate the legendary Austin blues club Antone’s 50th anniversary as well as the series’ own 50+ year history of showcasing the blues in a special hour, Austin City Limits Celebrates Antone’s & the Blues, featuring a stellar slate of all-stars taking the ACL stage in a new installment.

ACL returns on Saturday, October 4 at 7pm CT/8pm ET with a revelatory hour showcasing ten-time Grammy-winning artist and producer FINNEAS making his solo headlining debut with a collection of songs from his critically acclaimed sophomore album For Cryin’ Out Loud! FINNEAS first appeared on the ACL stage in Season 45 in 2019 alongside his sister Billie Eilish and ACL presents the gifted singer and songwriter’s solo work in this outing.

Facing headwinds from the recent PBS funding cuts effective October 1, Austin City Limits’ longtime executive producer Terry Lickona recently spoke with Billboard magazine regarding the impact of the federal funding cuts to public media. Willie Nelson, who taped the series’ original pilot in 1974, and has appeared on the program more than any other performer, told Billboard: “Austin City Limits and PBS were and are an essential part of education, understanding, curiosity and empathy, which are the essentials and building blocks of humanity.” Beck, who has made multiple appearances on the series, commented: “Austin City Limits is one of the only film and TV outlets that documents great musicians at the peak of their powers. In decades to come, the shows are going to be some of the best documents and snapshots of this era of music.” To support Austin City Limits, donate to Austin PBS.

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 recently celebrated its milestone 50th Anniversary in 2024, and ACL continues its extraordinary run as the longest-running music series in television history, providing viewers a front-row seat to the best in live performance for an incredible half-century. Produced by Austin PBS, and recorded live at ACL’s studio home ACL Live in Austin, Texas, the live music beacon is a public media institution that presents quality live music performances featuring artists from all genres of popular music.

The Marías on ACL TV – Photo by Scott Newton

ACL’s Season 51 spotlights multiple fan-adored acts with epic hours: Groundbreaking singer, songwriter and producer FINNEAS takes center stage with new songs from his sophomore solo album For Cryin’ Out Loud! in a captivating season premiere. The hitmaker dazzles with highlights and new gems reflecting his compelling sonic journey in a must-see hour. Genre-blending LA indie pop band The Marías, a favorite of the festival circuit with buzzed about appearances at Coachella, Lollapalooza and ACL Fest, make their series debut in a spellbinding hour featuring songs from their acclaimed album Submarine. The bilingual group blends English and Spanish lyrics anchored by smoke velvet vocals, hypnotic guitar and lush jazz percussion. Jon Batiste makes his return to the ACL stage for the first time since his electrifying 2021 Season 47 debut. The seven-time Grammy-winner and Academy Award-winning musician and entertainer showcases a rootsy new collection of songs, Big Money, in an ecstatic, high-energy hour. NAACP Image Award winner and 5x Grammy winner Samara Joy shines with gorgeous vocals and exciting arrangements in her ACL debut, performing songs from her breakthrough album Linger Awhile and her latest studio album Portrait.

My Morning Jacket on ACL TV – Photo by Scott Newton

In an epic installment, rock legends My Morning Jacket return for the first time in nearly a decade on the occasion of their induction into the 11th Annual ACL Hall of Fame, joining the esteemed acts inducted since 2014. Special guest Oscar-winning filmmaker and best-selling author Cameron Crowe honors the fan-favorite Kentucky band, and MMJ take the stage with classics and new highlights from their latest album is in a thrilling hour with one of music’s great live acts.

Two standout country artists dazzle with their genre-bending sounds in a revelatory hour: The celebrated and chart-topping Kelsea Ballerini is luminous in her first-ever appearance performing a selection of hits and highlights from her acclaimed Patterns; Singer and songwriter Cam (who kicked off 2025 with a Grammy win for her songwriting contributions to Beyoncé’s landmark Cowboy Carter) shares the hour, in a sublime ACL debut showcasing heartfelt songs from her upcoming new collection All Things Light.

Another trailblazing pair of Grammy-nominated and road-tested roots acts get the ACL treatment in a magnetic hour: Texas troubadour Charley Crockett, who made a sensational ACL debut in 2021’s Season 47, carves his name in ACL history once again performing songs from Lonesome Drifter, the first installment of his Sagebrush Trilogy (followed by recently released Dollar A Day). He shares the episode with breakout singer-songwriter Waxahatchee in a sparkling ACL debut showcasing the best of her acclaimed Tiger’s Blood.

The legendary Antone’s “Home of the Blues” celebrates its half-century legacy in 2025, and ACL is proud to salute this influential Austin music institution’s milestone, along with the series’ own 50-year history of blues love, with a special Texas-sized installment, Austin City Limits Celebrates Antone’s & the Blues. This supercharged hour features a murderers’ row of blues all-stars and torchbearers who ignite the ACL stage with epic performances. Guest performers include Jimmie Vaughan, Kingfish, Charlie Sexton, Bobby Rush, Big Bill Morganfield, Grace Bowers and more, backed by a 14-piece house band of legendary players.

“As public media and PBS face severe funding cuts, ACL continues to lay the groundwork for the future in our 51st season,” said executive producer Terry Lickona. “A new generation of artists showcases their remarkable talents, mixed with a touch of down-and-dirty blues celebrating Austin’s iconic music venue, Antone’s.”

Season 51 2025 Broadcast Line-Up (second half of season to be announced separately):

October 4	FINNEAS
October 11	The Marías
October 18	Austin City Limits 11th Hall of Fame Honors My Morning Jacket
October 25	Charley Crockett \| Waxahatchee
November 1	Samara Joy
November 8	Austin City Limits Celebrates Antone’s & the Blues
November 15	Kelsea Ballerini \| CAM
November 22	Jon Batiste

Watch new episodes live, stream online, or download the PBS App. The complete line-up for the full 14-week season, including five new episodes to air beginning January 2026, 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, IG and TikTok. Fans can also browse the ACL YouTube channel for exclusive songs, behind-the-scenes videos and full-length artist interviews. Learn more about Austin City Limits, programming and history at acltv.com.

Austin PBS broadcasts 35,000 hours of curated content across four channels, devoted to education, arts and culture, and news and public affairs. We also provide a safe space for kids to learn and grow through our Austin PBS KIDS 24/7 channel. The station is home to beloved, award-winning Austin PBS Original series such as Austin City Limits, Overheard with Evan Smith, Central Texas Gardener, and its new weekly news program, Austin InSight, which blends in-depth reporting, incisive interviews, and Austin PBS’s unique approach to storytelling in an expanded commitment to news and public affairs content.

Tune into Austin PBS through one of our 4 channels, or stream online with the PBS App. Become a member and receive Austin PBS Passport, which gives station supporters access to even more content online—binge entire series before they air or catch up on programs you may have missed.

Tags Finneas, Jon Batiste, my morning jacket, Season 51, The marias

Live Stream News

Live Stream FINNEAS’ ACL Taping on 8/7 @ 8pm CT

Post author By Lily Angelle
Post date August 4, 2025

Austin City Limits is thrilled to announce the highly-anticipated taping featuring FINNEAS on August 7 will be livestreamed worldwide via the ACLTV YouTube Channel. The gifted artist first appeared on the ACL stage in Season 45 in 2019 alongside his sister Billie Eilish and we’re thrilled to welcome FINNEAS back for his solo debut amid a sold-out world tour, showcasing songs from his sophomore solo album For Cryin’ Out Loud!

ACL offers fans worldwide the unique opportunity to watch his taping live in its entirety from the famed Austin City Limits stage in Austin, Texas, on Thursday, August 7 at 8pm CT/9pm ET free via the ACLTV YouTube Channel. The livestream will begin promptly at 8pm CT and will only be available live. The broadcast episode will air this fall on PBS and stream on pbs.org/austincitylimits as a highlight of the television series’s upcoming Season 51.

Celebrated singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer FINNEAS has quietly emerged as a ubiquitous presence in popular music and culture. He achieved stratospheric success for his groundbreaking work with his sister Billie Eilish, including a history-making ten Grammy Awards for his work with her. His impact has also reverberated through film and television, whether it be writing Academy Award-winning songs for blockbuster films Barbie and No Time To Die or composing original scores for Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón’s Apple TV+ series Disclaimer and HBO Max’s The Fallout, Vengeance, and more.

Tags Live Streams, Season 51

Ticket Giveaway Tickets Distributed

Giveaway: My Morning Jacket

Post author By Lily Angelle
Post date July 24, 2025

*UPDATE: Giveaway now closed.* Austin City Limits will tape a performance by My Morning Jacket on Friday, August 1st 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.

In their return to the ACL stage for the first time in nearly a decade, My Morning Jacket will perform a full set taping in celebration of their induction into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. Special guest, legendary music journalist and acclaimed filmmaker Cameron Crowe, will induct the rock legends, as they join the other legendary acts who have been inducted over the past decade.

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 admission. These 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.

Widely ranked among the greatest live bands of their generation, My Morning Jacket have long maintained their status as one of the most vital forces in American rock-and-roll. With their thrillingly expansive and eclectic sound, the band has influenced an entire era of musicians, largely by staying one step ahead of mainstream pop culture and following their instincts to endless innovation. For more than 25 years, My Morning Jacket have achieved an incredibly rare feat in the world of modern rock – upholding a long-established cultural legacy while sustaining all the curiosity and creative hunger of their very earliest days. The Louisville, KY-bred five-piece – vocalist/guitarist Jim James, bassist Tom Blankenship, guitarist Carl Broemel, drummer Patrick Hallahan, keyboardist Bo Koster – recently released is, their first album in nearly four years, and their 10th studio album; the result is perhaps the most masterfully realized work yet from a band fully committed to their belief in music as a conduit for revelation of all kinds. Largely recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, is finds MMJ deviating from their typically self-produced approach by teaming up with 3x Grammy-winner Brendan O’Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen). For James – who has produced or co-produced all of the band’s studio albums since their 1999 debut The Tennessee Fire – the decision to work with O’Brien stemmed from a newfound willingness to open up their process and involve an outside creative force in shaping their restlessly inventive yet nuanced form of psych-rock. New songs such as the sprawling, album-opening epic, “Out In The Open,” the ravishing love song “Time Waited,” and the delightfully warped “Squid Ink” reveal a band whose voracious creative appetite is wholly matched by a deft command of their visionary musicality. When it came time to name the collection, MMJ chose a title that speaks to the infinitely unpredictable nature of music-making. “I like how the word ‘is’ indicates a sense of presence in the now – there’s no logic or rationale behind this record; it just is,” says James. “All these songs came into existence out of an attempt to connect with something beyond the human experiment, which for me is the whole purpose of music – that connection with something larger than us, yet something we are all equally a part of.” is represents another milestone in the band’s ever-evolving body of work, as well as an opportunity to breathe new energy into their historically stunning and hard-driving live performances. James points to the “undeniable force of loving” as the most essential factor in the band’s longevity and unending enchantment with the process of musical creation. “Hopefully, those songs will be helpful to people and give them some kind of peace as they try to deal with the insanity of the world,” says James. “Because that’s what music does for me, and doing the same for others is always my greatest dream come true.”

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.

Tags my morning jacket, Season 51

FINNEAS to Tape Austin City Limits in August

Post author By Lily Angelle
Post date July 14, 2025

Photo courtesy of artist management

Austin City Limits (ACL) is thrilled to announce a summer taping with FINNEAS in his headlining ACL debut on August 7. FINNEAS first appeared on the ACL stage in Season 45 in 2019 alongside his sister Billie Eilish and we’re thrilled to welcome the gifted artist back to the ACL stage for his solo debut as a highlight of ACL’s Season 51. Finneas makes his ACL debut showcasing songs from his sophomore solo album, For Cryin’ Out Loud!

FINNEAS introduced a heartfelt and hypnotic style for his 2019 debut solo outing, Blood Harmony, an EP highlighted by the gold-certified “Let’s Fall in Love for the Night.” 2021 saw him unveil his full-length debut, The Optimist, on Interscope Records. A restless creative, FINNEAS is always challenging himself. It’s why he opted to gather a handful of friends, head to the studio as “a band,” and make his second full-length solo album, For Cryin’ Out Loud! He set the stage for the record with the title track which Rolling Stone hailed “…the work of a popcraft savant with a light, versatile touch.”
We’re thrilled to welcome FINNEAS to our stage in his debut headlining appearance amid a sold-out world tour. Want to be part of our audience? We will post information on how to get free passes a week in advance of the taping. Follow us on IG and Facebook and X for notice of postings. The broadcast episode will air and stream this fall on PBS as part of ACL’s upcoming Season 51.

Tags Season 51

Giveaway: Kelsea Ballerini

Post author By Lily Angelle
Post date July 5, 2025

*UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed. *Austin City Limits will tape a performance by Kelsea Ballerini on Thursday, July 10th 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.

With a revelatory album, an arena-headlining tour, and a 2025 nomination for the CMA Awards’ top honor of Entertainer of the Year, Kelsea Ballerini is having a moment. A beloved artist known for sparkling live performances, the country hitmaker has had a remarkable decade-long run since arriving on the Nashville scene with her 2015 debut album, The First Time. Ballerini had hit singles right out of the gate, becoming the only female country artist to hit #1 with the first three consecutive singles from a debut album. This history-making feat earned her a Best New Artist Grammy nomination. With seven #1 singles and 36 certifications from the RIAA to date, her catalog boasts a string of essential smashes. Ballerini’s fourth album, Subject To Change, arrived in 2022. The gold-certified first single, “Heartfirst,” earned her a Grammy nomination for “Best Country Solo Performance.” She went on to surprise fans five months later with the release of the intimate six-song Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, which resonated with audiences and earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album. Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, along with an accompanying short film written and directed by Ballerini, marked the multi-platinum star’s most honest work to date and led to her Saturday Night Live debut, universal acclaim from critics including The New York Times, Variety, Rolling Stone, as well as the honor of gracing the cover of TIME Magazine. Her latest critically acclaimed Patterns, her fifth studio album, debuted in the fall of 2024 and topped the Country Albums chart and reached number four on the Billboard 200. The album found Ballerini purposefully surrounding herself with women, along with producer Alysa Vanderheym, and collaborators Jessie Jo Dillon, Karen Fairchild, and Hillary Lindsey. On the album she enlisted Best New Artist GRAMMY nominee Noah Kahan to appear on the tender and beautifully crafted RIAA certified-Gold, CMA Awards-nominated “Musical Event of the Year” and GRAMMY-nominated “Best Country Duo/Group Performance” – single “Cowboys Cry Too.” Most recently, she wrapped up her 35-date Kelsea Ballerini Live On Tour, performing in arenas across the country. Among dozens of accolades thus far, Ballerini has garnered five GRAMMY nominations, won two ACM Awards, picked up two CMA Awards, took home the iHeartRadio Music Awards honor for Best New Artist, and received multiple career nominations from the ACM Awards, American Music Awards, CMA Awards, CMT Awards and People’s Choice Awards. Ballerini was also inducted as a member of the famed Grand Ole Opry in 2019. At the time, she notably became the Opry’s youngest member in its nearly 100-year history. With these accolades, it is no wonder NPR proclaimed, “Kelsea Ballerini is definitely one of the most influential women in country right now… she’s defining the sound of the genre.”

Tags Season 51