Americana Music Association
NASHVILLE, TN and AUSTIN, TX (March 27, 2023) — In partnership with the Americana Music Association, Austin City Limits (ACL) returns to Nashville for a special broadcast featuring performance highlights from the 21st 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): Phosphorescent, Brandi Carlile with Lucius, The Fairfield Four, James McMurtry, The War And Treaty, Lukas Nelson, JP Harris, Sierra Ferrell, Chris Isaak, Buddy Miller, Lyle Lovett, The Milk Carton Kids, Allison Russell with Carlile, and The McCrary Sisters. The hour-long special premieres Saturday, April 1 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 2 at 9am CT/10am ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits. Viewers can visit acltv.com for news regarding upcoming Season 49 tapings, episode schedules and select live stream updates. The program’s official hashtags are #acltv and #americanafest.
Recorded live at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium in 2022, The Americana Music Association’s 21st Annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony is a celebration of the confluence of roots, blues, soul, folk and country music. For the eleventh 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.
Phosphorescent kicks off the ceremony with a cover of Neil Young’s retrospective “Are You Ready for the Country?” proving its relevancy and influence still rings true. Multiple Americana award winners take the stage: Song of the Year-winner Brandi Carlile is joined by Lucius, as they performed Carlile’s 2023 triple GRAMMY-nominated song “You and Me on the Rock.” Allison Russell, the year’s Album of the Year winner for her record, Outside Child, performs the empowering and uplifting folk anthem “You’re Not Alone,” as Carlile joins her along with an all-female ensemble of musicians, including Instrumentalist of the Year, Larissa Maestro, as well as SistaStrings. The War And Treaty showcase their heart-warming song “That’s How Love Is Made,” as the duo displays their undeniable chemistry and harmonization that secured them Duo of the Year honors.
Lifetime achievement honorees showcase the legacy that they will leave behind: the year’s Legacy of Americana recipients, The Fairfield Four, who were founded in Nashville over 100 years ago at Fairfield Baptist Church, perform the traditional gospel a capella “Rock My Soul,” that was first written down in 1867. Fellow honoree, Chris Isaak gives a stirring performance of his 1996 melancholy hit “Somebody’s Crying.” Long-standing house band leader and genre icon, Buddy Miller, who received a surprise Lifetime Achievement honor, performs an emotional rendition of the legendary Levon Helm’s “Wide River to Cross,” that Miller co-wrote.
The show closes with a powerful tribute from The McCrary Sisters who perform a soulful rendition of “Amazing Grace,” celebrating the life and legacy of their sister, Deborah, who passed away in June 2022.
Broadcast setlist:
Phosphorescent “Are You Ready For The Country”
Brandi Carlile with Lucius “You and Me on the Rock”
The Fairfield Four “Rock My Soul”
James McMurtry “Canola Fields”
The War And Treaty “That’s How Love is Made”
Lukas Nelson “Lord I Hope This Day is Good”
JP Harris “Bullfighter”
Sierra Ferrell “At The End Of The Rainbow”
Chris Isaak “Somebody’s Crying”
Buddy Miller “Wide River To Cross”
Lyle Lovett “Willin’”
The Milk Carton Kids “Something Fine”
Allison Russell with Brandi Carlile “You’re Not Alone”
The McCrary Sisters “Amazing Grace”
For images and episode information, visit Austin City Limits press room at https://acltv.com/press-room/.
For more information on the Americana Music Association, please visit 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 AMERICANAFEST:
The 23rd annual AMERICANAFEST will take place September 19-23, 2023 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 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 AMERICANAFEST with Nashville Public Television (NPT).
For more information on the Americana Music Association, please contact:
David Chamberlain | Americana Music Association | 615.386.6936 | david@americanamusic.org
Jackie Marushka | Marushka Media | 615.417.6500 | jackie@marushkamedia.com
Americana Music Association | 615.386.6936 | press@americanamusic.org
For more information on Austin City Limits, please contact:
Maureen Coakley | 917.601.1229 | maureen@coakleypress.com