DAIISTAR, Pussy Gillette, S.L. Houser, Walker Lukens to Play the Austin Music Awards

Art by Billie Buck

Forty-second time’s the charm! Over four decades in, the Austin Music Awards rounds up a jam-packed concert showcase of the year in Austin music.

For the first time, the party moves to Antone’s Nightclub on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 7pm. Tickets are on sale now at austinchronicle.com/austin-music-awards, with all proceeds directly benefiting the SIMS Foundation. The 42nd Annual Austin Music Awards, presented by CapMetro, will feature performances from winners, nominees, and special guests – including DAIISTAR, Pussy Gillette, S.L. Houser, Walker Lukens, and many more.

Alongside live music, the live show will also include a curated presentation of select awards. Unlike in past years, all 51 award categories will not be announced live on stage, but rather unveiled ahead of time in the Feb. 23 print issue of the Austin Chronicle. (Revisit our rundown of these less-stuffy, still-glitzy changes in "An Austin Music Poll FAQ,” Jan. 5.)

Rising Austin nominees set to take the stage include: DAIISTAR, whose sleek noise-pop debut Good Time earned Album of the Year and Song of the Year nods; Pussy Gillette, whose firebrand sophomore LP landed them in the Best Punk list; and Musician of the Year contender S.L. Houser, who released her own propulsive indie-pop Hibiscus EP last year.

Up for Song of the Year for his solo work (“The One Who Loves You”) and Best Producer for his oversight of the Album of the Year-tapped Texas Wild compilation, Walker Lukens rounds up friends from on and off the Texas Parks and Wildlife-supporting LP. The eclectic homegrown AMA assembly, listed here with their nominations, includes Ben Kweller (Musician of the Year), A Giant Dog and Sweet Spirit’s Sabrina Ellis (Best Vocalist), Kalu & the Electric Joint’s Kalu James (Best Vocalist), Croy and the Boys’ Corey Baum (Best Country), Sir Woman’s Uncle Roy & Spice (Best Vocalist), Magic Rockers of Texas' Jim Campo (Best Rock), and pedal steel wiz Zack Wiggs (Best Miscellaneous Instrument).

In the show’s annual celebration of Austin’s past and present, a smorgasbord of special guests will tribute the 48-year-old legacy of Antone’s, established as an iconic blues destination and developed as a go-to independent venue for all sounds. Nominated guests in the all-star jam are Eve Monsees (Best Guitarist), Shinyribs’ Kevin Russell (Musician of the Year), Theo Lawrence (Best Country), and Henri Herbert (Best Blues), as well as Ian Moore, Mike Buck, Speedy Sparks, and more. The talent mashup will also pay homage to Seventies Austin sounds in honor of Armadillo World Headquarters poster artist Jim Franklin.

Unbeknownst to us when we asked them to host, the Antone’s team also holds a wildly long run of nominations this year including: Best Live Music Venue, talent buyer Zach Ernst for Best Live Music Booker, Myles Crosby for Best Live Sound Engineer, January resident Jackie Venson for Best Music Residency, their in-house Big Henry’s for Best Record Store, and their presentation of Austin Blues Festival for Best Music Festival.

Expect plenty of unannounced ceremony surprises and special guests on the big night. Read the lineup below.