Austin Music Awards’ 44th annual celebration comes to you live at Antone’s on March 1 with a packed lineup of this year’s winners and nominees, plus special guests. 

Political post-punk jokers – and Band of the Year nominees – Big Bill kick off the night, followed by playful indie rockers/Best New Act candidates Gummy Fang and Best Rock contenders Gus Baldwin & the Sketch. 

Later on, Best Blues hopefuls Antone’s Allstars lead a funky, star-studded set featuring fellow nominees Jackie Venson (Musician of the Year, Best Blues), Eve Monsees (Best Guitarist), Soul Man Sam (Best Residency), and more. Colin Gilmore of the West Texas Exiles will be joined by musical friends to celebrate late great roots songwriter and Austin Music Awards Hall of Famer Joe Ely. The SIMS Foundation team will honor another loss in the music scene: that of Music Industry Hall of Fame nominee Dick Chalmers.

Ben Kweller, whose Cover the Mirrors album landed him several nominations this year, will also perform, and present the third annual Zev Award to a young Austin musician in honor of his late son, Dorian Zev Kweller. 

Band and Album of the Year nominees Tomar & the FCs will host the closing set, a genre-blending lineup featuring Best New Act contenders the Animeros, hip-hop legend and Hall of Fame contender Tee-Double, and renowned songwriter James McMurtry, among others. Nominated instrumentalists will take the stage beside them, including Mike St. Clair (Best Horns), Jan Flemming (Best Pianist/Keyboardist), Ruby Dice (Best Bassist), Suzanna Choffel (Best Radio Personality), and more. 

The Austin Music Awards honor local musicians and music industry professionals in 53 categories, voted on by the public in the Austin Music Poll. Winners of the 2025-2026 Austin Music Poll will be announced in the Feb. 27 issue of The Austin Chronicle, ahead of the show. 

Tickets to the Austin Music Awards are on sale now. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the SIMS Foundation, which celebrated 30 years of providing mental health and substance use recovery services to musicians, music industry professionals, and their family members last year.

This article appears in February 6 • 2026.

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Caroline is the Music and Culture staff writer and reporter, covering, well, music, books, and visual art for the Chronicle. She came to Austin by way of Portland, Oregon, drawn by the music scene and the warm weather.