The Americana Music Association has named Fort Worth the Spotlight City at the 2025 Americanafest, held in Nashville, Tennessee. Music fans know Americanfest as one of the country’s premier festivals celebrating roots and Americana music. This year’s event will be held September 9-13.

As part of the honor, Fort Worth will present an official showcase on Thursday, September 11 at Analog in the Hutton Hotel in Nashville. The lineup will feature a full slate of Fort Worth artists, with details to be announced soon.

As the Spotlight City, Fort Worth will be recognized for its influence in the Americana scene and its vibrant music culture, rooted in Texas traditions and storytelling.

“Fort Worth has long been a city of music, from Jazz legend Ornette Coleman; the birthplace of Western Swing at Crystal Springs; the honky-tonks of the Stockyards and indie clubs that helped develop the Toadies and Leon Bridges,” says Tom Martens, vice president of creative, music and film at Visit Fort Worth and head of the Fort Worth Music Office. “Being named a Spotlight City at Americanafest gives our artists and songwriters a powerful platform to connect with new audiences. We’re excited to bring a little of our city’s soul to Nashville.”

Founded in 1999 by a group of industry folks who were attending the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, the Americana Music Association is a professional trade group that advocates for the authentic voice of American roots music around the world.

Their activities include hosting the annual Americana Music Festival & Conference, publishing a weekly Americana Airplay Chart, and producing the annual Americana Honors & Awards show. Americanafest is now celebrating its 25th anniversary.

There are nightly official showcases; a three-day educational conference with networking opportunities, panels, and industry interaction; and the annual Americana Honors & Awards ceremony at Ryman Auditorium to recognize the groundbreaking figures of Americana music and celebrates the music achievements of the year.

More announcements are coming soon, including a free event in Nashville on September 12 featuring more Fort Worth music.