Written by Austin City Limits has announced that 11-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Brandi Carlile will be inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame during the 12th annual ceremony on July 1, 2026, at ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin, Texas. Bonnie Raitt will handle the induction and perform a tribute on the night. Highlights from the evening will air as the Season 52 premiere of Austin City Limits on PBS in September and will be available to stream via the PBS App.
Carlile first appeared on the ACL stage in 2010 and has returned twice since, in 2018 and 2022. She now joins a hall that includes some of the most enduring names in American music. Raitt herself was inducted in 2016 and has a history with the show stretching back to 1984. Notably, Carlile has done the inducting before — she was the one who brought Sheryl Crow into the hall in 2022, which opened that season’s broadcast.
Beyond her 11 Grammys, Carlile’s resume includes two Emmy Awards, an Oscar nomination, 10 titles on the Billboard 200 with five top 10s, and a record for most number ones by a woman on Billboard’s Top Rock and Alternative Albums chart. She performed “America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl LX earlier this year, is a founding member of The Highwomen alongside Natalie Hemby, Maren Morris, and Amanda Shires, and was named one of Time magazine’s 2026 Women of the Year.
“Being inducted into the ACL Hall of Fame by one of my absolute heroes — Bonnie Raitt — means everything to me,” Carlile said. “I’m so grateful to have had such a deep and powerful connection to the city of Austin and Austin City Limits all these years.”
Raitt matched the moment in her own statement. “She is truly one of our most respected and impactful artists,” Raitt said of Carlile. “I admire her not only for her incredible music, but for standing up for the causes and artists she’s passionate about, all while balancing her wonderful family life. I can’t wait to get to perform together for this show that has meant so much to us both.”
ACL executive producer Terry Lickona summed it up well: “The moment you hear her voice, you know exactly who it is. She will always have a home here at ACL.”
The July 1 taping at the Moody Theater in Austin will be open to a live audience. Watch for ticket and attendance details at acltv.com.
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