Rhythms Magazine

The 25th Americana Honours & Awards at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium sits at the centre of Episode 40 of On The Record with Brian Wise and Michael Mackenzie. Though, as ever, the definition of “Americana” proves ripe for debate. Brian Wise watched the ceremony while keeping one eye on Hawthorn training, and salutes the Americana Music Association’s efforts to broaden its representation.

The Bamboos By Chris Lambie. QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL 2026, Wadawurrung Country – 27-29 NOVEMBER Queenscliff Music Festival Director Claire Stickland was born and bred on the Bellarine Peninsula. Her first QMF behind-the-scenes role was in 2006 as an event assistant. Her event management career path since has included Falls Festival (Lorne and Tassie), the AO (Australian Open) Live Stage, Rising and the Olympics. In recent years, she landed back on the regional coast, steering the QMF boat.

Tuareg musical pioneers and Grammy Award-winning ‘desert blues’ band Tinariwen today announce their return to Australia, with an initial seven-date tour across February and March 2027.

Pulitzer Prize and Grammy-winning musician Rhiannon Giddens returns with Hope Is the Thing with Feathers, her seventh studio album, released today through Nonesuch Records. The 10-track collection was recorded live at The Cypress House in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, during sessions between Giddens’ North American tours in 2024 and 2025.

Credit: Getty Images for Americana Music Association NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 17, 2026) — The Americana Music Association celebrated distinguished members of its community tonight, revealing the winners of the 25th Annual Americana Honors & Awards at the historic Ryman Auditorium.

September 16, 2026—The Tom Petty Estate today unveils a comprehensive new box set, Origins 1971-1978, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the band, out November 6 via UMe. Digging into the vaults, this collection traces the sonic formation of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in the 70s era, and features collaborations with legendary artists Al Kooper, Leon Russell, Jim Gordon, Emory Gordy and more, across country, folk, punk, reggae, rock and soul originals.

Bob Dylan will release a brand new box set on November 36 and it’s a whopper! The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1976 Live Recordings will cover discs and documents the second leg of Dylan’s historic Rolling Thunder tour which began on April 18, 1976 in Lakeland, Florida and ended in Salt Lake City on May 25, 1976. The 39-disc box set captures all professionally recorded shows from the 1976 second leg of the legendary tour, all from original tape sources.

Julian Lage – Melbourne Recital Centre, Sunday September 13, 2026 Reviewed by Steve Hoy. Whilst I thought Julian Lage’s evening concert in support of the tenth anniversary of his album World’s Fairwould be a Federated Fret Watchers meeting – almost confirmed as I was seated next to classical guitar maestro Slava Grigoryan – the audience was considerably more diverse.

The Milk Carton Kids Love Police has announced the return of The Milk Carton Kids to Australia for a series of concerts and festival appearances in Mach 2027. Across a celebrated catalogue, including their most recent musical gift Lost Cause Lover Fool (2026, Thirty Tigers), the duo have established themselves as masters of the intimate folk tradition – delivering songs of extraordinary precision and beauty, while being funny blokes as well as accomplished musicians.

By Des Cowley. Williamstown International Jazz Festival: Spring Series (9-10 October 2026) The Williamstown International Jazz Festival returns this October for its Spring series.