Nashville is preparing for a monthlong celebration of Black Music Month 2026, with museums, concert venues, cultural organizations and community groups across the city hosting performances, exhibitions, educational programming and Juneteenth events honoring the influence of African American music on American culture.
At the center of the celebration is the National Museum of African American Music, which is marking both Black Music Month and the museum’s fifth anniversary with an expanded slate of concerts, artist talks and interactive experiences under the theme ‘The Soundtrack Continues.’
Museum officials say this year’s theme reflects the continuing impact of African American music across generations and genres, tracing what organizers describe as ‘50 genres, four centuries’ of musical innovation—from spirituals and blues to jazz, soul, country, hip hop, gospel and R&B.
“This June, we invite you to join us in Nashville and across the nation as the National Museum of African American Music marks five years as the dedicated home of this celebration,” organizers said in announcing the event lineup.
Programming at NMAAM will unfold over four themed weeks. Week one, ‘Funky Country Sounds,’ includes ‘We Sound Crazy: Live with George Clinton,’ ‘Been Country: Black Roots in Rhythm,’ and the Legends Society Benefit Soiree. Week two focuses on ‘Blues & Soul Sounds’ with performances by Guy Davis, a Jill Scott fan experience and Black Creators Night.
Week three, titled ‘Freedom Vibes & Future Sounds,’ centers heavily on Juneteenth celebrations and includes the opening of Grammy-winning artist P.J. Morton’s exhibit ‘Saturday Night, Sunday Morning,’ the Black Music Executive Toast and Juneteenth Community Day activities. Week four concludes the month with ‘R&B, House & Disco’ themed concerts, artist conversations and community events.
P.J. Morton will serve as the event’s Grand Marshal, while rising Tennessee artist Summer Joy has been named Emerging Marshal. Country and Americana performer Rissi Palmer will serve as Mission Marshal for the 2026 observance.
Beyond the museum, Black Music Month celebrations will extend across the city. Organizers of ‘Juneteenth615’ are planning a large Freedom Exposition and fireworks celebration at Centennial Park featuring live music, food trucks, local vendors and cultural performances.
Music lovers can also visit the Jefferson Street Sound Museum, which preserves the legacy of Nashville’s historic Jefferson Street corridor, once a major destination for Black-owned clubs and performances by legendary jazz, blues and R&B artists during segregation.
Additional events planned during the month include the Nashville Black Music Month Kickback at Nelson’s Greenbrier Distillery, featuring live DJs, tastings and networking opportunities celebrating Black music and culture.
Outside Nashville, visitors are also being encouraged to explore the legacy of Nathan ‘Nearest’ Green through tours connected to Uncle Nearest Distillery, which highlights the story of the formerly enslaved master distiller who taught Jack Daniel the whiskey-making process that became world famous.
Black Music Month was first recognized nationally in 1979 after President Jimmy Carter hosted music industry leaders and performers at the White House. The observance later became federally recognized in 2000 following years of advocacy led by music industry figures including Dyana Williams, Kenneth Gamble and Ed Wright.
In 2009, President Barack Obama formally renamed the observance African American Music Appreciation Month before President Joe Biden restored the original Black Music Month name in 2023.
Organizers say the monthlong observance is intended not only to celebrate musical history, but also to spotlight emerging artists and preserve the stories behind the music that shaped generations of American life.
