Congratulations to Rhiannon Giddens, the recipient of the seventh-annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass. "Rhiannon has made a rare contribution to American music," said Steve Martin. "She—along with the Carolina Chocolate Drops—has resurrected and revitalized an important part of banjo history." Created to bring recognition to an individual or group for outstanding accomplishment in the field of five-string banjo or bluegrass music, the prize highlights the extraordinary musicianship of these artists and bluegrass music worldwide. The award is given to a person or group who has given the board a fresh appreciation of this music, either through artistry, composition, innovation or preservation, and is deserving of a wider audience. Its first winner was Noam Pikelny of Punch Brothers.

Congratulations to Rhiannon Giddens, who has won the award for Folk Singer of the Year at the 2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, the first American artist to do so. The awards show took place at Royal Albert Hall in London and can be seen again in the UK via the BBC iPlayer. "Your sheer artistry defies all known genres," said Sandie Shaw in presenting her with the award. "You are a one-off, genuine original. Listening to your work takes me to deep intriguing places I never before imagined ... Congratulations, you truly deserve this award. I am a huge, huge fan. Tonight is your turn, Rhiannon Giddens."

Rhiannon Giddens' taping of her Austin City Limits debut will stream live on Monday, April 25, 2016, at 8 PM CT / 9 PM ET. Fans around the world can tune in to the show's YouTube Channel to watch the entire performance as it happens live from The Moody Theater in downtown Austin. The taping follows a set at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Sunday. The broadcast version of the ACL show will air on PBS as part of the series' upcoming Season 42, which launches this fall.

Rhiannon Giddens, having just completed a successful tour of Australia, kicked off the next leg of her US tour with a free show at the Philips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire last night. The tour, which features songs from her solo debut album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, continues through the month of April with concerts in Maryland, Georgia, and Virginia; multiple shows in her home state of North Carolina; and a set at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. The tour culminates in a taping of Austin City Limits on April 25. Giddens's recent concert at Infinity Hall in Connecticut will air on the series Infinity Hall Live starting this Friday, April 8.

Rhiannon Giddens brings a successful tour of Australia to a close at Byron Bay Bluesfest on Friday. While on tour, Giddens visited Warner Music Australia to perform "Up Above My Head," off her album Tomorrow Is My Turn. You can watch it here. She also stopped by ABC Radio National's The Music Show to discuss the album and perform "Water Boy." The Sydney Morning Herald gives four stars each to her Sydney and Melbourne concerts, describing the show as "brilliant American music without borders." Giddens kicks off the next leg of her US tour in early April.

Rhiannon Giddens and the Carolina Chocolate Drops will be inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame this October. "I'm so honored to be part of the 2016 class of inductees into the NC Music Hall of Fame," says Giddens. "Being from North Carolina has been such a big part of what I do and will remain so for the rest of my life; being a mentee of Joe Thompson and starting the Carolina Chocolate Drops along with Dom Flemons and Justin Robinson are among the things of my life that I am most proud of. Happy to be in such good company as the Avett Brothers, David Holt, my fellow Chocolate Drops, and other fine musicians. Carolina forever!"

Austin City Limits has announced a new round of tapings, including Robert Plant, who returns to the show's stage for the first time in more than a decade on March 21, and Rhiannon Giddens, who makes her ACL debut on April 25. The shows will be broadcast at a later date as part of the PBS series Austin City Limits. For information on how to get free passes to the show about a week before the taping, follow the show on Facebook and Twitter for notice of postings.

Rhiannon Giddens's debut solo album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, has been named Album of the Year at the inaugural International Folk Music Awards. The winner was announced at the awards ceremony held last night at the 28th Folk Alliance International conference in Kansas City. Giddens is joined by cellist Leyla McCalla and singer-songwriter Bhi Bhiman for a week of US concerts titled Swimming in Dark Waters: Other Voices of the American Experience starting at Oberlin Conservatory this Saturday.

Congratulations to Rhiannon Giddens, who has been nominated for Folk Singer of the Year in the 2016 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. The nominees were announced on Mark Radcliffe's Radio 2 Folk Show earlier this evening. The awards show will take place at Royal Albert Hall in London on Wednesday, April 27. Giddens is up for the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album for her solo debut album, Tomorrow Is My Turn.

Rhiannon Giddens performed a special set as part of BBC Radio 2's live coverage from Glasgow's Celtic Connections festival: "Last Kind Words" from her album Tomorrow Is My Turn; "Mouth Music," from her new EP, Factory Girl, and the new song called "Come Love Come." Watch the set here. She plays her own Celtic Connections show tonight, then joins Transatlantic Sessions for two nights at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall and a five-concert tour of the UK. Giddens performs on BBC One TV's Andrew Marr Show this Sunday morning.

Rhiannon Giddens kicks off her 2016 tour with three weeks in Europe, starting at Handelsbeurs in Gent, Belgium, tonight. The tour continues with stops in Cologne, Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris, before heading to the UK for Celtic Connections in Glasgow. She then joins artists from both sides of the Atlantic for the Transatlantic Sessions tour across the UK, including a sold-out show at London's Royal Festival Hall. Giddens returns to the US in February to perform Swimming in Dark Waters: Other Voices of the American Experience with Leyla McCalla and Bhi Bhiman in several cities, and takes her solo tour to Japan and Australia in March.

The line-up for the 2016 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, aka Jazz Fest, has been announced, and included among this year's performers are Rhiannon Giddens (April 24) and Punch Brothers (May 1). Jazz Fest runs over seven days across two weekends, April 22–24 and April 28–May 1. The festival will pay tribute to one of the Crescent City's favorite sons, Allen Toussaint, hosted by the Allen Toussaint Band with special guests.