The Big Ears Festival 2015, which took place in Knoxville, Tennessee, late last month, was the subject of a feature profile on PBS NewsHour on Friday. The piece looks at how the festival "breaks barriers for open-minded music lovers," not least from performers like this year's artists in residence, Kronos Quartet, and their fellow Nonesuch artists to perform at Big Ears, Rhiannon Giddens, Laurie Anderson, Sam Amidon, and Tyondai Braxton. Kronos's David Harrington and Giddens talk with NewsHour about this idea and how it manifest itself in their own music. You can watch the piece here.

Punch Brothers performed two songs from their new album, The Phosphorescent Blues, on CBS This Morning: Saturday: "Boll Weevil" and "Magnet." You can watch both songs here. "Formed in 2006, each of the five musicians were well-known for their musical skills," says the show, "but together, they have become a force beloved by critics and audiences worldwide."

Singer-songwriter Fatoumata Diawara, who was born of Malian parents in the Ivory Coast, spoke with PBS NewsHour about the struggle to preserve Mali's rich musical heritage under the shadow of ongoing violence there. "If we want the best for Africa, the only—the first thing to do is to know how to bring peace," says Diawara. "Without peace, nothing, we cannot start any kind of government. Nothing, nothing’s possible." You can watch the piece here.

Emmylou Harris joins Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, and more for a special episode of Austin City Limits (ACL) featuring performances from the inaugural Austin City Limits Hall of Fame presentation, which took place in April. The hour-long special, hosted by actor Matthew McConaughey, debuts on PBS this weekend. Harris and ACL Hall of Fame inductee Nelson perform "Crazy," and Lovett joins them both for a trio take on "Pancho & Lefty" and "On the Road Again." Harris's groundbreaking album Wrecking Ball was the featured classic album on BBC Radio 2's Johnnie Walker’s Long Players program earlier this week. 

Rhiannon Giddens, whose debut solo album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, was released yesterday on Nonesuch Records to critical acclaim, celebrated the record's release with a performance of the song "Waterboy" on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman last night. "Oh my god," Letterman exclaimed following the performance. "Oh my god, that was unbelievable." Watch for you yourself here. "Tomorrow Is My Turn confirms the arrival of a significant talent whose voice and distinctive approach communicate the simmering emotion at the core of the songs," says the Wall Street Journal. "Thus, she may prove indispensable."

Punch Brothers were the musical guests on Conan last night on TBS, performing "Magnet" from their new album, The Phosphorescent Blues. They were also the musical guest on a special episode of A Prairie Home Companion on Saturday, guest-hosted by none other than Chris Thile. Watch performances from both shows here. And tune in to NPR's World Cafe today to hear the band perform. 

The Black Keys' latest performance on Austin City Limits (ACL) premieres this Saturday on PBS stations across the US. The band's set includes songs from their latest album, Turn Blue, and more. You can watch their ACL performances of "Fever" and "Little Black Submarines" here plus web-exclusive videos of "Too Afraid to Love" and "Howling for You." This is the band's second appearance on ACL.

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens joined Iron & Wine singer, songwriter, and guitarist Sam Beam on NBC tonight for a performance of Bob Dylan's "Forever Young" on the series finale of Parenthood. Dylan's recording, from the 1974 album Planet Waves, has been the show's theme song since it first aired. The new version by Giddens and Iron & Wine, which they played during the episode, is available digitally from Nonesuch Records on iTunes and in the Nonesuch Store. You can hear it here.

Showtime has begun to air encore presentations of the concert documentary Another Day, Another Time: Celebrating the Music of "Inside Llewyn Davis" on its various channels, as well as on demand and via Showtime Anytime. On Tuesday, January 13, Nonesuch Records will release a live recording of the one-night-only concert, featuring live performances by icons and rising stars of folk and Americana. The concert was presented by T Bone Burnett and Joel and Ethan Coen at New York City’s Town Hall to celebrate the music of the new Coen brothers film, Inside Llewyn Davis. 

Nickel Creek helped kick off the second half of the milestone 40th season of Austin City Limits when the band's set aired on PBS this past weekend, on a double bill with The Avett Brothers. You can watch the episode at pbs.org. Nickel Creek—Chris Thile, Sara Watkins, and Sean Watkins—taped its Austin City Limits set in August during the band's 25th anniversary tour, celebrating the release of its Nonesuch Records debut album, A Dotted Line. This was the trio's third appearance on the series. 

Audra McDonald will bring her acclaimed portrayal of Billie Holiday from Lanie Robertson’s musical play Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill to HBO. Filming before a live audience at Café Brasil in New Orleans this month, the special will feature McDonald in her history-making performance as the jazz icon. Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill tells Billie Holiday’s life story through the songs that made her famous. Audra McDonald became Broadway’s most decorated performer when she won her sixth Tony Award for Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill earlier this year. 

Rhiannon Giddens has released a new song, "Black Is the Color," streaming now, and available as an instant download with pre-orders of her upcoming T Bone Burnett–produced debut album, Tomorrow Is My Turn. You can listen to the song, as well as other instant download tracks “Don’t Let It Trouble Your Mind” and “Shake Sugaree,” here. Giddens appears and sings in a new Apple commercial, featuring her rendition of the Gershwin classic “Love Is Here to Stay.” The video finds a young girl discovering an old recording of her grandmother at a younger age (Giddens) singing, and then watches as the girl uses her iPad to reimagine the song in a modern context. Watch the commercial here.