Festival Brings a Piece of ‘Sinners’ and Grammy Music to Fort Worth

Groundbreaking Festival Returns with a Free Kickoff Pre-fest Event

FORT WORTH, Texas – Tickets are now on sale for the sixth annual Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival (FWAAMFest). Presented by local nonprofit Decolonizing the Music Room (DTMR), the event takes place Saturday, March 21, 2026 from noon to 10:00 p.m. at Fort Worth’s historic Southside Preservation Hall.

Among this year’s lineup is Grammy-winning musician Justin Robinson, whose music with acclaimed collaborator and DTMR board member Rhiannon Giddens, is featured in Ryan Coogler’s Sinners. Their most recent project, What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, is nominated for an award at the 2026 Grammys.

Additionally, this year’s FWAAMFest will feature musician and scholar Jake Blount who, along with Giddens, served as a music consultant to Ludwig Göransson and Ryan Coogler for the film’s Golden Globe-winning score.

“We are excited for another year of bringing folks from all walks of life together to celebrate the Black music and traditions at the heart of American roots music,” said Brandi Waller-Pace, Founder/Executive Director of Decolonizing the Music Room and founder of FWAAMFest.

The 2026 festival features a roster of renowned artists who embody the traditions and innovations of African American roots music. Among this year’s artists are Buffalo Nichols, a blues guitarist and songwriter blending tradition with experimentation, Martha Redbone, a vocalist, composer and cultural educator known for her fusion of Afro Indigenous traditions and American Roots music, and Sunny War, a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter and guitar virtuoso with a fiercely independent voice.

The festival’s relaxed atmosphere allows attendees to interact directly with performers, reinforcing its mission of community connection. Cultural experiences will extend beyond the stage at FWAAMFest, including educational workshops and opportunities for audience interaction with performers.

Pre-Fest KickOff Party

New this year is a free pre-fest kickoff event on Friday, March 20th – a community contra and square dance led by the pilot cohort of the newest FWAAMFest initiative, African American Dance Caller Pathways. Attendees will learn social dances akin to those dance to a live dance band led by fiddlers Isaiah Sibi and Shanice Richards.

This live music event is open to the public, and this year kids 12 and under can attend for free. General admission $50, Seniors $40, Educators and School Staff (with ID) $35, Students (with ID) $30, Youth 13-18 $20.

Tickets can be purchased at FWAAMFest.com or at the door.

About Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival:

Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival (FWAAMFest) is unique among festivals – Black-led and focused on blackness in roots music forms from across North America (including styles such as old-time, string band, early blues and jazz, jugband, bluegrass, and folk).

It is a program of Decolonizing the Music Room (https://www.decolonizingthemusicroom.org), a nonprofit based in Fort Worth, Texas. The festival was created to celebrate the Black musical traditions and history at the heart of American roots music, putting Fort Worth on the map among traditional music and culture lovers and drawing new audiences to the Black reclamation and innovation of roots music.

FWAAMFest was founded in 2021 by Brandi Waller-Pace, musician/scholar/cultural advocate, and former music educator with the Fort Worth Independent School District.

About Decolonizing the Music Room:

Decolonizing the Music Room is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission of uplifting the musical traditions of Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian peoples through education and performance. The nonprofit provides programming across music disciplines, professional development, and free educational web content. Decolonizing the Music Room was founded by Brandi Waller-Pace in 2020.