Black Music Month 2026 begins at the National Museum African American Music
Black Music Month was established in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter to honor the African American musical heritage that has shaped American culture and influenced artists worldwide. The post Black Music Month 2026 begins at the National Museum African American Music appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.
Black News 
The National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) officially opened Black Music Month 2026, a month-long celebration of the artists, institutions, and communities that built and continue to build the American soundtrack. The campaign, themed “The Soundtrack Continues — 250 years in the making. Five years in the telling. Far from finished,” runs throughout June at NMAAM’s home in downtown Nashville and marks the museum’s fifth anniversary as the designated home of Black Music Month.
Black Music Month was established in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter to honor the African American musical heritage that has shaped American culture and influenced artists worldwide. NMAAM serves as the designated home of Black Music Month since opening on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2021.
More than fifteen signature events fill the calendar across four genre-themed weeks, spanning intimate artist conversations, world-premiere exhibitions, live podcast tapings, film screenings, community celebrations, an institutional summit on music and healing, and the inaugural Black Music Executive Toast. The month is anchored by Grammy Award-winning artist, producer, and musical polymath PJ Morton, named 2026 Grand Marshal of Black Music Month, whose landmark exhibition Saturday Night Sunday Morning opens June 18.
“This is the year everything we have built comes into full view,” said Dr. Dexter D. Evans, Deputy Director of Strategy & Advancement at NMAAM. “Five years ago, we opened our doors and declared that Music Starts Here. This June, we prove it. Living legends in our galleries, emerging artists on our stages, and a community that knows this museum belongs to them.”
Full programming details, tickets, and event information are available at nmaam.org/bmm
PJ MORTON: THE GRAND MARSHAL
PJ Morton, the New Orleans-born six-time Grammy winner whose career spans his celebrated solo catalog, his years as a member of Maroon 5, and his deep roots in gospel and soul, anchors the museum’s fifth anniversary year as 2026 Grand Marshal. His landmark exhibition Saturday Night Sunday Morning opens the evening of June 18 and remains on view through September 30. The opening will be followed by an exclusive listening party for Morton’s forthcoming album of the same name, set for release in summer 2026.
“I’m so excited to be partnering with NMAAM to show the span of my life and career,” said Morton. “Kicking it off during Black Music Month makes it even more special.”
“PJ Morton is not just one of the most gifted musicians of his generation; he is a living embodiment of everything Black Music Month celebrates,” said William Jeffries, Executive Director of NMAAM. “Having him serve as our Grand Marshal in our fifth anniversary year is an honor that reflects exactly where this museum stands: at the intersection of legacy and tomorrow.”
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