Established by the Museum’s Board of Directors, the Crossroads of American Music Award honors an artist who has made significant musical contributions influenced by the creativity born in the cradle of American music. Past recipients of the Crossroads of American Music Award are GRAMMY winners the late Charley Pride and Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Rush, Marty Stuart, Keb’ Mo’, Rosanne Cash, and the 2025 recipient, Trombone Shorty.

This Year’s Crossroads of American Music Award Recipient: Trombone Shorty

Trombone Shorty is one of New Orleans’ most celebrated cultural ambassadors, and just released a new album with fellow GRAMMY-nominees New Breed Brass Band entitled Second Line Sunday. Released twenty years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the album is an homage to the music and culture that Trombone Shorty grew up on: the distinct and vital Crescent City traditions of brass band music and second line parades.

Born Troy Andrews in New Orleans, Trombone Shorty began performing at age 4 and was leading his own brass band by 6. As a teenager, he joined Lenny Kravitz’s Electric Church World Tour, launching a career that has made him one of New Orleans’ most celebrated cultural ambassadors.