2024 National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony

Adam Blackstone

Adam Blackstone is a multi-faceted musician, Emmy winning Music Director, and the CEO of BASSic Black Entertainment. He is the musical mastermind behind the live shows of top artists including Justin Timberlake, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, and Maroon 5 and has shaped music’s biggest shows including numerous Super Bowl Halftime shows, the Oscars, the Grammys, Fox’s “The Masked Singer,” and NBC’s “The Voice” and “That’s My Jam.”

Blackstone’s 2022 debut album, LEGACY, reached #1 on multiple charts. Since, Adam has received three additional Grammy nominations as an artist and a Tony nomination in 2024, as orchestrator for Hell’s Kitchen on Broadway. Adam Blackstone’s versatile sound is heard around the world but his faith and family keep him grounded, as he continues to create his own musical legacy.

Airmen of Note

The Airmen of Note is an 18-member jazz ensemble created in 1950 to continue the tradition of Major Glenn Miller’s Army Air Forces dance band. Through the years, the Airmen of Note has presented its own brand of big band jazz to audiences across the United States, deployments around the world, and local performances in the Washington D.C. area.

As part of The U.S. Air Force Band, the Airmen of Note’s mission is to HONOR those who have served, INSPIRE Americans to heightened patriotism and service, and CONNECT with the global community on behalf of the U.S. Air Force. The excellence demonstrated by the Airmen of Note directly reflects the professionalism displayed by all Airmen stationed worldwide, whose selfless service and sacrifices ensure the freedoms enjoyed by citizens of the United States of America.

James Taylor

Over the course of his celebrated career, James has sold over 100 million albums, won multiple GRAMMY Awards, and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll and the prestigious Songwriters Halls of Fame. He was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, the nation’s highest civilian honor, and in 2016 he received the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2020 Taylor released Break Shot, a deeply personal and authentic audio-only memoir detailing his first 21 years. He also released American Standard, his 19th studio album, which earned Taylor the 2021 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and gave him the honor of being the first artist to have a Billboard Top 10 album in each of the past six decades.

Max Impact

Max Impact is the official rock/pop music ensemble of the United States Air Force. Stationed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., it is one of six musical ensembles that form The U.S. Air Force Band. Featuring six active-duty musicians, Max Impact presents high-intensity performances nationwide and abroad, supporting events at the White House, State Department, Department of Defense, and numerous other high-level military and civilian functions to advance international diplomacy with America’s allies and strategic partners.

Their mission is to HONOR, INSPIRE, and CONNECT with the global community on behalf of the U.S. Air Force and the United States, demonstrating the excellence displayed by Airmen worldwide, whose sacrifices ensure the freedoms enjoyed by citizens of the United States of America.

Mickey Guyton

Mickey Guyton is a 4-time, Grammy-nominated artist and country music trailblazer. Mickey was recognized as TIME Magazine’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2022 and CMT’s Breakout Artist of the Year in 2021. Mickey made history as the first Black artist to earn a GRAMMY nomination for Best Country Album, and first Black female solo artist to earn a nod in a country category with nominations for “Best Country Song” and “Best Country Solo Performance.” Mickey has shined on the grandest global stages, delivering powerful renditions of the national anthem at Super Bowl LVI and the 2023 World Series. She has also performed on a wide array of shows, including the ESPYs, the CMA Awards, the ACM Awards, etc. Mickey has just released a new album, House On Fire.

Muni Long

Muni Long has delivered multiple #1 hits, won a GRAMMY® Award and gathered billions of streams. From behind-the-scenes as an in-demand songwriter, she stepped into the spotlight with breakout hit “Hrs & Hrs.” It reached platinum status, scored a GRAMMY® Award for “Best R&B Performance,” and adorned her first full album, Public Displays of Affection. She garnered the Ashford & Simpson Songwriter’s Award in addition to “Best New R&B Artist” at the 2023 iHeartRadio Awards.

In 2024, she leveled up with Platinum-selling “Made For Me,” shaking up social media and toppling R&B Radio at #1. She continues to push herself harder on her 2024 second full-length offering, Revenge which went on to garner four GRAMMY Award nominations including R&B Album of the Year.

Stephen Sanchez

Singer-songwriter Stephen Sanchez has materialized at the forefront of popular culture with a sound that’s as timeless as it is necessary for the times. At just 21-years-old, the singer, songwriter, and guitarist’s breakout single “Until I Found You” went 4x Platinum, vaulted into the Top 25 of the Billboard Hot 100, and generated over 2 billion streams. Meanwhile, he also sold out his first-ever headline tour and earned acclaim from Rolling Stone, Billboard, Vogue, and more. He even duetted “Until I Found You” with Sir Elton John during his last show ever headlining Glastonbury. Last year, he spun a story unlike anything you’ve ever heard on his 2023 full-length debut, Angel Face [Mercury Records/Republic Records], which is now Certified Gold.

The War And Treaty

“Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War And Treaty has emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. Recently earning their first ever GRAMMY nominations for Best New Artist and Best American Roots Song for “Blank Page,” they also received this year their first ever Duo of the Year nomination from the Country Music Association, Vocal Duo nomination from the Academy of Country Music, plus recognition by the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Americana Music Association including earning AMA Duo/Group of the Year for the second straight year.”

Trisha Yearwood

With a career spanning three decades, Trisha Yearwood is a GRAMMY®, CMA®, and ACM® Award-winning icon whose powerful voice has captivated millions. As a singer, actress, author, chef, and entrepreneur, she’s achieved multi-platinum success while continuing to evolve. In 2019, Trisha released Every Girl, her first full-length country album in over a decade, featuring a re-recording of her hit “She’s In Love With The Boy”—the most-listened-to country song by a female artist in Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart history. Recently inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, she also celebrated 25 years with the Grand Ole Opry and received the ACM Honors Icon and CMT June Carter Cash Humanitarian Awards. Beyond music, Trisha hosts Trisha’s Southern Kitchen, has authored four New York Times bestsellers, and co-owns Nashville’s largest honky-tonk.

Trombone Shorty

Born Troy Andrews, Trombone Shorty got his start (and nickname) earlier than most: at four, he made his first appearance at Jazz Fest performing with Bo Diddley; at six, he was leading his own brass band; and by his teenage years, he was hired by Lenny Kravitz to join the band he assembled for his Electric Church World Tour. He’s released five chart topping studio albums, toured with everyone from Jeff Beck to the Red Hot Chili Peppers; collaborated across genres with Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Foo Fighters, ZHU, Ringo Starr, and countless more; performed four times at the GRAMMY Awards, six times at the White House, on dozens of TV shows, launched the Trombone Shorty Foundation to support youth music education; and received the prestigious Caldecott Honor for his first children’s book.