Article Contributed by 117 Enterainment Group
Published on October 17, 2025
GRAMMY®-winner and multi-time GRAMMY nominee Trombone Shorty will be the recipient of the seventh annual Crossroads of American Music Award at GRAMMY Museum® Mississippi’s 2025 Gala, taking place Thursday, October 30 at 5:30 p.m. in Cleveland, Mississippi.
The 2025 Gala is presented by Quality Steel Corporation with additional support from Platinum Sponsors CANNON BUICK GMC of Cleveland, Kirk Auto Group, the Paul Janoush Family, and Whole Cellars Package Store, with more sponsors to be announced soon.
Tickets to the Gala go on sale to GRAMMY Museum Mississippi members beginning September 16 at grammymuseumms.org, or via the Museum’s box office. Pending availability, tickets will open to the public on October 2.
“Trombone Shorty is one of the most celebrated musicians of this generation,” said Emily Havens, Executive Director of GRAMMY Museum Mississippi. “His genre-crossing talents combined with his commitment to music education through his Trombone Shorty Foundation make him beyond deserving of this year’s Crossroads of American Music Award. We can’t wait to honor this natural-born showman and undeniable star at this year’s Gala.”
“For me, music has always been about carrying on traditions while pushing them forward,” said Trombone Shorty. “I grew up surrounded by the sounds of New Orleans and those influences are in every note I play. To be honored with the Crossroads Award is really about celebrating that culture, and I’m humbled to be a part of that story.”
Trombone Shorty, one of New Orleans’ most celebrated cultural ambassadors, recently 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 a heartfelt homage to the city’s distinct and vital traditions of brass band music and second line parades.
“Quality Steel Corporation is proud to once again support GRAMMY Museum Mississippi’s Gala supporting music education,” said Sean Wessel, CEO of Quality Steel Corporation. “This event not only celebrates outstanding artists like Trombone Shorty but also strengthens our community by supporting the Museum’s mission to inspire and connect people through music.”
GRAMMY Museum Mississippi’s Red Carpet Guild, an organization of dedicated volunteers, is developing plans for this year’s Gala. The theme for the 2025 event is “Brass & Bayou: Crescent City to the Crossroads.” The evening will include a reception, dinner and cocktails, live music, and both silent and live auctions. The event will also feature the presentation of the 2025 L.U.C.Y. Award, honoring a Mississippi K–12 educator who embodies the Museum’s educational mission.
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 include GRAMMY winners the late Charley Pride, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bobby Rush, Marty Stuart, Keb’ Mo’, and Rosanne Cash.
The annual GRAMMY Museum Mississippi Gala is the Museum’s signature fundraising event. Proceeds benefit the Museum’s education programs, which use music as a gateway to learning—cultivating creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression.
Born Troy Andrews in New Orleans, Trombone Shorty got his start earlier than most: at age four he performed with Bo Diddley at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; by six, he was leading his own brass band; and by his teens, he was touring with Lenny Kravitz.
Since 2010, Trombone Shorty has released five Top 10 albums on the Billboard Jazz chart—including 2022’s Lifted—and collaborated with Pharrell, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson, Foo Fighters, Zac Brown, Ringo Starr, and more. He’s graced stages from Coachella to Newport Jazz, performed at the GRAMMY Awards, the White House, and even earned his own Muppet on Sesame Street.
In 2011, he founded the Trombone Shorty Foundation to support youth music education. In 2022, he won his first GRAMMY as a featured artist on Jon Batiste’s Album of the Year-winning record We Are.
Trombone Shorty continues to lead cultural exchange trips to Cuba with his Foundation, bringing together 100 students annually for music workshops and performances. The fourth such trip took place in January 2025 with an ever-expanding roster of special guests.
Developed by the Cleveland Music Foundation, the 28,000-square-foot GRAMMY Museum Mississippi sits near Delta State University, home to the Delta Music Institute’s Entertainment Industry Studies program. Affiliated with the GRAMMY Museum Foundation™, it celebrates the past, present, and future of music while highlighting Mississippi’s deep musical roots.
The Museum features public events, educational programming, multimedia exhibits, and interactive displays that honor Mississippi songwriters, producers, and musicians who have shaped the American sound.
For more information, visit grammymuseumms.org.
