The Grulke Prize

The Grulke Prize®, awarded in three categories, was developed in honor of our friend and colleague Creative Director Brent Grulke, who passed away on August 13, 2012.


John Fogerty - Photo by Diego Donamaria

John Fogerty - Photo by Diego Donamaria

About The Grulke Prize

 

Brent Grulke had a lengthy career in many areas of the music industry, working as music editor at the Austin Chronicle, sound engineer and tour manager for many Austin bands, and production and sound engineer for clubs in San Francisco. He later moved to Los Angeles to become the manager at Spindletop Records, which eventually led him back to Austin where he became the longtime Creative Director of the SXSW Music Festival.

Brent's love of music and the spirit of the festival is reflected in the three prize categories: Developing Artist, Developing International Artist, and Legacy Artist.

The Developing Artist Prize is for artists who are breaking new ground with their creativity and show the most promise in achieving their career goals. The Legacy Artist Prize is for an established artist who appeared at SXSW to reinvent themselves or launch an important new project. Explore past awards and this year's recipients below.

2026 Grulke Prize Winner

Angela Autumn

Developing Artist

The Nashville-based singer is at the forefront of the next generation of alt country artists pushing the genre forward in new and exciting ways. Autumn played to raucous crowds and rave reviews this year with showcases performances with Armadillo World Headquarters, Deloyd Elze x Make Out Music, and High Road Touring.

Angela Autumn is a songwriter and banjo player from a forgotten steel town. Strongly tied to the buried stories of her childhood, her dark country songs reinvent folk tradition through the lens of eco-feminist transcendentalism. The singer’s straightforward lack of pretension speaks from the vantage point of the outsider — and, often — the sounds of the unspoken.

2026 Grulke Prize Winner

La Texana

Developing International Artist

With four performances across three nights at SXSW 2026 — including showcases with KEXP's El Sonido Live!, Vinilious Records and AS Colour + Monster Children — La Texana performed for packed crowds and showed off his unique Mexican post-punk sound.

La Texana, the music project of José Ramírez, was born in 2021 in Tijuana, Baja California. At 17, with just a laptop and guitar, he began recording music inspired by Spanish alternative rock and post-punk influences. He debuted with Nunca He Sabido Amar, and in 2023 released his first EP, Morro, featuring Un Día Como Hoy, now with over 6.5 million streams. In 2025, La Texana released his first full-length album, signed by the Spanish label Sonido Muchacho "La Casa Que Cae," a 10-track record exploring identity and new beginnings, reaching over 8 million streams. His style continues to evolve, blending vulnerability and nostalgia, while connecting with a new generation of Mexican musicians and growing an international audience.

2026 Grulke Prize Winner

Los Lobos

Legacy Artist

The journey of Los Lobos began in 1973 playing revved-up versions of Mexican folk music in restaurants and at parties. The band evolved in the 1980s as it tapped into LA’s burgeoning punk and college rock scenes. Over their career, Los Lobos has become known for sharp artistic turns and daring and diverse albums. Los Lobos has sold millions of records, won prestigious awards, and made fans around the world. But perhaps its most lasting impact will be how well their music embodies the idea of America as a cultural melting pot. In it, styles like son jarocho, norteño, Tejano, folk, country, doo-wop, soul, R&B, rock ’n’ roll, and punk all come together to create a new sound that’s greater than the sum of its parts.

Los Lobos performed an intimate set at the iconic Continental Club at SXSW 2026 in support of "Los Lobos Native Sons," the definitive, authorized chronicle of one of America’s most enduring, genre-defying bands. Tracing Los Lobos’ rise from East LA streets to global acclaim, the film offers unprecedented access to their archives and an intimate look at the brotherhood driving their journey. The film celebrates their legacy as cultural trailblazers blending rock, roots, and Mexican traditions into a sound uniquely their own.

 

SXSW 2025 GRULKE PRIZE WINNERS

Developing Artist: Samara Cyn
Developing International Artist: jasmine.4.t
Legacy Artist: John Fogerty

SXSW 2024 GRULKE PRIZE WINNERS

Developing Artist: Estevie
Developing International Artist: TENGGER
Legacy Artist: Zapp

SXSW 2023 GRULKE PRIZE WINNERS

Developing Artist: Blondeshell
Developing International Artist: Balming Tiger
Legacy Artist: The Zombies

SXSW 2022 GRULKE PRIZE WINNERS

Developing Artist: Horsegirl
Developing International Artist: Yard Act
Legacy Artist: Dolly Parton

SXSW 2019 GRULKE PRIZE WINNERS

Developing Artist: Pink Sweat$
Developing International Artist: Angie McMahon
Legacy Artist: The Chills

SXSW 2018 GRULKE PRIZE WINNERS

Developing Artist: Starcrawler
Developing International Artist: Jade Bird
Legacy Artist: Todd Rundgren

SXSW 2017 GRULKE PRIZE WINNERS

Developing Artist: The Lemon Twigs
Developing International Artist: Jain
Legacy Artist: Robyn Hitchcock

SXSW 2016 GRULKE PRIZE WINNERS

Developing Artist: Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals
Developing International Artist: Låpsley
Legacy Artist: Iggy Pop

SXSW 2015 GRULKE PRIZE WINNERS

Developing Artist: Leon Bridges
Developing International Artist: Courtney Barnett
Legacy Artist: Spoon

SXSW 2014 GRULKE PRIZE WINNERS

Developing Artist: Future Islands
Developing International Artist: The Strypes
Legacy Artist: Damon Albarn

SXSW 2013 GRULKE PRIZE WINNERS

Developing Artist: Haim
Developing International Artist: CHVRCHES
Legacy Artist: The Flaming Lips

 

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