Willie Nelson among SXSW Online Keynote speakers

The Chainsmokers, Queen Latifah, LL Cool J and others also featured

South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals has announced legendary musician, philanthropist and entrepreneur Willie Nelson as Keynote, along with an initial wave of Featured Speakers and over 230 conference sessions for SXSW Online, running March 16–20th. SXSW Online is a premiere digital experience featuring Conference sessions, Music Festival showcases, Film Festival screenings, world-class networking, and the unexpected discoveries that are always a part of SXSW.

“No individual has had the cultural impact on, or been more synonymous with the creative vibrancy of Austin than Willie Nelson, and we are incredibly honored to have him as a SXSW Online 2021 Keynote,” states Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer. “In addition to dozens of incredible Featured Speakers, today’s announcement also includes more than 200 sessions curated from our global community via PanelPicker, and is a key part of the premium content you can expect from SXSW Online 2021.”

The Chainsmokers, Queen Latifah and LL Cool J are among the other 230+ programming sessions sourced from the community and curated by SXSW staff. A full list of sessions can be found at sxsw.com.

The SXSW Conference explores what’s next across entertainment, culture and technology, presented in a variety of formats. SXSW Online programming sessions are organized by themes (A New Urgency, Challenging Tech’s Path Forward, Cultural Resilience in the Arts, The Rebirth Of Business, Transforming the Entertainment Landscape, Connection in Disconnection and An Uncharted Future), which are specifically focused on our unique moment in history and a glimpse into what the future could look like. More information about SXSW programming formats and themes can be found here.

Nelson has earned every conceivable award as a musician and continues to thrive as a relevant and progressive musical and cultural force. In recent years, he has delivered more than a dozen new albums, released a Top 10 New York Times’ bestsellers book, again headlined Farm Aid, an event he co-founded in 1985, been honored by the Library of Congress with their Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, received his 5th degree black belt in Gong Kwon Yu Sul, headlined the annual Luck Reunion food and music festival during SXSW, and launched his cannabis companies Willie’s Reserve and Willie’s Remedy.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com