Saddle up, music fans — the 152nd Kentucky Derby just got a whole lot more soulful. Churchill Downs has announced that GRAMMY and Blues Music Award-winning powerhouses Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi will perform the national anthem ahead of this Saturday’s Run for the Roses, May 2nd, 2026. Their rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” will air live just after 5:00 p.m. EDT as part of NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage.

“Tedeschi Trucks Band’s soulful sound and remarkable vocal presence make them an exciting addition to this year’s Kentucky Derby,” said Mike Anderson, president of Churchill Downs Racetrack. “We’re thrilled to welcome them to Churchill Downs and know their performance will capture the energy, emotion, and spirit that define Derby Day.”

It’s a fitting moment for the husband-and-wife duo, who lead one of the most dynamic ensembles in modern American music. The 12-piece Tedeschi Trucks Band recently released their sixth studio album, Future Soul, and have launched a sweeping six-month North American tour in support of the record. The album is the latest milestone in a career already decorated with a 2012 GRAMMY for Best Blues Album (for their debut Revelator), multiple GRAMMY nominations, and a trophy case full of Blues Music Awards and Americana Music Association nods.

“Performing at the Kentucky Derby is a true honor for us,” Tedeschi and Trucks said in a joint statement. “We’re thrilled to be invited and grateful for the opportunity to perform at such an iconic event.”

The band joins a storied lineage of Derby anthem performers, a list that includes Grace Potter (2025), Wynonna Judd (2024), Carly Pearce (2023), Brittney Spencer (2022), Tori Kelly (2021), Jennifer Nettles (2019), Pentatonix (2018), Harry Connick, Jr. (2017), Lady A (2016), Josh Groban (2015), Jo Dee Messina (2014), Martina McBride (2013), Mary J. Blige (2012), Jordin Sparks (2011), Rascal Flatts (2010), and LeAnn Rimes (2009).

Beyond Derby Day, 2026 is shaping up to be a banner year for TTB. The band has already announced major festival appearances including Bonnaroo and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, with their annual headlining tour rolling across the country all summer long. It’s the latest chapter for a group that has sold out Madison Square Garden, logged 20-plus nights at Red Rocks, performed at the 2024 Kennedy Center Honors, and helped induct one of their heroes, Joe Cocker, into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025.

Tune in to NBC on Saturday to catch the performance live before the horses leave the gate — and dive into Future Soul and the rest of the Tedeschi Trucks Band catalog on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5WUlDfRSoLAfcVSX1WnrxN