William Prince has gone from homelessness and the depths of grief to now being on the verge of a huge breakout. He’s just been nominated for Emerging Artist Of The Year at the 2023 Americana Music Association Awards and, today, announces that he’ll be a showcasing artist at AMERICANAFEST 2023.

His new album Stand In Joy — which was produced by GRAMMY-winner Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile) — celebrates the small, accessible moments of happiness in each day, with a “noble baritone” (Associated Press) and an everyman eye for detail reminiscent of John Prine. He excavates the circumstances of his upbringing on a Peguis First Nation reservation in Canada in search of a universal human element.

William Prince’s name has been ascendant in recent years: he’s opened for Neil Young and Buffy Saint-Marie and had his music played on both Yellowstone and at NPR’s Tiny Desk. He recently made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry and performed with Willie Nelson at a Farm Aid fundraiser.

Listen to Stand in the Joy here.