Career Timeline of Brandi Carlile: Major Achievements and Milestones
From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Brandi Carlile made an impact.
Brandi Carlile is an acclaimed American singer-songwriter and producer known for her genre-bending music, which incorporates elements of folk rock, alternative country, Americana, and classic rock. She has achieved significant critical and commercial success, evidenced by her eleven Grammy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and an Academy Award nomination. Her impact extends beyond music, establishing her as a prominent figure in contemporary American culture.
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Brandi Carlile has been named one of Time magazine's 2026 Women of the Year. Meanwhile, Genevieve Heyward is set to perform on American Idol, and Mahnoor Omer challenges Pakistan's 'Period Tax'.
2004: Carlile Signs with Columbia Records
In 2004, Brandi Carlile signed with Columbia Records based on the strength of her home recordings.
2005: Recognition as an Artist to Watch
In 2005, Brandi Carlile garnered enthusiastic reviews for her album and was featured on Rolling Stone's "10 Artists to Watch" list, as well as other "artist to watch" lists by Interview and Paste.
2005: Release of debut album Brandi Carlile
In 2005, Brandi Carlile released her debut major label album, Brandi Carlile, which received critical acclaim.
2006: Carlile Embarks on Headlining Tours and Supports Other Artists
By the end of 2006, Brandi Carlile had embarked on several headlining tours and supported artists such as Ray LaMontagne, the Fray, Chris Isaak, Tori Amos, and Shawn Colvin.
2007: Release and Recognition of "The Story" Album
In 2007, Brandi Carlile released "The Story", produced by T-Bone Burnett, garnering critical acclaim and solidifying her status as a singular talent.
2007: Release of "The Story"
In 2007, Brandi Carlile released the single "The Story" from her album of the same name, gaining wider recognition.
2008: Carlile Establishes Looking Out Foundation
In 2008, Brandi Carlile and Tim and Phil Hanseroth established the Looking Out Foundation, a non-profit organization to support causes they believe in.
2008: "The Story" Featured in Commercials
In 2008, Brandi Carlile's song "The Story" was featured heavily in General Motors commercials during the Summer Olympics, leading to a 368 percent increase in album sales and a surge in downloads of the single.
2009: Release of "Give Up the Ghost" and Debut on Billboard 200
In 2009, Brandi Carlile released Give Up the Ghost, produced by Rick Rubin, which debuted at No. 26 on the Billboard 200.
November 2010: Recording of Live Album at Benaroya Hall
In November 2010, Brandi Carlile recorded her live album, Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony, during two sold-out shows at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, Washington.
2010: Carlile wins Seattle's City of Music Breakthrough Award
In 2010, Brandi Carlile won Seattle's City of Music Breakthrough Award.
2011: Release of Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony
In 2011, Brandi Carlile's album Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony was released, reaching number 14 on the Top Rock Albums chart.
2012: Reference to previous album Bear Creek
In 2012, Brandi Carlile released the album Bear Creek.
2012: Catherine Shepherd becomes Executive Director of Looking Out Foundation
Since 2012, Catherine, Brandi Carlile's wife, has been the Executive Director of the Looking Out Foundation.
January 11, 2014: National Anthem Performance and Cover Recording
On January 11, 2014, Brandi Carlile sang the national anthem for the Saints vs. Seahawks NFL playoff game, and recorded a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" for the compilation album Sweetheart 2014.
March 3, 2015: Release of The Firewatcher's Daughter
On March 3, 2015, Brandi Carlile released her fifth album, The Firewatcher's Daughter, on ATO Records.
May 2017: Carlile releases Cover Stories benefit album
In May 2017, Brandi Carlile released Cover Stories, a benefit album featuring songs from her 2007 album, The Story, with proceeds benefiting War Child UK.
February 16, 2018: Release of By the Way, I Forgive You Album
On February 16, 2018, Brandi Carlile released her sixth studio album, By the Way, I Forgive You, produced by Dave Cobb and Shooter Jennings. She performed songs from the album on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
July 2018: Carlile announces Girls Just Wanna Weekend music festival
In July 2018, Brandi Carlile announced the creation of her own music festival, "Girls Just Wanna Weekend," which took place in early 2019.
October 2018: Carlile teams up with Sam Smith for "Party of One" duet
In October 2018, Brandi Carlile collaborated with Sam Smith to re-imagine the single "Party of One" as a duet, with proceeds benefiting the Story Campaign.
January 16, 2019: Carlile performs at Chris Cornell tribute concert
On January 16, 2019, Brandi Carlile participated in a five-hour tribute concert honoring Chris Cornell at The Forum in Los Angeles, where she performed renditions of "Hunger Strike", "Like a Stone", and "Black Hole Sun". The proceeds from the event benefited the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation and the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation.
February 3, 2019: Girls Just Wanna Weekend festival concludes
On February 3, 2019, Brandi Carlile's music festival, "Girls Just Wanna Weekend" concluded in Puerto Aventuras on the Riviera Maya in Mexico, featuring all-female musicians.
July 19, 2019: The Highwomen debut single "Redesigning Women" released
On July 19, 2019, The Highwomen, a supergroup co-founded by Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, and Maren Morris, released their debut single "Redesigning Women".
October 14, 2019: Carlile performs Joni Mitchell's album Blue
On October 14, 2019, Brandi Carlile performed Joni Mitchell's album Blue in its entirety at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
2019: Carlile Forms The Highwomen and Wins Grammy Awards for Tanya Tucker's Album
In 2019, Brandi Carlile formed the all-female quartet called the Highwomen with Amanda Shires, Maren Morris, and Natalie Hemby, and she received three Grammy Awards for her work as a songwriter on Tanya Tucker's album While I'm Livin'.
February 2020: Carlile named Record Store Day 2020 Ambassador
In February 2020, Brandi Carlile was announced as the Record Store Day 2020 Ambassador.
June 2, 2020: Carlile teams up with Soundgarden members to re-record songs
On June 2, 2020, Brandi Carlile collaborated with Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden at Seattle's London Bridge Studio to re-record new versions of "Black Hole Sun" and "Searching with My Good Eye Closed".
September 26, 2020: Release of "A Rooster Says" vinyl with Soundgarden songs
On September 26, 2020, during a Record Store Day event, Brandi Carlile and Soundgarden members released "A Rooster Says", a 12-inch single vinyl featuring new versions of the Soundgarden songs "Black Hole Sun" and "Searching with My Good Eye Closed".
October 2020: Carlile and Keys release "A Beautiful Noise" to encourage voting
In October 2020, Brandi Carlile and Alicia Keys urged people to vote with their song "A Beautiful Noise", performed on 'Every Vote Counts: A Celebration of Democracy'.
April 2021: Carlile releases autobiography Broken Horses: A Memoir
In April 2021, Brandi Carlile released her autobiography, Broken Horses: A Memoir, which debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list for non-fiction.
September 2021: City of Hope Confirms Carlile to Join Songs of Hope Program
In late September 2021, City of Hope confirmed that Brandi Carlile would participate in the 16th annual Songs of Hope celebration program.
October 1, 2021: Carlile releases album In These Silent Days
On October 1, 2021, Brandi Carlile released her seventh album, In These Silent Days. The album debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and topped the Top Rock Albums and Americana/Folk Albums charts.
October 2021: Carlile expresses interest in collaborating with Soundgarden
In October 2021, Rolling Stone reported that Brandi Carlile expressed interest in continuing to collaborate with the surviving members of Soundgarden.
October 23, 2021: Carlile performs on Saturday Night Live
On October 23, 2021, Brandi Carlile was the musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night Live, performing "Right on Time" and "Broken Horses".
December 10, 2022: Carlile performs on SNL with Lucius
On December 10, 2022, Brandi Carlile reappeared on Saturday Night Live as a musical guest, performing "The Story" and "You and Me on the Rock" with Lucius.
2022: Carlile receives multiple Grammy nominations for Song of the Year
In 2022, Brandi Carlile received two Grammy nominations for Song of the Year, becoming the first female songwriter to achieve this since 1994.
2022: Mitchell performs with Carlile at Newport Folk Festival
In 2022, Joni Mitchell performed with Brandi Carlile and her associates as the closing act of the Newport Folk Festival. It was Mitchell's first full-length performance since the early 2000s and her first appearance at the festival since 1969. The live performance was inducted into Mitchell's live album Joni Mitchell at Newport, also produced by Carlile, winning the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album.
January 2023: Carlile headlines inauguration party for Governor Maura Healey
In January 2023, Brandi Carlile headlined the inauguration party for Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, the first lesbian governor in the United States.
February 2023: The Looking Out Foundation Raises Funds for Earthquake Relief
In February 2023, the Looking Out Foundation raised $300,000 in seven days for the 2023 Turkey-Syria earthquake relief effort. Brandi and her wife Catherine were also honored amongst People's 2023 Women Changing the World for their work with the Looking Out Foundation.
2024: Carlile Collaborates With Elton John On "Never Too Late"
In 2024, Brandi Carlile collaborated with Elton John on the single "Never Too Late", the theme to John's 2024 documentary of the same name, which was nominated for Best Original Song at the 97th Academy Awards.
April 5, 2025: Carlile and John perform on SNL
On April 5, 2025, Brandi Carlile performed alongside Elton John on SNL to promote their new album Who Believes in Angels?.
April 2025: Carlile and John release joint album
In April 2025, Brandi Carlile and Elton John released the collaborative album Who Believes in Angels?, which debuted at number nine on the Billboard 200 and at number one on the UK Albums Chart.
June 2025: Carlile Performs in the UK and at Glastonbury Festival
In June 2025, Brandi Carlile performed at the Opera House in Manchester, The Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, and performed an afternoon set on The Pyramid Stage during Glastonbury Festival, Somerset.
September 3, 2025: Carlile announces new album and single
On September 3, 2025, Brandi Carlile announced her ninth studio album Returning to Myself and released the album's title track as the lead single the same day.
October 24, 2025: Carlile releases new album
On October 24, 2025, Brandi Carlile released her ninth studio album Returning to Myself.
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