Who is singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl? What to know about Jon Batiste
Over the last six decades, the Super Bowl has grown into the biggest sporting event of the year in America. The meeting between the AFC and NFC champions is much more than a game. It's an annual show of sports and entertainment as companies spend millions of dollars on advertisements alone as nearly 100 million people will tune in worldwide.
The Super Bowl's halftime show is one of the biggest attractions every year. Since the mid-1990s, pop stars have taken to the stage in the game's longest scheduled break in an exciting display of music and production.
But before the halftime show, there are still multiple musical acts to watch before kickoff. The first of those acts in a singer performing the national anthem. Country music star Reba McEntire performed it in Las Vegas last year to start Super Bowl 58.
Here's who will be performing the national anthem at Super Bowl 59.
Who is singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl?
Singer Jon Batiste will sing the national anthem at the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans. The Academy and Grammy Award-winning artist is making his first appearance in the Super Bowl as a performer.
Who is Jon Batiste?
The Metairie, Louisiana native grew up in the New Orleans suburb of Kenner. He's part of the Batiste family, a musical dynasty in the New Orleans area that produced dozens of notable musicians.
"I have over 30 cousins that play," Batiste said in 2021.
Batiste started out playing drums with his family band before switching to piano as a teenager. He released his first album at age 17 and attended Juilliard School.
While at Juilliard, he formed a band called "Stay Human" with peers Phil Juehn (bass) and Joe Saylor (drums). Starting in 2015, the band has performed as the house band on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on CBS.
Batiste has released six studio albums. His album "We Are" won Album of the Year and Best R&B Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards. In 2020, Batiste co-composed the score for the Pixar animated movie "Soul" and won an Academy Award (Best Original Score), a Grammy Award (Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media) and a Golden Globe (Best Original Score) for his work on the movie.
Who is singing at the 2025 Super Bowl?
The NFL picked artists for the 2025 Super Bowl with ties to New Orleans and Louisiana as a whole, Batiste included. Fellow Louisiana natives Lauren Daigle, Trombone Shorty and Ledisi will perform prior to the game.
"We're honored to work with this year's pregame lineup to celebrate the rich musical legacy of New Orleans and the entire state," NFL head of music Seth Dudowsky said in a statement. "The Super Bowl is a rare moment to unite fans around the world, and this year's performers will bring the energy, soul and vibrant sounds of the region to a global stage, as we kickoff Super Bowl LIX with a celebration to remember."
Here's a fill list of the singers performing before and during the game in Super Bowl 59:
- National anthem: Jon Batiste
- "America The Beautiful": Lauren Daigle and Trombone Shorty
- "Lift Every Voice and Sing": Ledisi
- Halftime show: Kendrick Lamar and guest SZA