Austin, TX (November 6, 2026) – Local nonprofit The SIMS Foundation announced today that Gina Chavez, Paige Plaisance and Mélat will perform at Music For The Mind, presented by Favor Delivery, a one-night-only gala commemorating over 30 years of supporting mental health in Austin’s music community.
Gina Chavez is a Latin Grammy nominee for Best Pop/Rock Album, 16-time Austin Music Award winner, including 2019 Best Female Vocals and 2015 Austin Musician of the Year. Gina was most recently awarded the 2025 People’s Voice Award by the Folk Alliance International. Her NPR Tiny Desk concert has more than 1.4 million views and her hour-long PBS special is available nationwide.
Austin-based singer-songwriter and pianist Paige Plaisance is carving out her own lane as she coins the term Swampytonkin’-a mix of country and soulful blues. Having earned her stripes as a treasured fixture of the Texas music scene, Plaisance is now touring nationally promoting her second album Swampwater. Growing up on a farm in Louisiana near the muddy Mississippi River, Plaisance honed her skills on the piano before moving to Austin, TX which she now calls home.
Mélat doesn’t just sing, she tells stories of love, identity, and self-discovery through music that bridges soul, R&B, and cinematic pop weaving in flashes of Amharic that trace back to her Ethiopian roots. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, as a first-generation Ethiopian-American, she writes about love in its many forms, treating it as the one thing worth telling the truth about. She has headlined across the country and opened for acclaimed artists such as Macy Gray, The Internet, Thundercat, PJ Morton, and Kool & The Gang.
It was previously announced that renowned researcher and bestselling author Brené Brown will be the special guest speaker.
Additionally, SIMS Foundation also announced that Trevor Scott, co-host of CBS Austin’s morning lifestyle show, We Are Austin, will emcee the evening program. A passionate supporter of Austin’s vibrant music community and an advocate for mental health awareness, Trevor believes in the power of connection, compassion and conversation to make a meaningful difference. He has proudly worked alongside the SIMS Foundation for years, helping amplify its vital mission of providing mental health and substance use recovery resources to music industry professionals and their families.
Held on Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at Assembly Hall (1121 E 7th St), this intimate and elevated evening will gather 200 of Austin’s most influential musicians, industry leaders, creatives, and philanthropists for a celebration of the people who make our city the Live Music Capital of the World.
The night will feature a three-course seated dinner, open bar, silent auction, and an unforgettable, intimate live music performance which will soon be announced.
The evening will also celebrate two previously announced honorees whose work has made a lasting impact on Austin’s music and mental health communities. The Sims Ellison Impact Award, presented annually to a local music industry veteran who has left a lasting mark on Austin’s music scene and its musicians, will honor Amy Corbin, Promoter and South Region President of U.S. Concerts for C3 Presents and Live Nation. SIMS will also present its inaugural SIMS Champion of Care Award to Geronimo Rodriguez, Chair of Central Health and former Chief Advocacy Officer for Ascension Texas. The newly established award recognizes an individual whose work and advocacy have made a meaningful impact on mental health and access to care in Central Texas.
There are very limited high top seats left. For more info on tickets and sponsorships, please visit: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/simsfoundation/event/2026mftm/
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SIMS Foundation would like to thank this year’s partners for the 2026 Music For The Mind gala: Favor Delivery, C3 Presents and Sendero Health. Additional in-kind pals include WHITT ROSS, Nomad Sound, ILIOS Productions, kj pr, Hope Family Wines, Nomad Sound, Big Hat, Lalo Tequila, Ben E Keith, Still Austin, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Panacea Collective, Rambler Sparking Water, Little Lucy’s Mini Donuts and more.
Last year’s Music For The Mind raised over $132,000, enough to fund more than 2,500 mental health sessions for Central Texas music industry professionals and their families.