Thanksgiving is finally here, and with the holiday comes a full day of NFL football! Each game is basically a prime-time game, with all the festivities that usually come with playing in a prime-time slot. That means that not only will we get some excellent halftime shows, but also nationally televised national anthem performances before each game.
Here’s who will be singing before each Thanksgiving game today.
Who Will Be Singing the National Anthems at the NFL Thanksgiving Games in 2023?
Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers
The first game of the holiday is an NFC North battle between the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. Before the game starts, husband and wife duo The War and Treaty will kick things off with the national anthem in Detroit.
Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter form the Americana and soul band, and they released their first studio album back in 2018 called Healing Tide.
According to the duo’s official website, in 2023, The War and Treaty became the first black duo to be nominated for the Country Music Association Award for Duo of the Year, along with being the first to be nominated for the Academy of Country Music Award for Duo of the Year. They have received two nominations for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist.
Michael took to social media to announce the news of the duo’s appearance ahead of the Lions game.
“Love has gotten us through every hard moment. Every twist & turn. Every struggle. Love is the centerpiece to perseverance. It is the key to everything we do & the reason we are here today. We cannot wait to spend Thanksgiving with you at the Lions game on Thursday!!”
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders
The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders will get their game started around the same time that dinner will be served for many Americans (4:30 p.m. ET). But the game cannot get started until Cowboys staple Freddie Jones, the jazz trumpet player and music composer, starts the national anthem.
Beautiful rendition of the National Anthem by trumpeter Freddie Jones 🫡
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 23, 2023
Jones has been Dallas’ national anthem artist for every single home game since 2013. Thanksgiving will not change that. The renowned Jazz artist headlines his own band, the Freddie Jones Jazz Group, and has been playing the trumpet at the professional level since he was 15.
MORE: Cowboys Thanksgiving Tradition
During an interview with the Dallas Observer, Jones discussed how his career with the Cowboys started and what he wanted to do differently.
“I just wanted to play it with no tricks. And it’s fun,” Jones explains of his gig with the Cowboys. “I didn’t wake up one morning and go, ‘Oh my god, how cool would it be to play the national anthem?’ Nah, I didn’t do that. It was the last thing I would think I was gonna be doing.”
Seattle Seahawks vs. San Francisco 49ers
The last game of the Thanksgiving Day slate is a NFC West battle between the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. Who will have the honor of closing out the day with the last national anthem of Thanksgiving? Well, that goes to Tinashe.
.@Tinashe gives us a perfect start to the night with her rendition of the Star Spangled Banner 🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/lUj04RenmE
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 24, 2023
Tinashe is a multi-platinum and award-winning R&B, pop, and hip-hop singer, songwriter, and dancer who has a global following of over 13 million people on social media.
MORE: Revisiting Creed’s Legendary Halftime Performance
According to Wikipedia, in 2015, Tinashe appeared on Britney Spears’ single “Slumber Party,” which topped Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart. Her second studio album, Nightride (2016), reached number eight on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the US.
Joyride (2018), her third studio album, peaked at number 58 on the Billboard 200 chart and reached number six on the UK R&B Albums chart. After departing RCA, Tinashe independently released the albums Songs for You (2019), 333 (2021), and BB/Ang3l (2023).
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!
