A committee of seven members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the House selects the state musician based on recommendations from the Texas Commission on the Arts.
| Year | Musican, Hometown/Residence |
| 2003 | James Dick, Round Top |
| 2004 | Ray Benson, Austin |
| 2005 | Johnny Gimble, Tyler |
| 2006 | Billy Joe Shaver, Waco |
| 2007 | Dale Watson, Pasadena/Austin |
| 2008 | Shelley King, Austin |
| 2009 | Willie Nelson, Abbott/Austin |
| 2010 | Sara Hickman, Austin |
| 2011 | Lyle Lovett, Klein |
| 2012 | Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Houston |
| 2013 | Craig Hella Johnson, Austin |
| 2014 | Flaco Jiménez, San Antonio |
| 2015 | Jimmie Vaughn, Dallas/Austin |
| 2016 | Joe Ely, Lubbock, Austin |
| 2017 | George Strait, Poteet/San Antonio |
| 2018 | Marcia Ball, Orange/Austin |
| 2019 | Little Joe Hernandez, Temple/San Antonio |
| 2020 | Emily Gimble, Austin |
