Paramount Network
In a state that doesn’t hand out compliments lightly, getting called “Texas Made” means something. At this year’s ATX TV Festival, “Landman” — the Paramount+ oilfield drama starring Billy Bob Thornton and co-created by West Texas native Christian Wallace and “Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan — will receive the festival’s very first “Texas Made” Award.
Presented in partnership with Media For Texas — the state’s leading media advocacy nonprofit — the award recognizes film and television productions with Texas roots that go beyond just setting a story here. It celebrates the storytellers and crews who are actually building careers, creating jobs, and expanding the cultural footprint of the state. In other words, not just filming in Texas, but for Texas.
Wallace will accept the award alongside Thornton and co-star Jacob Lofland, according to a release. The trio will follow the presentation with a panel discussing the show’s gritty, boom-or-bust oilfield drama that has drawn national attention — and broken streaming records for Paramount+ — since its debut last November.
“Landman’s” origin story is as Texan as they come. The series was inspired by “Boomtown,” a podcast Wallace hosted for Texas Monthly and Imperative Entertainment, which pulled back the curtain on life in the Permian Basin during the latest oil rush. Sheridan — whose storytelling résumé already reads like a love letter to the American West — co-created the show, grounding it in the real-world push and pull of fortune-seeking roughnecks and high-stakes energy deals.
Filmed in and around Fort Worth, “Landman” blends high drama with high-dollar drilling. Thornton plays Tommy Norris, a crisis manager navigating the volatile world of oil politics and personal fallout. The cast also includes heavy hitters like Demi Moore, Jon Hamm, and Andy Garcia, along with rising Texas-connected talents like Paulina Chávez and Jacob Lofland.
In a statement, the festival noted that the Texas Made Award honors those “creating professional opportunities for the creative community within the state, and bolstering Texas as a creative and cultural center through their work.”
Translation: this isn’t just about glitz, it's about grit. About keeping stories in Texas — and keeping the crews, the cash, and the cultural impact here, too.
The ATX TV Festival runs May 29 to June 2 in Austin, with the “Landman” award presentation and panel set to be one of its marquee events. As for what’s next? Filming for Season 2 is currently underway in Fort Worth and surrounding areas, with production having started in April 2025. The new season is expected to premiere in November 2025.
