Taylor Swift will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame this autumn, becoming the youngest person ever to receive the honour at 36 years old. The announcement was made Tuesday in a livestream hosted by executive director Mark Ford, with Swift sending a statement to be read on her behalf.
“From the time I started writing songs as a child, I fixated on Nashville as the perfect place to be,” Swift said in her statement. “I wanted to learn with and from the best and get to immerse myself in a community of storytellers, and thankfully Nashville turned out to be exactly what I’d dreamed of. A town that validated and prioritized hard work, determination and imagination. Where the writers show up to work every day even when the mysterious muses and the magic don’t. To be honored by this city I love so much is a beautiful thing, and I’m very grateful.”
Swift was inducted in the contemporary songwriter/artist category, which honours writers with 20 or more years in the craft. This year marks the 20th anniversary of her debut album, Taylor Swift — the record that began her Nashville story. The induction follows Swift’s entry into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York in June, at which point she became the youngest female writer ever to join that hall as well.
The Other Inductees
Also named to the hall Tuesday: Lyle Lovett in the veteran songwriter/artist division; Shawn Camp and Lee Thomas Miller in the contemporary songwriter category; and Bruce Channel in the veteran songwriter category. Camp’s credits include Garth Brooks’ “Two Piña Coladas,” Willie Nelson’s “A Beautiful Time,” and Brooks & Dunn’s “How Long Gone.” Miller wrote Jamey Johnson’s “In Color,” Joe Nichols’ “The Impossible,” and Trace Adkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This.” Channel’s own recording of “Hey! Baby!” became a hit, alongside cuts by Mel McDaniel and John Conlee.
Miller offered a dry tribute at the announcement event: “I’m so happy that Taylor Swift finally got a break. She needed a win.”
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1970 and had 254 members before Tuesday’s announcement. This year’s nominees also included Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Phil Vassar, Jim Beavers, and others. The induction ceremony date this autumn has not yet been announced.
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