Ashley Gorley, Alan Jackson & More Honored At 7th Annual Nashville Songwriter Awards
Tuesday night in Nashville was all about celebrating the songwriters.
Ashley Gorley, Alan Jackson; Photo by Jason Davis for NSAI
Songwriters, members of the music industry, and fans gathered at Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium on Tuesday night for the 7th Annual Nashville Songwriter Awards. The evening, sponsored by City National Bank, celebrated this year’s top songs and recognized several honorees with special awards.
“This is a very special show because this is the songwriters’ show tonight. We showcase the songwriters,” Lee Thomas Miller, Board President, NSAI, explained. “This is a very coveted award ceremony because these awards are voted on by the most toughest critics in the world, the other songwriters. So anytime that you receive one of the ‘Songs I Wish I’d Written,’ there’s no greater honor. So it’s a big deal.”
The night kicked off with a breathtaking performance by Amanda Shires, paying tribute to NSAI’s 2024 ‘Legendary Song’ – “Always On My Mind,” written by Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher, and Mark James. The program continued with a lineup of performers taking center stage to celebrate the award categories and the honored songs of the evening.
Songwriter of the Year
Ashley Gorley was celebrated as ‘Songwriter of the Year’ for a record-breaking eighth time. The audience enjoyed special performances of “World on Fire” by Nate Smith and “Young Love and Saturday Nights” by Chris Young, honoring two of Gorley’s standout hits from the award-winning year.
Ahead of the show, Gorley reflected on the award, telling Country Now it was a “huge, huge honor” to be recognized.
“This NSAI show is just really special because it’s voted on by songwriters,” he pointed out.
Song of the Year
The night’s top honor, ‘Song of the Year,’ was awarded to Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins, and Ryan Larkins for their hit song “The Painter,” which was recorded by country superstar Cody Johnson.
For Larkins, winning Song of the Year marked a pinnacle in his career.
“It means so much to me to win Song of the Year. I’ve been writing songs since I was 12 years old, and to have an award voted on by our peers, that means so much to me and it’s going to be a special night,” he shared with us ahead of the show.
Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award
Alan Jackson received the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his wildly successful career, which includes a whopping 26 No.1 hits.
“When I walk out onstage every night to sing, I tell people I’m going to sing real country music – songs about life and love and heartache and drinkin’ and dancin’ and cryin’ and Mama and having a good time,” Jackson shared from the stage. “That’s what it’s always been about for me.”
He went on to add, “I’m a little overwhelmed. I’ve been very fortunate. I didn’t know anything about the music business or songwriting. I just came to town…learned a lot…had a lot of help.”
The audience enjoyed several performances of songs he co-wrote, including “Livin’ On Love” by Hailey Whitters, “Here In The Real World” by Lee Ann Womack, and “Midnight In Montgomery” by Josh Turner.
Whitters admitted she was “so nervous” before taking the stage and later took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her excitement over the opportunity to perform for the country music icon.
“Got to sing my hero [Alan Jackson’s] song back to him last night at the mother church and pretty sure it’s the craziest, wildest, how the hell did I get here moment of my career/life so far,” she wrote.
President’s Keystone Award
Another esteemed honor of the evening, the NSAI President’s Keystone Award, was given to the legendary producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon, in recognition of his many years of impactful contributions to the music industry and his efforts to uplift songwriters. Cannon was celebrated with a performance of “Give It Away” by Jamey Johnson, a song co-written by Cannon, Johnson, and Bill Anderson.
“It’s really an awkward feeling to me,” Cannon admitted to us just moments before the show. “I’m used to being a behind-the-scenes guy and a cheerleader for the songwriters, and I’ve written songs myself. But this President’s Award… It’s coming from the organization and it’s gratifying. I’m really happy to be here.”
10 Songs I Wish I’d Written
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written awards, voted on by the songwriting community. Special performances of these songs took place throughout the evening.
Parker McCollum, whose song “Handle On You,” written by McCollum with Monty Criswell, was one of the 10 songs honored on Tuesday evening.
“This is the one that matters, the songwriter awards,” McCollum declared. “When I was in junior high school writing songs, I really wanted to be a songwriter. Before I wanted to even be a country singer, I wanted to write songs. I knew I liked that and I thought I was okay at it. So to get all these years down the road and then get to be recognized by the most talented songwriters and musicians and artists in the world and here in Nashville, Tennessee, it just is so good.”
See below for a complete list of award winners below.
SONG OF THE YEAR
“The Painter” Written by Benjy Davis, Kat Higgins, Ryan Larkins
SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
Ashley Gorley
SONGWRITER-ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll
KRIS KRISTOFFERSON LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Alan Jackson
NSAI PRESIDENT’S KEYSTONE AWARD
Buddy Cannon
’10 SONGS I WISH I’D WRITTEN’ AWARDS
“Handle On You”
Written by: Monty Criswell, Parker McCollum
(recorded by: Parker McCollum)
“I’m Not Pretty”
Written by: Mackenzie Carpenter, Micah Carpenter, Megan Moroney, Ben Williams
(recorded by: Megan Moroney)
“Last Night”
Written by: John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Kasher Hindlin
(recorded by: Morgan Wallen)
“Man Made A Bar”
Written by: Rocky Block, Jordan Dozzi, Larry Fleet, Brett Tyler
(recorded by: Eric Church and Morgan Wallen)
“Need A Favor”
Written by: Jelly Roll, Austin Nivarel, Joe Ragosta, Rob Ragosta
(recorded by: Jelly Roll)
“Next Thing You Know”
Written by: Jordan Davis, Greylan James, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne
(recorded by: Jordan Davis)
“Pretty Little Poison”
Written by: Ryan Beaver, Jared Keim, Warren Zeiders
(recorded by: Warren Zeiders)
“Standing Room Only”
Written by: Tommy Cecil, Patrick Murphy, Craig Wiseman
(recorded by: Tim McGraw)
“Try That In A Small Town”
Written by: Kurt Allison, Tully Kennedy, Kelley Lovelace, Neil Thrasher
(recorded by: Jason Aldean)
“Where The Wild Things Are”
Written by: Randy Montana, Dave Turnbull
(recorded by: Luke Combs)
“White Horse”
Written by: Chris Stapleton, Dan Wilson
(recorded by: Chris Stapleton)
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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