Everything You Need to Know About The 2024 Nashville Songwriter Awards

On September 24, the Nashville music community will come together to honor songwriters during the 7th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards, held at Music City’s famed Ryman Auditorium. 

The event will celebrate the best songs and songwriters of the past year, featuring a range of performances that honor both this year’s top hits and a few legendary classics.

Who’s Performing?

The first artists confirmed to perform at the annual event include Mackenzie Carpenter, Ashley Cooke, Jamey Johnson, Amanda Shires, Nate Smith, Josh Turner, and Lee Ann Womack. Additionally, An outstanding lineup of songwriters is also set to join the celebration, including Kurt Allison, Ryan Beaver, Jared Keim, Tully Kennedy, Kelley Lovelace, Randy Montana, Patrick Murphy, Austin Nivarel, Joe Ragosta, Rob Ragosta, Neil Thrasher, and Dave Turnbull. 

Who Are The Honorees?

The 7th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards will honor the peer-voted ‘10 Songs I Wish I’d Written” as well as NSAI’s Song, Songwriter, and Songwriter-Artist of the Year. Starting this year, NSAI will introduce a new tradition by honoring one song selected by NSAI’s professional songwriting members as the ‘Legendary Song’ of its era, beginning with songs from 1967-1983.  The NSAI board of directors curated a list of 10 influential songs from this period, and the professional membership voted anonymously to determine the winning song. The inaugural recipient of the Legendary Song Award will be unveiled and performed during the event.

Additional performers will be revealed soon.

Alan Jackson To Receive Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award

Country icon Alan Jackson will be honored with the evening’s top accolade, the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Throughout his career, Jackson has amassed an impressive list of accolades, recognized by the GRAMMYs, the Academy of Country Music (ACM), the Country Music Association (CMA), and the American Music Awards (AMAs). He has also earned stars on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Music City Walk of Fame. In 2012, Jackson received the CMA’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2017, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

Over the past 30 years, Jackson has achieved 26 No.1 songs, leaving a lasting mark on songwriting and the music industry with timeless hits such as “Don’t Rock the Jukebox,” “Chattahoochee,” “Gone Country,” “Remember When,” “Drive (for Daddy Gene),” “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” “Where I Come From,” “Wanted,” “Little Man,” “Who’s Cheatin’ Who,” “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” with Jimmy Buffett, “Murder on Music Row” with George Strait, and “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning).”

Jennifer Turnbow, NSAI Chief Operating Officer praised the selection of Jackson for the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award.  

“When the NSAI Board of Directors chose Alan Jackson as this year’s recipient of the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award, I knew they had made a fantastic choice,” Turnbow shared in a statement. “I was eager to craft a segment of our annual awards show around his work as a songwriter. But, it wasn’t until I really studied his body of work and recalled decades of his songs that I realized just how deserving he was of this recognition. Alan’s songs, many of which he wrote by himself, have marked significant moments in time and are etched into the memories of multiple generations. Choosing only a handful of his many hits to highlight in a celebration of his career will be incredibly challenging…that I’m looking forward to!”

Buddy Cannon Named Recipient Of President’s Keystone Award

Additionally, lauded producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon has been selected as the recipient of the President’s Keystone Award. 

Cannon, who is best known for his work as a producer for Kenny Chesney and Willie Nelson, is also a talented songwriter. Some of his co-writes include “Set ‘Em Up Joe,” “I’ve Come To Expect It From You,” “Dream Of Me” and “Give It Away.”  

During his time as an A&R executive, Cannon played a key role in signing and developing Shania Twain and Billy Ray Cyrus. In the studio, he has overseen projects by Alison Krauss, George Jones, Reba McEntire, Joe Nichols, John Michael Montgomery, and many others. Cannon is a three-time Grammy award winner for his work with Willie Nelson, the 2006 Academy of Country Music Producer of the Year, and a 2021 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Most recently, he and Kenny Chesney achieved their 35th No. 1 hit together with “Take Her Home.”

“Buddy Cannon has spent decades as an elite member of our Music Row community. He has written songs for some of country music’s most legendary superstars, has ridden busses playing in their bands and he is one of the most important record producers of the last 30 years. It is impossible to calculate the impact Buddy Cannon has had on the songwriters in this town,” shared Lee Thomas Miller. “He is famous for being tough on songs and helping build multi-decade careers, like Kenny Chesney’s, is an example of how incredible his barometer is for a hit song. I’m proud to present Buddy Cannon with the 2024 NSAI President’s Award.” 

For additional information on the 7th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards, click HERE.