Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Welcomes Seven Inductees, Including Brad Paisley, Emmylou Harris & More

Songwriters are the heartbeat of Nashville, and Monday night was all about celebrating the best of the best. The 55th Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala honored seven of Music City’s most influential songwriters, shining a spotlight on the talent behind the hits fans know and love.

The Music City Center was packed with songwriters, rising stars, and Hall of Fame members, all coming together for an evening of music, stories, and a deep appreciation for the craft of songwriting.

The night also paid tribute to three Hall of Fame members we lost over the past year: Troy Seals, Sonny Curtis, and Brett James. Country superstar Kenny Chesney paid tribute to Brett James with a heartfelt performance of their co-written hit “When the Sun Goes Down,” and also shared personal stories of their time writing together in the islands.

The celebration was voiced by legendary announcer Bill Cody, host of 650 AM WSM’s Coffee, Country & Cody and a Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Famer.

JJ Cale: Legacy Category

JJ Cale was posthumously inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, with his wife, Christine Lakeland-Cale, accepting the honor on his behalf. Ahead of the ceremony, she told us it was a “nice surprise” for Cale to be recognized and shared her hope that new generations will discover his music, which she considers “timeless.”

Cale was presented by Hall of Fame member Gary Nicholson, and Americana artist John Fullbright delivered a soulful performance of his bluesy-rock classic “After Midnight.”

Known for his understated, rootsy songwriting, Oklahoma native JJ Cale became one of music’s most influential stylists. Eric Clapton turned his songs “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” into global hits, while Lynyrd Skynyrd made “Call Me the Breeze” a Southern rock staple, and Waylon Jennings scored a Top 10 country hit with “Clyde.” Blending blues, rock, and country, Cale released 16 albums and inspired generations of artists with his timeless sound.

Tony Martin: Contemporary Songwriter Category

Prior to the gala, Tony Martin reflected on the moment he learned he’d been elected into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. In a fitting twist of fate, the call came during his longtime Tuesday writing session with Mark Nesler, a tradition that has lasted more than 30 years.

“You couldn’t do anything nicer to me,” Martin told Country Now. “I love songs. Like I say, I grew up here, I grew up among all these old legends in the current greats and to be called a songwriter and then called Nashville where I grew up. You couldn’t put a nicer tag on me.”

During the ceremony, Hall of Fame member Tom Shapiro introduced Martin, humorously quoting Lizzo and saying it was “about damn time” he was inducted. The moment was followed by a heartfelt performance from Martin’s longtime friend Wendell Mobley, who sang their Jason Aldean hit “A Little More Summertime.”

Martin is credited with writing hits such as “A Little More Summertime” by Jason Aldean, “I’ll Think of a Reason Later” by Lee Ann Womack, “Just to See You Smile” by Tim McGraw, “Living and Living Well” and “Go On” by George Strait, “No Place That Far” by Sara Evans, “Settle for a Slowdown” by Dierks Bentley, “Third Rock from the Sun” by Joe Diffie, and “You Look Good in My Shirt” by Keith Urban.

Jim Lauderdale: Contemporary Songwriter/Artist Category

For Jim Lauderdale, news of his election into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame was deeply emotional, bringing him to tears. He received the call while teaching a songwriting class at a festival in New York and admitted the honor felt “surreal.”

“In this business, there’s so many ups and downs and more downs than ups and struggle. I think all writers and all recording artists, we’ve really got to keep at it. And so when something good comes along, it’s just very, it’s overwhelming,” he told us.

Later, he shared: “I will cherish this night for the rest of my life.” 

Lauderdale’s songwriting credits include Mark Chesnutt’s “Gonna Get a Life,” Patty Loveless’ “Halfway Down,” and Loveless and George Jones’ duet “You Don’t Seem to Miss Me.” George Strait also turned Lauderdale’s songs “We Really Shouldn’t Be Doing This” and “What Do You Say to That” into Top 5 hits.

Hall of Fame member Gretchen Peters presented Lauderdale, and Lee Ann Womack paid tribute with a performance of his signature song, “The King Of Broken Hearts.”

Brad Paisley: Contemporary Songwriter/Artist Category (2024)   

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and Grand Ole Opry members Bill Anderson and Steve Wariner joined the celebration to honor Brad Paisley. Anderson presented the award, while Wariner delivered a touching performance of Paisley’s ballad “We Danced.”

When taking the stage, Paisley joked that they let an “imposter” in the Hall of Fame.  

“I came to this town and I wanted to be you,” Paisley shared, pointing out at the room full of songwriters. “I have spent my entire time living here, here copying the songwriters that I love. I go back to Steve Wariner, I was a teenager, I wanted to be him… I went through my Bill Anderson phase and no one could hear a word I say for about six months. I moved here really wanting to be a songwriter because I knew that’s the community. That’s the thing that makes this town so unique. And little did I know though when I got here that the best friends in my life, and I think I speak for all of us when I say this are songwriters, they became my family. They became my brothers and sisters and there’s nothing like being accepted in this community even as an imposter.”  

He went on to thank his longtime collaborators and joked that he was shocked at “some of the things we’ve gotten to get away with as writers” in his many years in town. 

Early in his career, Paisley earned cuts from artists like David Kersh, David Ball, and Tracy Byrd. He eventually signed with Arista Nashville and began recording his own material. As an artist, he’s charted 33 self-written songs on Billboard’s Top 20, including 15 No. 1 hits and 14 more that reached the Top 10.

His songwriting credits include fan favorites like “He Didn’t Have To Be,” “Alcohol,” “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song),” “Celebrity,” “Ticks,” “Letter To Me,” “Then,” “This Is Country Music,” “Water,” and the duet with Carrie Underwood, “Remind Me.”

(Paisley was initially selected for the 2024 class but asked to defer his induction to 2025.)

Don Cook: Veteran Songwriter Category

Don Cook was all smiles ahead of his big moment. Backstage, he told us the honor was an “honor of a lifetime” and later reflected on his work with Brooks & Dunn, calling it “one of the most incredibly important things in my career and life.”

“For guys like me, it’s like somebody calling you and telling you you’re getting the Academy Award for the best actor. I mean, it’s that big for me. These are my friends and my heroes that I look up to the most,” he added. Later in the evening, he shared a heartfelt list of gratitude, thanking friends, fellow songwriters, artists, publishers, and more who helped him along the way.

Hall of Fame member Kix Brooks presented Cook with the honor, sharing hilarious stories from their years working together. Brooks then joined his duo partner Ronnie Dunn to perform “Brand New Man,” the 1991 Brooks & Dunn debut single composed by Brooks, Dunn, and Cook.

Cook’s songwriting career began with credits like “Cryin’ Again” by The Oak Ridge Boys and “Lady Lay Down” by John Conlee, his first No. 1 hit as a songwriter. He also wrote “Julia” by Conway Twitty, “I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again” by T. Graham Brown, “Small Town Girl” by Steve Wariner, and “Somebody’s Gonna Love You” by Lee Greenwood. In the early 1990s, Cook co-wrote “Brand New Man” for Brooks & Dunn, later producing the duo and helping craft a string of chart-topping hits including “My Next Broken Heart,” “Only in America,” and “You’re Gonna Miss Me When I’m Gone.”

Steve Bogard: Contemporary Songwriter Category

Steve Bogard’s impressive songwriting catalog includes classics such as Reba McEntire’s “New Fool At an Old Game,” George Strait’s “Carried Away” and “Carrying Your Love With Me,” Rascal Flatts’ “Prayin’ For Daylight,” and Dierks Bentley’s “Every Mile A Memory” and “Long Trip Alone.”

Calling his induction “incredible” and a “life achievement,” Bogard delivered an emotional speech that highlighted what makes Nashville so special. “The remarkable thing about being inducted into the Nashville Songwriter Hall thing, it’s not the fame part, it’s the Nashville part, because the pay it forward humanity of our music community is like no one nowhere else on earth. It’s at the heart of why so many great songs come from here…”

Dierks Bentley honored Bogard with a heartfelt performance of their Grammy-nominated hit “Every Mile A Memory,” while Hall of Fame member Rory Bourke presented the award.

Emmylou Harris: Veteran Songwriter/Artist Category

Ending the night on a high note, Hall of Fame member Vince Gill honored Emmylou Harris with a heartfelt performance of her country-folk classic “Boulder To Birmingham.” Hall of Fame member Rodney Crowell presented Harris with the award.

While Harris has had songs recorded by other artists, most notably Gram Parsons’ rendition of “In My Hour Of Darkness,” she is best known for her work as both a songwriter and artist. She penned many of her own standout songs, including “A River For Him,” “Amarillo,” “Red Dirt Girl,” “The Pearl,” and “Woman Walk the Line.”

In her touching acceptance speech, Harris highlighted her role as a champion for songwriters and encouraged them to continue creating.

“I stand here as someone who is grateful that I’ve been able to write songs. It’s a wonderful feeling too, and you get that idea, you finally get it out, but I stand here as a champion of a songwriter, all of you here, who put in the work day in, day out, year after year as someone who lives off the song and appreciates the work, the hard work, and the artistry that goes into a writing a song. I’m so grateful for your work, and please don’t stop because the world needs songs. We need someone to express what is inside our hearts, which is inside our soul, and nothing touches us more than a song that speaks to our humanity,” she said.