Taylor Swift, Kimberly Perry, Thom Schuyler & more Honored at Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame

Award season is officially underway in Music City. On Sunday, October 16, the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) celebrated the men and women behind country music’s most popular songs at the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony.

BMI songwriters dominated the list of winners, who were determined by the votes of professional members of NSAI. Taylor Swift earned her fourth Artist/Writer of the Year crown in five years, while the Band Perry’s “If I Die Young,” penned by frontwoman Kimberly Perry, scored the Song of the Year win.

All of the top 10 “Songs I Wish I’d Written” were written or co-written by BMI songwriters: “American Honey,” co-written by Shane Stevens; “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not,” co-written by Jim Collins; “Hello World,” co-written by Tom Douglas and David Lee; “Homeboy” by Casey Beathard and Eric Church; “Honey Bee,” co-written by Rhett Akins; “Mean” by Taylor Swift; “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer” by Troy Jones; “The Boys of Fall,” co-written by Casey Beathard; “Who Are You When I’m Not Looking,” co-written by John Wiggins; and “If I Die Young” by Kimberly Perry.

Esteemed publisher David Conrad received the Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award in recognition of his soulful stewardship of songwriters and their songs, while beloved BMI troubadour Thom Schuyler was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

For more information on the event, please visit www.nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com.

At the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the Nashville Songwriters Association International, the Hall of Fame’s sister organization, also honored the writers of the peer-voted top ten “Songs I Wish I’d Written.” All of the songs on the list were either written or co-written by BMI writers. Pictured are (back row) BMI’s Phil Graham; NSAI’s Steve Bogard; BMI’s Bradley Collins, Jody Williams, and Clay Bradley; Rhett Akins; Shane Stevens; Taylor Swift; David Lee; Jim Collins; BMI’s Leslie Roberts; Major Bob Music’s Bob Doyle; John Wiggins; Troy Jones; and NSAI’s Bart Herbison; (front row) Tom Douglas, Casey Beathard, and BMI’s Perry Howard and Thomas Cain. (Photo: Bev Moser)

2011 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony

Song of the Year
“If I Die Young”
Written by Kimberly Perry

Artist/Writer of the Year
Taylor Swift

Top 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written
“American Honey” co-written by Shane Stevens
“Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not” co-written by Jim Collins
“Hello World” co-written by Tom Douglas and David Lee
“Homeboy” by Casey Beathard and Eric Church
“Honey Bee” co-written by Rhett Akins
“Mean” by Taylor Swift
“Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer” by Troy Jones
“The Boys of Fall” co-written by Casey Beathard
“Who Are You When I’m Not Looking” co-written by John Wiggins
“If I Die Young” by Kimberly Perry

Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award
David Conrad

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame
Thom Schuyler