On September 24, the Nashville Songwriters Association International is bringing the Nashville Songwriters Awards back to Ryman Auditorium for the 7th year. This year’s awards will feature the peer-voted “10 Songs I Wish I’d Written” category, as well as Songwriter-Artist of the Year and recognize artists and songwriters who have had a significant influence on the music industry.
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Additionally, the ceremony will present its highest honor, the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award. This award will be presented to Alan Jackson, who will add the award to his long list of accolades. These include CMA Awards, ACM Awards, GRAMMYs, American Music Awards, and many more.
This isn’t the first Lifetime Achievement award Jackson has received, either. In 2012, he was awarded the CMA’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. To say Jackson has had an influence on country music is putting it lightly.
Nashville Songwriters Awards Returning to Ryman Auditorium, Alan Jackson to Receive Highest Honor
“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,” Jennifer Turnbow, NSAI Chief Operating Officer, said in a statement per a report from Digital Music News. “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.”
In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Award, NSAI also presents the President’s Keystone Award to an outstanding producer. This year, Buddy Cannon will be celebrated for his work with artists like Kenny Chesney, Willie Nelson, Shania Twain, Alison Krauss, George Jones, Reba McEntire, and more.
The awards don’t stop there though. NSAI will also recognize a “Legendary Song” from 1967 to 1983 that showcases musical and songwriting prowess and an impact on the industry. Members of the NSAI board of directors nominated 10 songs for this award, and the final song was voted on anonymously. At the award show, the first-ever Legendary Song Award recipient will be revealed, and the song performed.
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