Shania Twain, Brad Paisley, Kirk Franklin & Hillary Lindsey Among Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Nominees

Shania Twain, Brad Paisley, Hillary Lindsey, Kirk Franklin and Pam Tillis are among this year’s nominees into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the organization announced on Tuesday (June 28).

The nominees this year in the contemporary songwriters category are Larry Cordle, Jim Lauderdale, Lindsey, Frank J. Myers, Gary Nicholson, Ronnie Rogers, Tia Sillers and Tommy Sims.

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The nominees in the contemporary songwriter/artists category are Franklin, Paisley, Tillis and Twain.

“We congratulate all of this year’s nominees in our contemporary categories and look forward to early August when we will announce those who will be inducted as members of our Class of 2022,” says NaSHOF Executive Director Mark Ford via a statement.

This year’s winners will be announced at a later date, and will be honored during the 52nd-anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala slated for Oct. 30, 2022, at Nashville’s Music City Center.

All nominees experienced their first significant songs at least two decades ago. Two songwriters and one artist-songwriter will be elected from the categories by members of the Hall of Fame, along with other professional songwriters and artists from a variety of genres, who are prominently identified with Nashville and who have written or co-written at least one original and significant Nashville song. Additionally, two more will be named to the Class of 2022. A separate body of veteran voters will elect a veteran songwriter and a veteran songwriter/artist, both of whom experienced their first significant songs at least 30 years ago. Nominees in those categories are not announced.

Cordle’s first two hits came courtesy of his childhood friend Ricky Skaggs, who earned hits with 1983’s “Highway 40 Blues” and 1984’s “Two Highways” (“Two Highways” also became a hit for Alison Krauss in 1990). Cordle was named SPBGMA’s songwriter of the year in  2001, 2019 and 2020. He is known for songs including the 2001 CMA song of the year-winning song “Murder on Music Row” recorded by George Strait and Alan Jackson (a song which Cordle and his band Lonesome Standard Time previously earned 2000 IBMA song of the year honors and 2001 SPBGMA song of the year honors). He also is a writer on John Anderson’s “Honky Tonk Crowd,” Diamond Rio’s “Mama Don’t Forget to Pray For Me,” and more.

Lauderdale is known for penning songs including Mark Chesnutt’s “Gonna Get a Life,” Patty Loveless’ “Halfway Down,” and a string of hits for George Strait including “When Did You Stop Loving Me” and “What Do You Say To That.” As a recording artist, Lauderdale has earned bluegrass hits such as “Mighty Lonesome” He was honored with the Americana Music Association’s lifetime achievement award in 2016.

Lindsey earned her first hit in 2002 with Martina McBride’s “Blessed” and was a co-writer on Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take The Wheel,” which earned a Grammy in 2006 for best country song, as well as honors for ASCAP country song of the year, NSAI song of the year and ACM single of the year. Underwood has recorded nearly 40 of Lindsey’s songs, including “Wasted” and “So Small.” Lindsey has also penned hits including Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” and Keith Urban’s “Blue Ain’t Your Color.” Lindsey was named the ACM’s songwriter of the year in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Myers has penned hits including “Bayou Boys” and “I Got Mexico” for Eddy Raven, as well as “You and I,” recorded by Eddie Rabbitt and Crystal Gayle. He is also a writer on “I Swear,” the 1994 CMA single of the year recorded by John Michael Montgomery. The song then became a pop music smash for the pop/R&B group All-4-One. Myers’ catalog of songs also includes Lonestar’s “I’m Already There” (the 2002 ASCAP and BMI country song of the year winner), as well as Chris Young’s “Tomorrow,” which was named SESAC country song of the year in 2011.

Nicholson is known as a writer on songs including Charley Pride’s “The Power of Love,” Don Williams’ “That’s the Thing About Love,” “Brilliant Conversationalist” by T. Graham Brown and “One More Last Chance” by Vince Gill. His song “Fallin’ and Flyin'” was performed by Jeff Bridges and Colin Farrell in the 2009 film Crazy Heart. Nicholson was inducted into the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2011.

Rogers’ catalog includes Tanya Tucker’s “It’s a Cowboy Lovin’ Night,” Ed Bruce’s “My First Taste of Texas,” and several songs recorded by country group Alabama, including “Dixieland Delight,” “Pass It On Down, ” and “Give Me One More Shot.” Rogers also co-wrote Brooks & Dunn’s “Only in America,” as well as Mark Chesnutt’s “Blame It On Texas” and “Goin’ Through the Big D,” as well as songs recorded by Toby Keith, George Strait, Dierks Bentley and more.

Sillers is known for smash hits including Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance,” which earned a 2000 Grammy for best country song and was named CMA song and single of the year that same year. Sillers also contributed to “There’s Your Trouble” by the Chicks, “That’d Be Alright” by Alan Jackson and Trisha Yearwood’s “Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love.”

Sims earned his first No. 1 hits as a writer with Amy Grant, with “Helping Hand” and “Children of the World.” His song “R.I.O.T. (Righteous Invasion of Truth),” recorded by Carman, won a win for GMA Dove rap/hip-hop song of the year. He also contributed to “Change the World” by Eric Clapton, and the song earned a Grammy for best song and record of the year. Sims’ other country compositions include Bryan White’s “Love is the Right Place,” Garth Brooks’ “Lost in You” and more.

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