Alan Jackson, Buddy Cannon to be honored at 7th annual Nashville Songwriters Awards

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Show set for September 24 at the Ryman

Iconic country artist Alan Jackson and legendary producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon will be recognized with prestigious awards during the 7^th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards.  A presentation of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), alongside presenting partner City National Bank, the Awards bring together both the creative and business sides of the music industry and fans to acknowledge amazing achievements in the realm of songwriting.

The 7th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards, scheduled for September 24, 2024, will be returning to the historic Ryman Auditorium. 

• On a personal note, as a Life Member of NSAI for forty-two years, I heartily applaud award programs such as these.   Consumers of music today often have little or no idea of who wrote or produced the songs they listen to. Vinyl records (and later, CDs) listed the names of songwriters right under the song title, frequently along with the producer’s name. The advent of downloads and streaming reduced a song’s creators into virtual anonymity. NSAI’s Nashville Songwriter Awards lead the way in recognizing the incredible talent and sheer hard work that goes into the creation of the hits and the also-rans. 

A highlight of the show in September will be the peer-voted ’10 Songs I Wish I’d Written’ awards, in which songwriter members of NSAI nominate songs, that as the name suggests, they wish were in their own catalog.  Additionally, awards will be presented for Song of the Year, Songwriter of the Year and Songwriter-Artist of the Year. Beginning this year, NSAI will also commemorate one song chosen by NSAI's professional songwriting members as the Legendary Song of its time, beginning with songs from 1967 - 1983.

The organization’s highest honor of the evening, the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to legendary songwriter and recording artist Alan Jackson. The award may be the crowning achievement for Jackson who has already enjoyed a career studded with prestigious awards.

A ‘neo-traditional’ country artist, Jackson has been recognized by the Recording Academy of the United States with GRAMMYs, the Academy of Country Music (ACM), the Country Music Association (CMA), and the American Music Awards (AMAs), and he has earned stars on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Music City Walk of Fame. In 2012 Jackson was awarded CMA’s Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2017 he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

He has long been a fan favorite, amassing twenty-six Number One songs over the past thirty years.  His hit songs have included “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).”

"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," said Jennifer Turnbow, NSAI Chief Operating Officer. "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!"

For decades, Buddy Cannon has been a mainstay of the Nashville music industry. At this year’s event, Cannon will be presented with the NSAI President’s Keystone Award.

An incomparable producer and songwriter, Cannon will be celebrated to honor his significant contributions to the industry and betterment of all songwriters. Perhaps best known for his work producing Kenny Chesney and Willie Nelson, Cannon got his start playing bass for Bob Luman and Mel Tillis. The latter saw songwriting potential and was proven right when Cannon co-wrote iconic songs including "Set 'Em Up Joe," "I've Come To Expect It From You," "Dream Of Me" and "Give It Away."

As an A&R executive, he contributed to signing and developing Shania Twain and Billy Ray Cyrus. In the studio, he's shepherded projects by Alison Krauss, George Jones, Reba McEntire, Joe Nichols, John Michael Montgomery and many others. Cannon is a three-time Grammy honoree for his work with Nelson, the 2006 Academy of Country Music Producer of the Year, and a 2021 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame. He and Chesney just notched their 35th No. 1 together – "Take Her Home."

NSAI President Lee Thomas Miller expressed his pride and anticipation for presenting Cannon with the President’s Keystone Award, adding, “It is impossible to calculate the impact Buddy Cannon has had on the songwriters in this town. 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.”

Performer announcement and ticket information will be revealed in the coming weeks with on-sale set for July 26, 2024. Up-to-date information can be found at www.ryman.com and www.nashvillesongwriters.com as well as NSAI’s socials: @nsaiofficial on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The Nashville Songwriter Awards is made possible by City National Bank and NSAI's event Composers Wing, SoundExchange, Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, and The Mechanical Licensing Collective.

#Buddy Cannon #AlanJackson #NashvilleSongwriters #PreshiasHarris