Blake Pendergrass Named NSAI’s 2026 Songwriter of the Year

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Blake Pendergrass. Photo: Hayley Gjertsen

Blake Pendergrass has been named the 2026 NSAI Songwriter of the Year ahead of the 9th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards.

The award recognizes a Nashville-affiliated songwriter with the most success on the Billboard Airplay charts in the Christian, Country, Mainstream Top 40, and/or Rock genres during the eligibility period of May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2026.

His career has grown rapidly, beginning with his first No. 1 hit, “Just In Case” by Morgan Wallen, in July 2025. He followed that achievement with three more No. 1 songs within the year, reached No. 1 on the MusicRow Magazine Top Songwriter Chart on March 2, 2026, and earned his first CMA Triple Play Award on April 13, 2026.

The 9th annual Nashville Songwriter Awards will be held on Sept. 22 at the Ryman Auditorium. Previously announced honorees include Riley Green (Songwriter-Artist of the Year Award), Vince Gill (Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award) and Paul Williams (NSAI President’s Keystone Award). Additional award recipients that will be honored night-of for the ‘Song of the Year’ winner(s) and the songwriters for each of the ’10 Songs I Wish I’d Written’ awards.

Madison Hahnen
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