Dolly Parton Songwriters Award Presented To Kaden Trev

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BMI’s Clay Bradley and 2026 BMI Foundation Dolly Parton Songwriters Award Winner Kaden Trev. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI

Singer-songwriter Kaden Trev received the 2026 Dolly Parton Songwriters Award from the BMI Foundation at the Ryman & BMI Block Party in Nashville on June 4.

Kaden’s winning song “Write My Wrongs” was selected from a record-breaking 600 applicants by a panel of music industry experts. The award was presented by BMI Foundation Trustee and BMI Vice President, Creative Clay Bradley following performances by Kat Luna, Robyn Ottolini, Tyce Delk, and TRIPPP.

In 2025, Trev advanced to Hollywood Week on American Idol, expanding his audience and music industry experience. This fall, he is set to attend Middle Tennessee State University to continue studying the music business while pursuing his dream of becoming a successful country artist.

“One of my favorite things is being able to put music to emotions and experiences into words,” shares Trev. “I’m super grateful for this award. It’s been really encouraging me to keep pursuing this dream that I have, and this passion that I love so much.”

The Dolly Parton Songwriters Award is an annual, national competition open to aspiring songwriters with a prize of $10,000 for the best original song entry in the genres of Americana, blues, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, country, folk, and roots. Originally established in 2015 as the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship, the award was created to celebrate BMI’s 75th anniversary and pay homage to the musical epicenter and “Songwriting Capital of the World,” Nashville. In 2022, the program was revised to honor the creativity and generosity of the legendary artist Dolly Parton with an endowment from Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston as well as a contribution from country superstar Luke Combs.

Lorie Hollabaugh
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