Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame To Honor George Strait

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George Strait

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (NaSHOF) will honor George Strait with the Career Maker Award during the organization’s annual gala on Oct. 26 at Music City Center.

Strait will receive the award for his longtime impact on the careers of Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame members. The Career Maker Award recognizes individuals outside the Hall whose artistic work has helped songwriters achieve their goals of Hall of Fame induction. Strait joins Reba McEntire (2018) as the only recipients of the honor.

Throughout his more than 40-year career, Strait has recorded 264 songs, including 65 top 40 singles, written or co-written by 72 NaSHOF songwriters. Of those writers, 44 were not members of the Hall when Strait first recorded their songs.

“Throughout his phenomenal career as an artist, George Strait has played an integral role in helping more than 40 songwriters achieve induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame,” says Rich Hallworth, Chair of the organization’s Board of Directors. “Which is why we want to express our gratitude to him on Nashville Songwriting’s Most Legendary Night.”

“Having George Strait record a song of mine, especially so early in my career, felt like nothing less than a stamp of approval from Country music itself,” shares Hall of Fame songwriter Gretchen Peters, Board Vice Chair and co-writer of Strait’s “The Chill Of An Early Fall.” “It said, ‘You belong here; you’ve earned your bona fides.’ George is so deeply rooted in the traditions of Country music, so beloved and respected and unassailable in his song choices. Every song he touches becomes, de facto, a George Strait song. To a young songwriter, that meant the world.”

“I’m so honored to be receiving the Career Maker Award from the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame,” adds Strait. “I look forward to being there with some of the most talented Hall of Fame songwriters I’ve been so lucky to be associated with throughout my career. You folks definitely make the world a better place through your amazing abilities as songwriters and artists. See you there.”

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala benefits the nonprofit Nashville Songwriters Foundation and honors each inductee with tributes and acoustic performances from guest artists.

Recent performers and participants have included John Anderson, Clint Black, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, The Del McCoury Band, Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Emmylou Harris, Jason Isbell, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Little Big Town, Tim McGraw, Olivia Newton-John, Thomas Rhett, John Rich, Blake Shelton, Marty Stuart, Taylor Swift, The Isaacs, The Oak Ridge Boys, Josh Turner, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban and Trisha Yearwood.

Madison Hahnen
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