NSAI Celebrates The Hitmakers At Nashville Songwriter Awards [Recap]

/by

Nashville Songwriter Award winners and honorees. Photo: Jason Davis

The ninth annual Nashville Songwriter Awards lit up the Ryman Auditorium Tuesday night (Sept. 22) for an evening celebrating the hitmakers behind some of this year’s biggest tracks. Presented by the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) and City National Bank, the event recognized 42 individuals for their exceptional contributions to the craft.

Riley Green & Hannah McFarland. Photo: Jason Davis

Songwriter-Artist of the Year of the year winner Riley Green opened the night with a performance of “Don’t Mind If I Do” with special guest Hannah McFarland. “My favorite part of country music is songwriting. I’ve always considered myself a songwriter first. I’ve been really fortunate over the last few years to have some major tours, CMA awards, ACM awards–accolades I never thought I would achieve. But, I truly appreciate this as much as anything,” Green shared as he accepted the award.

Lee Thomas Miller took the stage to present the President’s Keystone Award to Paul Williams. The beloved Muppet character Gonzo honored Williams with a performance of “I’m Going To Go Back There Someday.”

Lee Thomas Miller and Paul Williams. Photo: Jason Davis

Williams shared his gratitude for people of the Nashville songwriting community, stating, “We share the privilege of working in the world of empathy, ideas, creativity and the elements of kindness. That is what I’ve found in Nashville. At a time when I desperately needed it, I found acceptance and respect.”

Blake Pendergrass was honored with the Songwriter of the Year Award, and celebrated with Ethan Burdick’s rendition of his first major-label cut, “865,” Warren Zeiders’ performance of “Betrayal” and Vincent Mason‘s “Wish You Well.”

“The Gambler,” written by Don Schlitz, was given the Legendary Song Award. Steve Earle was on-hand to pay homage to the iconic song, and Stacey Schlitz, was present to accept the award on behalf of her late husband.

Vince Gill is presented with NSAI’s 2026 Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement. Photo: Jason Davis

Lisa Kristofferson took the stage to present this year’s Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award to Vince Gill. She shared kind words of Gill’s relationship with Kris and the respect they shared for each other as songwriters. Rodney Crowell performed “One More Last Chance” and Ashley McBryde performed “Hill People.” For the final portion of the segment, Chris Stapleton, Ricky Skaggs, Sonya Isaacs and Andrea Zonn joined together on stage for a stunning rendition of “Go Rest High On That Mountain,” earning a standing ovation from the audience.

Throughout the evening, 11 songs and their respective songwriters were recognized with a peer-voted 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written award. For each honored song, nearly all were performed by the songwriters themselves, giving those in attendance an inside look at what the song sounded like the day it was created.

The song receiving the highest number of votes—and earning Song of the Year—was “Choosin’ Texas,” written by Joybeth Taylor, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert and Ella Langley. The team took the microphone to share their gratitude for the track’s unprecedented success.

The Nashville Songwriter Awards will return to the Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 21, 2027.

Blake Pendergrass and Lee Thomas Miller. Photo: Jason Davis

Andrea Zonn, Chris Stapleton, Ricky Skaggs and Sonya Isaacs perform “Go Rest High On That Mountain.” Photo: Jason Davis

ERNEST. Photo: Jason Davis

Lauryn Sink
Latest posts by Lauryn Sink (see all)