Nashville Songwriter Awards at a sold-out Ryman

On the Red Carpet with Preshias

by Preshias Harris

Garth Brooks, Taylor Swift and Ashley Gorley were among the recipients at the fifth annual Nashville Songwriter Awards.  The gala event was presented by Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) along with City National Bank on September 20 at the Ryman Auditorium.

It was an occasion to shine the spotlight on the songwriters but many recording artists took the opportunity to show their appreciation during the evening. These included Sam Hunt, Chris LaCorte, Josh Osborne, Kelsea Ballerini, Nicolle Galyon, Parmalee, HARDY, Alana Springsteen, Walker Hayes, Tigirlily, Thomas Rhett, Babyface and more.

The honorees included Garth Brooks (receiving the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award), Ashley Gorley (Songwriter of the Decade) and Taylor Swift (Songwriter-Artist of the Decade). The Song of the Year Award was presented to Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins and Matt Jenkins for “Buy Dirt” (recorded by Jordan Davis feat. Luke Bryan).

• Read my full report on the Awards at Center Stage Mag here.

Additionally, Gorley was named ‘Songwriter of the Year’ for a record-breaking 6th time, and Matthew West earned ‘Songwriter-Artist of the Year,’ making him now only the second-ever Christian genre songwriter-artist to receive the title. In addition, 11 songs in total were celebrated as winners in the cherished peer-voted ‘10 Songs I Wish I’d Written‘ award category.

Prior to the event, I caught up with several of the honorees and guests on the Red Carpet at the Ryman.

Kentucky’s own Ashley Gorley is one of the most successful songwriters of all time and has already chalked up an astonishing list of Number One songs (at least sixty-three, I believe) with more to come. 

Never one to seek the limelight, Ashley said, “It makes me realize I’ve been doing this a long time and at the same time it reminds me I’m not tired of it at all.” He added, “It’s wild to think I’ve been doing it this long!”

I asked Contemporary Christian songwriter and artist Matthew West if this felt like an epic year for him.

“It sure feels like it! It’s been a full circle kind of year for me,” he said. “I used to go up and down Music Row trying to get my songs recorded by artists and trying to get a record deal myself.  For three years I faced rejection but I kept going and one day I walked into Starstruck Studios and finally got a record deal and now here I am.”

Matthew told me that even when he got a record deal, he never stopped writing songs for other artists. “People would say, ‘You can’t do both,’ and I said, ‘Watch me!’” he said.  “I love it when people tell me I can’t do something because I take that as a challenge. Now all these years later, I’ve been writing songs with other artists for their records and I’ve gotten to make nine albums of my own.”

Matthew added, “I don’t know what’s going on this year, but it feels so special; even more special coming out of these hard couple of years of pandemic and seeing how the music I’ve been able to be a part of has encouraged people through hard times.”

He shared a thought about the craft of songwriting. “I’ve always believed that as songwriters, we love rainy days,” he confided.  “Give me some trials, some struggles in my life and I’m going to find some inspiration.  I fully believe that songs of hope rise up out of difficult times, and that’s our job, to inspire the world through the storms of their lives, to know that brighter days are coming.”

After a moment, Matthew laughed and said, “I feel like I’m writing a song right now! Let’s go write one!”

On his way in to be a recipient with his co-writers for the Song of the Year Award (for “Buy Dirt”), Jordan Davis talked to me about his growing family and balancing being a dad with his busy tour schedule.

 “I think the main thing is, when I’m at home the work’s turned off,” he told me. “I try to write on the road so I don’t have to do a ton of writing when I’m at home. That way,  I can spend time with my family.” 

However, Jordan admitted that it gets tough at times and he tries to get his family out with him when he’s on the road as much as he can.  “But when I’m at home,” he noted, “I’m dad and the music waits.”

I told Jordan that I had met his uncle, Stan Paul Davis, many years ago when I was an intern for Tracy Lawrence. Stan Paul wrote hits for Tracy including “Today’s Lonely Fool” and “Better Man, Better Off.”

“Country music has definitely been good to the Davis family,” Jordan agreed. “I’m excited to be here and get to celebrate it. My brother’s here, my dad’s bouncing around here somewhere. He’s actually probably on Broadway right now,” he joked.

The guys from Parmalee were on hand to be part of the celebration.  They paused on the Red Carpet to talk to me.

“It’s amazing to be a part of this, the first time we’ve been invited,” said Matt Thomas, the group’s lead singer. “It’s an honor to be here and to be part of this community.”

I asked Matt what was on the horizon for Parmalee. “We’re going out on tour with Walker Hayes, the ‘Glad You’re Here Tour,’” he said.  “The new single ‘Girl in Mine’ has been just taking off and it’s been awesome to see it and we’re starting to see reaction so it’s just been great.”

Matt said that they are now focused on gearing up for the year ahead. “It’s been really exciting,” he said. “We’ve already gone in the studio and cut several songs, I’m writing and we’re just keepin’ it going!”

After receiving her award for Songwriter-Artist of the Decade, Taylor Swift surprised the audience by performing “All Too Well (10 minute version).” Taylor delivered an inspiring speech and shared her thoughts about her approach to songwriting.

She began by saying, “For me, tonight feels brimming with a genuine camaraderie between a bunch of people who just love making stuff. Who love the craft. Who live for that rare, pure moment when a magical cloud floats down right in front of you in the form of an idea for a song, and all you have to do is grab it. Then shape it like clay. Prune it like a garden. And then wish on every lucky star or pray to whatever power you believe in that it might find its way out into the world and make someone feel seen, feel understood, feel joined in their grief or heartbreak or joy just for a moment.”

Taylor noted that the music business has “a very new, new, new, next, next mentality.”  She added, “If we are very, very lucky, life will say to us, ‘Your song is great.’ The next thing life will say is, ‘What else can you do?’”

However, she made it clear that she loves “doing this thing we are fortunate enough to call a job.” She added, “I am moved beyond words that you, my peers, decided to honor me in this way for work I’d still be doing if I had never been recognized for it.”

Bringing one of the NSAI’s mission pillars to the forefront, the Nashville Songwriter Awards, now it its 5th year, is truly a night all about celebrating songwriters and their importance to the community at large and beyond.

The annual awards are set to return to the Ryman Auditorium Fall 2023.The Nashville Songwriter Awards are set to return to the Ryman Auditorium in the fall of 2023. For more information about NSAI and the benefits of membership, visit their website and Facebook page. Follow on Instagram (@nsaiofficial) and Twitter (@NSAIofficial)

Preshias Harris  is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at   www.collegeofsongology.com   Follow her blog at  www.nashvillemusicline.com