First ever ‘in person’ NSAI Member Awards
By Preshias Harris
Songwriters are always the focus of the Annual Tin Pan South Festival that wrapped up a few days ago. They take the stage to play their songs and tell the stories behind their creation. This year, The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) kicked it up a notch with their first ever in-person NSAI Member Awards (presented by Regions Bank). The Awards recognize the achievements of songwriters in chapters across America and around the world. The invitation-only event was held at Analog at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville and included performances from several of the songwriters.
“We have thousands of songwriter members who may not describe themselves as professional songwriters, but write amazing songs, are outstanding performers, and deserve recognition for their work. This is one of the most exciting additions to NSAI’s programming in years and we applaud Region’s Bank for underwriting this event. Nothing could be more in line with the part of our mission statement that says: ‘to educate, elevate and celebrate the songwriter’.” – Bart Herbison, NSAI Executive Director
At the risk of some ‘shameless self-promotion’… During the Awards ceremony, I was surprised to be called to the stage by Bart Herbison who joked that he and Erika Nichols, General Manager of Nashville’s famed Bluebird Café, often argue about who is the biggest supporter of the songwriting community. He added that everyone could agree that Preshias Harris is the best friend that any songwriter could wish for. He then presented me with the Friend of NSAI Award, saying that it recognized what he called my tireless activities encouraging and supporting songwriters. I felt both humbled and honored to receive the medallion. In my world, this was my equivalent of winning a GRAMMY! A day and an honor I will never forget.
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