Country icon Brad Paisley and Americana legend Emmylou Harris will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the organization announced on Wednesday.
Joining them in the 2025 class are Steve Bogard and Tony Martin in the contemporary songwriter category, Jim Lauderdale in the contemporary songwriter/artist category, and Don Cook in the veteran songwriter category. The formal induction will take place on October 6 at the 55th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala at Music City Center.
Paisley, a three-time Grammy winner, is celebrated not only for his guitar prowess and vocal talent but also for penning many of his biggest hits, including “He Didn’t Have To Be,” “Alcohol,” “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song),” “Letter To Me,” and the Carrie Underwood duet “Remind Me.” He has 41 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 to his name.
Harris, a revered figure in American folk and country music with 13 Grammy Awards, is known for heartfelt songwriting on tracks like “Boulder To Birmingham,” “White Line,” and “Heartbreak Hill.” She was previously inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008.
Steve Bogard has crafted hits such as George Strait’s “Carried Away,” Rascal Flatts’ “Prayin’ For Daylight,” and Dierks Bentley’s “Every Mile A Memory.” Tony Martin, also writing for Strait (“Baby’s Gotten Good At Goodbye”), has contributed hits for Jason Aldean (“A Little More Summertime”) and Keith Urban (“You Look Good In My Shirt”).
Jim Lauderdale has made his mark both as a solo artist and behind the scenes, with songs like “I Feel Like Singing Today” and “She’s Looking At Me,” and hits written for others like Mark Chesnutt’s “Gonna Get A Life” and Patty Loveless’ “Halfway Down.”
Veteran songwriter Don Cook is best known for country staples like T. Graham Brown’s “I Wish That I Could Hurt That Way Again,” Steve Wariner’s “Small Town Girl,” and Brooks & Dunn’s patriotic anthem “Only In America.”
The announcement was made by board chair Rich Hallworth and executive director Mark Ford at Columbia Studio A in Nashville.
“Gathering as we do each year — to reveal and welcome the members of our incoming class — is truly one of the highlights of our calendar,” Hallworth said. “To these outstanding songwriters, we say — thank you for sharing your songs and your artistry with us.”
