Victoria Shaw, Liz Rose & More Join Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Inductees Class of 2024

The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame has unveiled its list of inductees for the Class of 2024, including Al Anderson, David Bellamy, Dan Penn, Liz Rose and Victoria Shaw.

This year's inductees in the contemporary songwriter category are Al Anderson and Liz Rose, while Dan Penn and Victoria Shaw are honored in the veteran songwriter category and Bellamy is honored in the veteran songwriter-artist category.

During a press conference held at Columbia A Studio in Nashville, Nashville Songwriters Board of Directors Chairman Rich Hallworth opened the announcement event, while Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Executive Director Mark Ford announced this year's inductees. Ford also revealed that singer-songwriter Brad Paisley is the winner of this year's contemporary artist/songwriter category, but will join next year's class due to a scheduling conflict.

“This is surreal, absolutely surreal,” Shaw said in reaction to the news. “I love this business. I love the art of songwriting. I'm still amazed and deeply grateful.”

Penn took the stage and said, “It's a privilege to be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame along with so many of my friends.” He added, “I've been blessed to write with so many talented people here over the years… I'm grateful to be here and proud to be included in such great company.”

Anderson couldn't be there in person, but was welcomed via video. “To be accepted into this group is such a privilege,” Anderson said.

Rose was not present, but said via video, “Wow, I'm really surprised. Many thanks to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. It's really sinking in right now and I'm so sad I'm not there. I'm out of town writing songs. I'm really excited to be in this amazing group of the best songwriters in the world.”

Bellamy, known for his songwriting and work with his brother Howard as part of The Bellamy Brothers, took to the stage to say: “I'm still in shock. Thank you very much. I have to thank Howard because he was probably the best sounding board for a songwriter. He'll tell you if he doesn't like something. He was always critical of my work and made it better.” Bellamy wrote many of the songs he recorded with his brother, including these 1979 track signature “If I said you had a beautiful body (you'd hold it against me).”

Anderson's credits include Tim McGraw's “The Cowboy in Me,” Carlene Carter's “Every Little Thing,” Trisha Yearwood's “Powerful Thing” and “Trip Around the Sun,” recorded by Jimmy Buffett & Martina McBride. Shaw's credits include “The River,” recorded by Garth Brooks, the Ricky Martin/Christina Aguilera collaboration “Nobody Wants to Be Lonely,” and John Michael Montgomery's “I Love The Way You Love Me.” Rose scored her first hit in 2004 with Gary Allan's “Songs About Rain” and went on to team up with then-newcomer Taylor Swift to create songs such as “Tim McGraw,” “Teardrops on My Guitar” and “White Horse ', with Rose's credits also including Carrie Underwood's 'Cry Pretty' and Little Big Town's 'Girl Crush'. Penn's credits include Do Right Woman, Do Right Man and The Dark End of the Street.

Since its inception in 1970, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame has honored many of Music City's top songwriters, including Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Loretta Lynn, Don and Phil Everly and many others.

The new group of inductees will be honored during the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala, scheduled for Nov. 6 at Music City Center in Nashville, with additional honorees to be announced.