Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Pat Alger, chair of the organization’s board of directors, today announced the inaugural Career Maker Award. Iconic entertainer Reba McEntire will be honored for her significant influence on the songwriting careers of Hall of Fame members during the 48th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Sunday, October 28, at the Music City Center.
Throughout her career McEntire has been a strong advocate for the songwriting community. She has recorded some 80 songs – including 33 singles – written or co-written by more than 40 songwriters who have gone on to achieve induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the very definition of the Career Maker Award. The award is presented to a non-Hall of Fame member whose artistic endeavors have helped songwriters achieve their dreams of induction into the Hall of Fame.
“Reba has played a significant role in helping more than 40 songwriters achieve induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame,” said Alger. “That’s about 20 percent of the hall’s entire membership. She has supported songwriters throughout her career and was one of the first industry leaders to help the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame build our Hall of Fame Gallery at the Music City Center. Her Hall of Fame career as an artist has in turn helped create so many other Hall of Fame careers for songwriters – which is why we want to say Thank You on Nashville songwriting’s most legendary night. Reba is a songwriter’s best friend. Once she chooses your song and puts her inimitable stamp on it, you begin to understand why you became a songwriter in the first place. She is indisputably a great singer who continues to transform a diverse catalog of songs into works of art of the highest order. Simply put, when Reba sings your song, it’s not likely to get any better than that.”
“I love to record! Being in the studio is so creative and so much fun and very rewarding. That process starts with the songwriters and publishers sending me songs to listen to.” Reba said. “Over my recording career, I have listened to thousands of songs written by incredibly gifted people. The songwriters in this community have never let me down, and have always shared their very best songs with me, which I appreciate more than they know. Being the first recipient of the Career Maker Award means so much to me because it’s an award from the songwriters whose songs have helped me create and maintain a career I love. I thank them from the bottom of my heart.”
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala is one of the music industry’s premier events of the year. The evening features tributes and performances of the inductees’ songs by special guest artists. In recent years artists such as Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Jimmy Buffett, Ronnie Dunn, Emmylou Harris, Alan Jackson, Tim McGraw, Thomas Rhett, Blake Shelton, Marty Stuart, Taylor Swift, Josh Turner and Trisha Yearwood have performed at or participated in the event.
Tickets for the Hall of Fame Gala are $250 each and benefit the nonprofit Nashville Songwriters Foundation. Select seating is available to the public and may be purchased as available by contacting Executive Director Mark Ford at hoftix@nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com or 615-460-6556.