Taylor Swift will receive the National Music Publishers Association’s Songwriter Icon Award at the organization’s annual meeting on June 9, among other honorees and speakers. Swift’s voluminous accomplishments include 11 Grammy Awards, one of only four artists in history to win three Grammy Album of the Year awards (and the only female ever to have accomplished this historical feat), and 76 NMPA Songwriting Gold & Platinum Awards. She is also a fierce advocate for music creators’ rights, particularly with her outspoken stands against Spotify and Apple Music as streaming began to take hold in the U.S. in the mid-2010s.
Additionally, to discuss his upcoming music documentary series, Bill Simmons will sit down for a keynote Q&A. The Ringer founder will talk with NMPA President & CEO David Israelite about where he sees entertainment – particularly podcasts – going in the post-pandemic era, and the many intersections of sports and music.
This year’s NMPA Industry Legacy Award will be presented to Country Music Association (CMA) CEO Sarah Trahern. According to the announcement, her leadership has brought the CMAs through an unprecedented period, finding innovative ways to meet the moment and she continues to modernize the genre and grow its global popularity and inclusiveness.
Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) will receive this year’s NMPA President’s Award for his work to protect songwriters and music publishers. From his leadership in shepherding the Music Modernization Act through the House of Representatives, to his steadfast efforts to grow the music community in his home district, he has supported our industry for decades and continues to be on the forefront of progress as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, the announcement says.
The program will also feature special tributes from Luke Bryan and Sara Bareilles as well as up-and-coming talent Priscilla Block. Other segments include a Meet the (Music) Press roundtable and spotlights on industry luminaries and milestones. The annual State of the Industry speech will examine new publishing industry data from the past year and offer a roadmap for the future.
In the announcement, Israelite said, “Taylor Swift has had an unprecedented year of success. She gave the world incredible songwriting when they needed it most and she continues to rewrite the rulebook when it comes to her career. She has always identified as a songwriter first, and in doing so inspired and elevated countless other creators. Her advocacy has lifted the entire creative community, and she has done it at great cost and risk to her own career. The risks paid off, not just for her but for our entire industry, and there is no one more deserving of our Icon award.”
Israelite added, “Millions of people read his columns and listen to his podcasts because Bill Simmons is an amazing storyteller. We are greatly looking forward to hearing about his upcoming series and the new media landscape from his perspective. Also, it is a thrill to honor Sarah Trahern. She is a true supporter of country music, and she has made it bigger and better. And of all the competing priorities in Congress, Chairman Nadler has never let songwriters down. We are honored to thank him for his dedication to creators and his commitment to creating a better economy for making music.
“This is our most exciting Annual Meeting yet, and we are happy that though we cannot be in-person this year, the virtual program will allow the show to be more widely available. We look forward to ‘seeing’ you there.”
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