Taylor Swift has become the youngest woman ever to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The American pop princess qualifies for the prestigious honour as rules state an artist must have notable catalogue 20 years after the first release of a song. For the record, Swift's debut single 'Tim McGraw' came out in June 2006 and was the lead track on her eponymous first album.
Since then she's recorded 12 albums, tinged with pop, country and folk vibes, and picked up 14 Grammy Awards and a record haul of four albums of the year.
Steven Spielberg introduced Swift with a surprise speech about the power of songwriting. “There is something undeniable about how songs imprint on our souls,” he said, before changing his focus to Swift. “Somehow Taylor knows us all too well."
"It was instinctual. No one taught me how to do it," Swift told the star-studded audience at the packed ceremony in New York.
“I will never be able to express my gratitude,” the singer-songwriter said while holding back tears — crediting her family's sacrifice for her career after they moved their lives from Pennsylvania to Nashville, Tennessee.
The award caps an incredible week for the 36-year-old superstar who's been seen screaming at New York's Madison Square Gardens to celebrate the historic NBA Finals game between the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs.
A chorus of celebrations
Swift has brought new attention to this year’s ceremony and undeniably shaped contemporary pop music trends with her songwriting.
Although's she's the youngest woman inducted, soul singer Stevie Wonder, who started his recording career at 13, was the youngest ever inducted, it was announced on stage.
It was a notable moment in an evening full of them, where Swift, Kiss’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Christopher “Tricky” Stewart, Alanis Morissette, Kenny Loggins and more were honoured.
Tamar Braxton opened the gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel with a spirted tribute to a new inductee — the game-changing R&B songwriter, producer and rapper Christopher “Tricky” Stewart — with one of the biggest songs he's known for: Beyoncé's 'Single Ladies.'
He's also responsible for singer-songwriter Rihanna’s 'Umbrella,'; Mariah Carey's 'Touch My Body' and Justin Bieber's 'Baby.'
Dallas Austin, a songwriter and producer known for work with Boyz ll Men and Madonna, introduced Stewart. “Think about that catalog,” he said, listing off those zeitgeist-shifting records. “Those are cultural moments."
Stewart thanked God, his family, artists he's worked with and mentors — giving a special shout out to Grammy award-winning music producer Antonio “L.A.” Reid and the iconic singer-songwriter Babyface. “I wanted to be like L.A. and Baby,” he reflected.
British singer-songwriter RAYE received the prestigious Hal David Starlight Award. She ended her speech by stating that songwriters deserve a cut of master royalties.
