Taylor Swift Becomes Youngest Woman in Songwriters Hall of Fame
At 36, the artist was honoured Thursday alongside Kiss, Kenny Loggins and others at the New York ceremony, where Steven Spielberg introduced her.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
Taylor Swift became the youngest woman ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame Thursday night at age 36, a recognition of her role in shaping contemporary pop music through songwriting.
Swift accepted the honour with an emotional speech, reflecting on her family's sacrifice. "It was instinctual. No one taught me how to do it," she said of songwriting, her voice raspy from screaming along to performances. She credited her family for uprooting their lives to move her from Pennsylvania to Nashville as a tween, saying "I will never be able to express my gratitude."
She offered advice to young songwriters: "You really have to prioritize what you love, down to your very core. Because you'll need that."
Steven Spielberg introduced Swift with a surprise speech about songwriting's power. "There is something undeniable about how songs imprint on our souls," he said. "Somehow Taylor knows us all too well." Swift opened her acceptance by acknowledging his influence: "Because of examples like Steven's, I trusted my imagination."
Gen Z singer Sombr performed "Cardigan" and "Dear John" in front of Swift before her induction.
Swift is the youngest woman inducted into the hall, though Stevie Wonder, who started his recording career at 13, holds the record as the youngest inductee ever.
The ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York also honoured other music icons. Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, the R&B songwriter and producer behind Beyoncé's "Single Ladies," Rihanna's "Umbrella," Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" and Justin Bieber's "Baby," was inducted alongside Kiss founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley (Stanley attended; Simmons had a family emergency), soft rock legend Kenny Loggins and Alanis Morissette.