SHOF Nomination Rounds Out Year Full of Songwriting Honors for the Country Music Icon
NASHVILLE—November 5, 2026—Nominees for the 2027 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductions were announced today, and among the list of esteemed songwriters is music icon Vince Gill. Gill is nominated alongside such respected performers/songwriters as Lady Gaga, Jack White, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, Pink, Bob McDill, will.i.am, and many others. Upon receiving the news this morning Gill commented, “Some of my greatest heroes are songwriters and to be considered a songwriter is one of the greatest honors of my life. I love being a storyteller.”
It’s been a staggering year of songwriting acknowledgements for Gill whose “Go Rest High On That Mountain” was added to the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry in May. More recently Gill was honored with the NSAI Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement award and the inaugural Legacy Songwriter Icon Award from the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA).
Award winning documentarian Ken Burns recently commented on Gill’s storytelling abilities.“Vince is a storyteller who elevates truth into something transcendent. He is a master of his craft.”
Over more than four decades, Vince Gill has built one of the most respected songwriting catalogs in American music history, earning the sincere admiration of fellow writers, artists, industry leaders, and audiences alike. His body of work includes enduring classics such as “When I Call Your Name,” “Look at Us,” “I Still Believe in You,” “One More Last Chance,” “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away,” “Tryin’ to Get Over You,” “Whenever You Come Around,” and “Go Rest High on That Mountain.” These songs have defined modern country music and demonstrate the definitive qualities of great songwriting; emotional honesty, memorable melodies, lyrical craftsmanship, and lasting cultural impact.
Gill’s songwriting accomplishments have been repeatedly recognized by his peers. Of his 22 Grammy Awards (the most for any male country artist in history), three were for his songwriting and the majority of the remainder were for performances of songs he’d written. He also holds a record four Country Music Association Song of the Year awards, one of the most significant measures of songwriting excellence in country music. Few songwriters of any genre can claim an equivalent record of recognition for individual compositions. He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and received BMI’s highest honor, the Icon Award in 2014.
Gill’s love of storytelling has been abundantly apparent particularly over the past year. In October of 2025, the Country Music Hall of Fame member signed a lifetime deal with his longtime label MCA and then announced he would be releasing an EP every month for a year. The series, titled 50 Years from Home, would honor the fiftieth anniversary of Gill’s departure from Oklahoma to pursue a career in music. Since that announcement, he has released eleven EPs in as many months, with the twelfth and final EP forthcoming. Each EP contains a carefully curated list of never before released compositions by Gill written either solo or alongside gifted co-writers. At the culmination of this series, he will have put out nearly 75 new songs.
Songwriters Hall of Fame is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the lives and legacies of the songwriters behind the world’s most enduring songs. A songwriter with a catalog of notable songs qualifies for induction 20 years after their first commercial release of a song. Winners will be announced in early 2027 and honored at the organization’s 2027 Induction & Awards Gala in New York City.
ABOUT VINCE GILL:
One of the most popular artists in modern country music, Vince Gill is famous for his top-notch songwriting, world-class guitar playing and warm, soaring tenor, all wrapped up in a quick and easy wit. Gill achieved his big breakthrough in 1990 with “When I Call Your Name,” which won both the Country Music Association’s (CMA) Single of the Year and Song of the Year awards as well as a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. In total, Gill has won 18 CMA Awards, 22 Grammy Awards, and 8 Academy of Country Music Awards, and in 2025 was presented with the CMA Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1991, Gill was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, and in 2007 was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2012 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A gifted songwriter, Gill’s compositions earned him entry into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and the prestigious BMI Icon award in 2014. Throughout his career, he has released 21 albums, sold over 30 million albums, and charted 45 singles. In 2022, Gill was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. Always considering himself a musician above all else, Gill has over the years been a part of some iconic bands, including Pure Prairie League, The Notorious Cherry Bombs, and The Time Jumpers. In 2017, Gill was asked to join the Eagles on the road, and he continues to be a part of that historic band’s tour. 2025 marked the 50th anniversary of Gill leaving home to pursue a career in music. To honor that milestone, he signed a lifetime contract with his record label MCA, and is releasing an EP series of brand-new music every month for a year, titled 50 Years from Home. In 2026 Gill received both the NSAI Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award and the Ken Burns American Heritage Prize.