Publishing
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ROSÉ has signed a global publishing administration deal with Warner Chappell Music. News of the deal arrives as her single “APT.” (featuring Bruno Mars, who is also signed to Warner Chappell and Atlantic Records) continues to dominate on the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts.
About a month ago, the song debuted at No. 1 on both charts and continues to rank at the top through the week of Nov. 23. It also debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which tracks popular singles in the U.S.
Though ROSÉ has been a global icon since she joined BLACKPINK as its lead singer in 2016, “APT.” further solidified the singer as a star in her own right and acts as an introduction for her solo debut album rosie, which is set to drop on Dec. 6.
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“I am beyond excited to join the team at Warner Chappell,” ROSÉ said of her new deal in a statement. “There is so much more to come that I can’t wait to share — it’s going to be an amazing journey.”
“ROSÉ has earned this moment, and it’s a huge honor to officially welcome her to our Warner Chappell family,” added Ryan Press, president of North America at Warner Chappell, in a statement. “As she breaks record after record, she’s singlehandedly redefining the K-pop genre while also paving the way for a new era of cross-cultural expression. We’ve already hit the ground running with our partners at Atlantic to support ROSÉ’s bold vision and explore new creative opportunities for her songs. Above all, we can’t wait to see where her music takes us next.”
Born in Auckland and raised in Melbourne, ROSÉ has had her mind set on a career in music since she was 15. To help her achieve her dreams, the young singer moved to South Korea and soon after was selected as a member of BLACKPINK, the first K-Pop girl group to grace the cover of Billboard, win a VMA and headline Coachella.
Though BLACKPINK had a number of top global hits, including “Pink Venom,” “How You Like That,” “Ice Cream (with Selena Gomez),” “Shut Down” and more, the members of BLACKPINK, like many other performers in the K-pop genre, did not take part in the songwriting process of those songs, meaning ROSÉ and her bandmates did not receiving publishing royalties. Now, the singer, whose real name is Park Chaeyoung (or Roseanne Park in English), is in the writing room, lending her pen to her new solo works “APT.” and “Number One Girl,” the second single to be released ahead of rosie. She also received writing credit for the two songs on her debut EP R, released in 2021.
Award-winning songwriter Rhett Akins has signed with Jonas Group Publishing (JGP). Additionally, Jonas Catalog Holdings will acquire songs from Akins’s extensive catalog, while Warner Chappell Music will continue its long relationship with Akins and administer the copyrights.
Akins, who is a two-time BMI songwriter of the year winner, eight-time CMA triple play winner, Academy of Country Music songwriter of the decade recipient and a Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, has had songs recorded by Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton and more.
Jonas Catalog Holdings has also acquired songs from his Little Brocephus Music,Ritten by Rhettro Catalogs. The acquisition includes songs such as “Love You, Miss You, Mean It” (Luke Bryan), “What’s Your Country Song” (Thomas Rhett), “To Be Loved By You” (Parker McCollum), “Half Of Me” (Thomas Rhett/Riley Green), “It Matters To Her” (Scotty McCreery), and “Red” (HARDY/Morgan Wallen).
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Jonas Group Publishing launched in 2020 and is a division of Jonas Group Entertainment, founded by Kevin Jonas Sr. in 2005. Jonas Group Publishing is led by JGP president Leslie T. DiPiero and is home to songwriters including Akins, Justin Ebach, Terri Jo Box, Franklin Jonas, Bailee Madison, Amy Stroup and the catalog of Julia Michaels.
“Rhett is an extraordinary songwriter,” DiPiero said in a statement. “Personally, I have admired his work since I first came to town. He is a master of everything that is great about country music. It is an honor to represent his catalog of excellence, and our entire team is looking forward to contributing to his continued growth and success.”
“I’ve seen Leslie’s dedication to songwriters for many years,” Akins said. “She is a friend of and advocate for creators. The impact the Jonas family has made on the music world is remarkable, and it is obvious their love for music and family is their driving force. You put all that together, and I think you have a pretty unstoppable squad that leads with their values. I am very excited to join Kevin, Leslie, and the whole Jonas Group Publishing team.”
“We are honored to welcome Rhett to our roster, along with his incredible catalog,” Jonas of Jonas Group Entertainment stated. “Rhett is an immensely talented songwriter whose contributions have shaped the landscape of country music and beyond. His catalog reflects not only his incredible talent but also his ability to create songs that resonate with audiences around the world.
“We are thrilled to bring Rhett’s body of work into the Jonas Group Publishing family, which would not have been possible without the support and expertise of our trusted financial partner, Corrum Capital Management. We must also thank Access Media Advisory and Teresa Miles Walsh, Dave and Ruscell Pavlin, Matthew Beckett, and Milom Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan PLC for providing valuable assistance throughout the purchase of the catalog. All of us at JGP look forward to celebrating and amplifying Rhett’s extraordinary artistry.”
AllTrack, a U.S.-based collection society founded in 2017, has announced the launch of a mechanical rights division. Now, AllTrack members can opt-in to get their mechanical royalties collected along with performance royalties, making AllTrack the only U.S. performance rights organization (PRO) to collect both through a single platform.
With the move, AllTrack tells Billboard it hopes to become a competitor of DIY publishing administrators like SongTrust or TuneCore Publishing which offer short-term deals for small independent songwriters, who are often looking for a stopgap solution to collecting royalties before they sign larger publishing deals.
The AllTrack mechanical collection service will charge a 15% administration fee for all royalties collected, and writers using the service must sign a 2 year agreement.
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Around the world, it is customary for collection societies to collect both performance and mechanical royalties on behalf of writers, but these have always been separate services in the United States, adding to the complexity of the royalty collection process for songwriters. Since the passage of the Music Modernization Act (MMA) in 2017, the legislation that simplified the mechanical royalty collection process for the streaming age, mechanicals for interactive streaming have been collected by the MMA-mandated Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC).
The MLC is open for any songwriter who wants to sign up. Unlike PROs, it does not charge an administration fee to any songwriter or publisher for collecting, matching and processing royalties, given the MMA ordered the streaming services to pay for the MLC’s operations. When a songwriter signs up for AllTrack’s mechanical service, those mechanicals still go through processing with the MLC, but AllTrack becomes the liaison that ensures the writer is properly registered and collecting royalties from the MLC. Essentially, the firm wants to offer a one-stop shop for independent writers who find the multi-society system of royalty collection to be too cumbersome.
AllTrack will also collect mechanical royalties for its clients in areas that don’t fall under the domain of the MLC, including social media services like TikTok, YouTube and Meta, as well as fitness and gaming applications.
“We’re thrilled to expand our services to include mechanical rights, which typically represent a significant portion of a music creator’s publishing income,” says Hayden Bower, founder and CEO of AllTrack. “Our integrated approach addresses the independent sector’s long-standing need for a simplified royalty collection process. AllTrack members can now receive the compensation they’re entitled to faster and more efficiently than ever before.”
The news comes just months after AllTrack announced that it had been accepted into CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) and after the U.S. PRO system has come under more scrutiny. In September, Billboard broke the news that the House Judiciary Committee had sent a letter to the Copyright Office asking for further examination into PROs, citing “difficult to assess” royalty collections and the “proliferation of PROs.”
TikTok and ICE have signed a long term licensing deal. The new agreement means that TikTok and its users can will to have access to the broad and wide ranging catalog of songs represented by ICE, which includes many of Europe’s biggest collection societies like PRS, STIM and GEMA. ICE also represents peermusic, Concord and Songtrust.
TikTok also launched its first-ever TikTok for Songwriters event on Tuesday (Nov. 19) at its London headquarters. Featuring appearance by JADE and Kamille, the event celebrating the art of songwriting in partnership with PRS and The Ivors Academy.
Seeker Music, the songwriter-led music rights, publishing and record company, has acquired the publishing rights to indie-rock band The Wombats’ first four albums. Formed in Liverpool in 2003, The Wombats early catalog contains hits like “Let’s Dance to Joy Division,” “Greek Tragedy,” and “Turn.” The Wombats said in a statement about the deal: “We are absolutely thrilled to be working with the team at Seeker and can’t think of a better team to help build our catalogue over the coming years.”
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Slipstream, a music licensing platform with over 650,000 songs in its production library, has partnered with Kobalt for publishing administration. Earlier this fall, Slipstream announced that it had acquired Anthem Entertainment’s production music businesses, including Jingle Punks, 5 Alarm Music and Cavendish Music.
Platinum Grammar Publishing has signed singer-songwriter Morgan St. Jean to a global publishing deal. A co-writer on Chappell Roan’s hit song “Casual,” St. Jean is a fast-rising talent in songwriting world. As an artist, St. Jean got her start as a featured artist on the Borgeous single “Famous” and Loud Luxury’s “Aftertaste.” Since then, she has also released solo material, including the viral hit “Not All Men.” Her new publishing home, Platinum Grammar, was founded in 2022 by Joie Manda as a fully independent, self-funded publishing venture with the hopes of developing new talent. The company also recently signed Adam Wendler, co-writer of Dasha’s “Austin.”
Third Side Music has signed Katie Crutchfield, better known as indie band Waxahatchee, to a global publishing deal. News of the signing arrives just after Waxahatchee earned a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album, and the A&R who signed her, Brontë Jane, received a promotion to become the company’s new executive vp of creative/A&R. In addition, TSM has elevated Mariah Flores to creative/A&R manager.
Maison Arts has signed producer/songwriter Alexander “AYOKAY” O’Neill to a publishing agreement. Along with his own artist project, making dance/electronic music, AYOKAY has lent his production skills to artists like Quinn XCII, Chelsea Cutler, Jeremy Zucker, Carly Rae Jepson and more.
Universal Music Publishing Group has signed Manchester-based singer-songwriter Lusaint to a global publishing deal. The news follows the release of Lusaint’s debut EP, Self Sabotage, released via Heavenly Fire.
Position Music, has announced the signing of SLOE JACK to a worldwide publishing deal. News of the agreement comes soon after SLOE JACK, a 22-year-old multi-genre talent, signed a label deal with Dream Artists and Interscope Records.
Warner Chappell Music and Cornman Music have jointly signed Trent Wayne to a global publishing deal. The southern Mississippi native has collaborated with notable songwriters such as Schmitty, Reid Morris, Noah Hudson, Zach John King, Matt Mulhare, Chase McDaniel, Mia Mantia, and Brett James, among many others.
Bosworth Music GmbH, part of Wise Music Group, has signed a further publishing agreement with the globally acclaimed Icelandic composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist Ólafur Arnalds for his entire back catalogue as well as new works. Arnalds began his relationship with Wise Music Group in 2020.
Haliey Welch, better known as the “Hawk Tuah Girl,” announced the launch of her own vocal sample pack on Wednesday (Nov. 20). Producers looking to sample Welch will be able to do so via BeatStars, the popular online beat marketplace. It’s a shrewd move by Welch: Her voice has already been sampled willy-nilly since she […]
Mexican music star Ana Bárbara has signed a global publishing deal with Kobalt, the company tells Billboard. The indie publisher will administer all of the Mexican music star’s catalog and future recordings. Bárbara’s previous publisher was Ingrooves Music Publishing. The deal comes on the heels of Bárbara’s Reina Grupera U.S. Tour, which celebrated her 30th […]
The music publishing industry has long been a battlefield, with independent publishers often struggling against the overwhelming dominance of the majors. Companies like Warner Chappell, Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group control vast resources and have significant influence due to their connections with their major record label counterparts, making it difficult for indies to compete.
Despite these challenges, independent publishers continue to embody the spirit of creativity and resilience, navigating the obstacles with unparalleled determination in the face of industry issues including licensing and financial disadvantages, increasing competition and costs, fewer income streams, and more that threaten to push us out of business. Recently, these obstacles have intensified, demanding a more assertive and determined approach from indie publishers. As we progress through 2024 and look ahead to 2025, the reasons for our frustration are pressing and undeniable.
Over the past few months, the gap between indie and major publishers has widened due to systemic problems and recent controversies. TikTok’s licensing deals, heavily influenced by agreements with major record labels and publishers, have sidelined indie publishers, affecting our ability to monetize our catalogs effectively on a platform that has become critical for music discovery. TikTok’s role in propelling songs and artists to the top of the charts and securing lucrative synch deals makes this marginalization particularly troubling. Indie publishers find themselves at a disadvantage, forced to either accept less favorable deal terms or risk losing out on the opportunity to reach these audiences and, in turn, straining our label relationships.
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Similarly, the recent Spotify bundling controversy highlights the stark inequalities between major and independent publishers. By adjusting its service offerings to lower mechanical royalty rates, Spotify has given a significant advantage to major publishers. While all publishers are aligned in fighting Spotify’s move, major publishers, with their extensive financial reserves, can more easily absorb the impact of reduced royalties. Additionally, integration with their record label arms allows their parent companies to negotiate recording royalty deals that help offset losses on the publishing side. Independent publishers, however, operate with much tighter margins and lack the diversified revenue streams of their larger counterparts. For us, every penny matters. A reduced mechanical rate isn’t just a cut; it’s a threat to our very existence.
Beyond these specific cases, the challenges of 2024, including rising operating costs and intense competition in catalog acquisitions, have placed a heavier burden on indie publishers. The surge in catalog acquisitions by major publishers, driven by their financial power and access to capital, has driven up prices, making it increasingly difficult for indies to compete. This trend not only inflates catalog values to potentially unsustainable levels but also concentrates power in the hands of a few dominant players, stifling diversity in the market. Additionally, the rising costs of daily operations, from licensing negotiations to administrative expenses, are squeezing indie publishers even further, forcing some to consider selling their businesses, merging or even closing down.
Despite these challenges, there are still reasons for indie publishers to be optimistic. The Luminate 2024 Midyear Report shows that indie artists’ market share has grown by an average of 1.76%, with the most significant increase in the 500M+ on-demand audio streams category, increasing 2.7% over 2023 to 9.9%. Additionally, 62.1% of artists with 1 million to 10 million U.S. on-demand audio streams have independent distribution. These two examples out of many showcase the continued impact and growing influence of indie creators in the digital space. Advances in technology, especially AI tools, are providing new opportunities for music production, metadata refinement and distribution, leveling the playing field for indie artists and creators. Organizations like the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) and the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) continue to advocate for and support indies, ensuring we have the tools and knowledge needed to navigate the industry. Additionally, the rise in synch opportunities and revenue following 2023’s entertainment labor disputes offer indie publishers a growing source of income in a segment of the industry that, fortunately, remains a free market.
The path forward for indie publishers is clear: We must unite and use our challenges to motivate change. By channeling our collective frustration, we can fight for fairer treatment and greater solidarity in the industry. Far from being destructive, our anger can be a powerful force, driving indies to recognize our strength, advocate fiercely for our rights, and reshape the industry. We can create a more just environment for our songwriters, ensuring they are fairly compensated and contributing to a more balanced music industry. The time for complacency is over; it’s time for indies to take action and secure our future, and the future of the songwriters who depend on us.
Marc Caruso is the co-founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based independent music publisher Angry Mob Music, with successful operations in publishing, music rights management and music production. Throughout his more than 20-year career in music as an entrepreneur, composer, producer and Emmy-nominated music editor, Marc has been at the forefront of music publishing and master rights administration for film and TV and has continually been a champion for musician and songwriters’ rights.
Megan Moroney, Jaron Boyer and Warren Zeiders‘ “Pretty Little Poison” were among the evening’s big winners at SESAC Performing Rights’s annual Nashville Music Awards on Sunday night (Nov. 17), as the country music industry’s annual CMA Week got underway with the first of a trio of parties held by performing rights organizations to honor the songwriters and music publishers many of the year’s most performed country songs.
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More than 400 members Nashville’s elite songwriters, publishers and other industry members gathered at the Country Music Hall of Fame Sunday night to honor the SESAC writers behind not only top country songs, but top Americana tunes such as Sierra Ferrell’s “American Dreaming” and The Avett Brothers’ “Orion’s Belt” during the glitzy shindig.
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SESAC Sr. VP/Head of Nashville Creative Shannan Hatch hosted the evening alongside senior directors, creative services ET Brown and Lydia Cahill. The event was sponsored in part by Hatef Aesthetics, Bombas, Brumate, CRVFT, Cymbiotika, Dr. Bronner’s, Eboost, Herban Essentials, Little Secrets, Monopoly, Olaplex, Osea, Pause, and Solawave.
Early in the evening, Megan Moroney performed the title track to her sophomore album, Am I Okay?, before later being honored with the SESAC spotlight award, honoring not only her work on resonant songs such as “I’m Not Pretty” and “Indifferent,” but her myriad accomplishments over the past year, including the release of her album and her three CMA Awards nominations heading into Wednesday evening’s CMA Awards (among them a nomination for female vocalist of the year).
“There’s nothing more fulfilling than writing songs. Thank you SESAC for taking care of the songwriters,” Moroney said in accepting the honor.
Boyer was named SESAC’s songwriter of the year, for his work writing hits including Jason Aldean’s “Let Your Boys Be Country,” and George Birge’s “Mind on You.” He was feted with a Gibson custom guitar as well as a custom ring from Jostens.
“Thank you, Jesus .. .without him none of us would be here,” Boyer said. “I almost retired from songwriting a couple of years ago. I had some good friends that … reeled me in to keep writing songs and here we go. I don’t know what else to say … thank you.”
SESAC’s song of the year went to Warren Zeiders’s “Pretty Little Poison,” co-written by Jared Keim. Zeiders joined with co-writers Keim and Ryan Beaver to offer a compelling performance of the song.
SESAC’s country publisher of the year honor went to Warner Chappell Music, after the publisher picked up several accolades throughout the evening.
See a full list of the evening’s honored songs below:
“Pretty Little Poison”Written by Jared KeimPublished by Warner Chappell Music, Twelve6 SequoiaRecorded by Warren Zeiders
“We Don’t Fight Anymore”Written by Pete GoodPublished by Warner Chappell Music, King Pen Songs, SMACKWORKS MusicRecorded by Carly Pearce and Chris Stapleton
“Mind on You” Written by Jaron Boyer, Michael TylerPublished by Marlowe Sinclaire Songs, MTNoize, peertunes LTD, Melodies of CTM Outlander Recorded by George Birge
“Tucson Too Late”Written by Josh JenkinsPublished by Follow Me Where I Go, SMACKWORKS MusicRecorded by Jordan Davis
“Let Your Boys Be Country”Written by Allison Veltz Cruz, Jaron BoyerPublished by Allison Veltz Sensations, Marlowe Sinclaire Songs, Hipgnosis Tunes, peertunes LTD, Songs of Porterfied Music Recorded by Jason Aldean
“Love You Again”Written by Casey Brown Published by Track & Feels, Warner Chappell Music, Tape Room Tunes Recorded by Chase Matthew
“Creek Will Rise” Written by Chris LaCorte Published by Card Tables Music, Concord Tunes, Hang Your Hat Hits Recorded by Conner Smith
“I’m Not Pretty”Written by Megan Moroney Published by Georgiamo, Sony Music PublishingRecorded by Megan Moroney
“Indifferent”Written by Megan Moroney Published by Georgiamo, Sony Music PublishingRecorded by Megan Moroney
“Can’t Have Mine”Written by Matt AldermanPublished by Aldysongs, Curb Congregation Songs Recorded by Dylan Scott
“Glory Days”Written by Seth MosleyPublished by M & M College Fund, Sony Music Publishing Recorded by Gabby Barrett
“Wine Into Whiskey”Written by Justin EbachPublished El Chapo MusicRecorded by Tucker Wetmore
“Heartless Year”Written by Ed Jurdi, Gordy QuistPublished by Three Pisces Music, Vitrolacaster MusicRecorded by The Band of Heathens
“Fox Hunt”Written by Sierra FerrellPublished by Abel Elba, Pulse WorldwideRecorded by Sierra Ferrell
“Good Together”Written by Rachael PricePublished Warner Chappell Music, 17 Lake Street Music Recorded by Lake Street Dive
“Love of a Girl”Written by Seth Avett, Scott Avett, Bob CrawfordPublished by First Big Snow Publishing, NemoIVMusic, Truth Comes True Publishing, Ramseur Family Fold MusicRecorded by The Avett Brothers
“American Dreaming”Written by Sierra FerrellPublished by Abel Elba, Pulse WorldwideRecorded by Sierra Ferrell
“Orion’s Belt”Written by Seth Avett, Scott Avett, Bob CrawfordPublished by First Big Snow Publishing, NemoIVMusic, Truth Comes True Publishing, Ramseur Family Fold MusicRecorded by The Avett Brothers
Sony Music Publishing returned to No. 1 on the Hot 100 Songs publishers ranking for the third quarter and held on to the top spot among Top Radio Airplay publishers for the 14th consecutive quarter.
The publisher, which had finished a close second to Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) in the second quarter, scored its dual wins with a share of 67 tracks on Hot 100 Songs and 63 songs on Top Radio Airplay, including Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — the top tune on both charts this quarter and one that benefited the quarter’s top four publishers, which all have shares of the track. SMP also counts itself as the publishing home of the Top Radio Airplay writer of the quarter, Tommy Richman, who penned and performed the hit “Million Dollar Baby.”
The top Hot 100 Songs writer for the quarter was Zach Bryan, who notched four songs on the chart this quarter, including “Pink Skies” and “28.” He’s represented by Warner Chappell Music, which took second place for a second consecutive quarter on the Top Radio Airplay ranking and rose from No. 3 to No. 2 on the Hot 100 Songs chart. Its shares of 64 tracks on the former chart and 59 on the latter translate to market shares of 23.34% and 25.32%, respectively.
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After a big second quarter at the top of Hot 100 Songs, UMPG landed at No. 3 on both charts with stakes in 48 Top Radio Airplay songs and 51 on the Hot 100 Songs list — good for market shares of 20.23% and 22.41%, respectively.
While the big three publishers jockey for those top slots, Kobalt has consistently maintained its No. 4 berth on both rankings for years. Like the three majors, it owns a piece of “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” In the third quarter, Kobalt’s share of Top Radio Airplay songs increased to 48 from 43 in the second quarter and its quota of Hot 100 Songs rose over the same period from 32 to 36. That equates to an 11.43% market share on Radio Airplay and 10.83% on Hot 100 Songs.
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Hipgnosis sustained its fifth-place ranking quarter to quarter. Its top track on both charts was “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter, which was No. 5 on Top Radio Airplay and No. 4 on Hot 100 Songs.
Position Music, a relative newcomer to Billboard’s Publishers Quarterly, stuck around for another quarter, finishing ninth on Top Radio Airplay and seventh on Hot 100 Songs thanks to its share of “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone.
With the arrival of Position comes the departure of an outlier: Tracy Chapman’s publishing company, Purple Rabbit Music. It finished in the top 10 on both charts for a full year, kept aloft by the success of Luke Combs’ cover of her 1988 Hot 100 No. 6 hit, “Fast Car.”
This story appears in the Nov. 16, 2024, issue of Billboard.
In 2003, Eminem made Oscar history with “Lose Yourself,” the first rap song to win best original song. Now he’s in contention for another top honor. He’s one of 26 songwriters or songwriting teams vying for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame this year.
Just six will be elected – three from 13 nominees in the performing songwriters category and three from 13 nominees in the songwriters category, which is reserved for non-performing songwriters. The six inductees will be celebrated at the SHOF’s 2025 Induction & Awards Gala in New York City, which is expected to be in June at the event’s usual home, the Marriott Marquis.
All but five of the 26 nominees are individuals. The five collaborations on the ballot are Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan; Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter; Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham; three members of The Doobie Brothers (Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons); and five former members of N.W.A (Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella).
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Almost all the nominees are still living. The only exceptions are Sloan, who died in 2015 at age 70, and N.W.A’s Eazy-E, who died in 1995 at age 30.
The youngest nominees are Ashley Gorley and Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, both 47. The list includes four women – Franne Golde, Sheryl Crow, Janet Jackson and Alanis Morissette.
Several songwriters who are strongly associated with songwriters who were previously inducted into the SHOF are on the ballot this year – Walter Afanasieff (his frequent collaborator Mariah Carey was inducted in 2022), Roger Nichols (his frequent collaborator Paul Williams was inducted in 2001), Jackson (her brother Michael Jackson was inducted in 2002) and Mike Love (his Beach Boys colleague Brian Wilson was inducted in 2000).
The list includes eight members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – Crow, Eminem, Jackson, George Clinton (who is in the Rock Hall as the leader of Parliament/Funkadelic), Love (who is in the Rock Hall as a member of The Beach Boys), Steve Winwood (who is in the Rock Hall as a member of Traffic), the three aforementioned members of The Doobie Brothers and the five aforementioned former members of N.W.A.
The list includes three members of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. Sonny Curtis was inducted into that body in 1991, followed by Tom Douglas in 2014 and Oldham in 2020. Curtis, 87, has had many pop and country hits, including “I Fought the Law” and “Walk Right Back,” but he may be best-known for writing “Love Is All Around,” the pitch-perfect theme song from The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
Three of the nominees are past winners of the Grammy for producer of the year (non-classical). Narada Michael Walden won that award in 1988, chiefly for his work with Whitney Houston. Afanasieff won in 2000, Dr. Dre in 2001.
A songwriter with a catalog of notable songs qualifies for induction 20 years after their first significant commercial release of a song.
Eligible voting members have until midnight ET on Dec. 22 to turn in their ballots with their choices of up to three nominees in each of the two categories.
Here’s a complete list of the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s 2025 nominees for induction. The SHOF supplied the five songs listed after each nominees’ name, which they stress “are merely a representative sample of their extensive catalogs.”
Songwriters
Walter Afanasieff – “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” “Hero,” “License to Kill,” “Love Will Survive,” “One Sweet Day”
Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan – “Secret Agent Man,” “Eve Of Destruction,” “Where Were You When I Needed You,” “You Baby,” “Can I Get to Know You”
Mike Chapman – “The Best,” “Love Is a Battlefield,” “Ballroom Blitz,” “Stumblin’ In,” “Kiss You All Over”
Sonny Curtis – “Love Is All Around (Theme from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show”),” “I Fought the Law,” “Walk Right Back,” “More Than I Can Say,” “I’m No Stranger to the Rain”
Tom Douglas – “The House That Built Me,” “Little Rock,” “I Run to You,” “Grown Men Don’t Cry,” “Love Me Anyway”
Franne Golde – “Dreaming of You,” “Nightshift,” “Don’t Look Any Further,” “Don’t You Want Me,” “Stickwitu”
Ashley Gorley – “I Had Some Help,” “Last Night,” “You Should Probably Leave,” “Play It Again,” “You’re Gonna Miss This”
Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins – “Say My Name,” “The Boy Is Mine,” “You Rock My World,” “Déjà vu,” “Telephone”
Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter – “One Tin Soldier (Theme from “Billy Jack”),” “Don’t Pull Your Love,” “Ain’t No Woman (Like the One I’ve Got),” “It Only Takes a Minute,” “Country Boy (You Got Your Feet In L.A.)”
Tony Macaulay – “Baby Now That I’ve Found You,” “Build Me Up Buttercup,” “Don’t Give Up On Us,” “(Last Night) I Didn’t Get to Sleep at All,” “Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)”
Roger Nichols – “We’ve Only Just Begun,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “I Won’t Last a Day Without You,” “Out in the Country,” “Times of Your Life”
Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham – “I’m Your Puppet,” “Cry Like a Baby,” “A Woman Left Lonely,” “Out of Left Field,” “It Tears Me Up”
Narada Michael Walden – “How Will I Know,” “Freeway of Love,” “You’re a Friend of Mine,” “Baby Come to Me,” “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?”
Performing Songwriters
Bryan Adams – “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” “Heaven,” “All for Love,” “Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?,” “Summer of ‘69”
George Alan O’Dowd p/k/a Boy George – “Karma Chameleon,” “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” “Time (Clock Of The Heart), “Love Is Love,” “Miss Me Blind”
George Clinton – “Atomic Dog,” “Flash Light,” “(Not Just) Knee Deep,” “I’d Rather Be With You,” “Give Up The Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)”
Sheryl Crow – “All I Wanna Do,” “Soak Up The Sun,” “If It Makes You Happy,” “A Change Would Do You Good,” “Everyday Is a Winding Road”
Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons p/k/a Doobie Brothers – “Listen to the Music,” “Takin’ It to the Streets,” “Black Water,” “What a Fool Believes,” “Long Train Runnin’”
Marshall Mathers p/k/a Eminem – “Lose Yourself,” “Stan,” “Mockingbird,” “Houdini,” “Rap God”
David Gates – “Everything I Own,” “Make It With You,” “Baby I’m-A Want You,” “The Guitar Man,” “If”
Janet Jackson – “Black Cat,” “Together Again,” “Again,” “Got ‘til It’s Gone,” “Rhythm Nation”
Tommy James – “Mony Mony,” “Crimson and Clover,” “Crystal Blue Persuasion,” “Sweet Cherry Wine,” “Tighter, Tighter”
Mike Love – “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations,” “The Warmth of the Sun,” “I Get Around,” “Fun, Fun, Fun”
Alanis Morissette – “You Oughta Know,” “Ironic,” “Hand in My Pocket,” “Thank U,” “Uninvited”
Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella p/k/a N.W.A – “Express Yourself,” “Dopeman,” “Fu*k Tha Police,” “Gangsta Gangsta,” “Straight Outta Compton”
Steve Winwood – “Higher Love,” “Gimme Some Lovin’,” “I’m a Man,” “Valerie,” “Roll With It”