Grammy Songwriter of the 12 months: Full Entry Checklist for 2023

The newly created Grammy Award for songwriter of the yr is shaping as much as be a decent race, with 62 potential nominees in rivalry, together with such main hitmakers as The-Dream, Amy Allen, Natalie Hemby (pictured above, L-R), Justin Tranter, James Fauntleroy, Shane McAnally, Ali Tamposi, Kat Dahlia, Edgar Barrera, Omer Fedi, Scott Harris, Tobias Jesso Jr., Desmond Youngster, and dozens extra.

The names won’t be acquainted to everybody, and that’s precisely the purpose: the award is meant to “honors the folks whose job is to put in writing songs for others,” Evan Bogart, a Grammy-winning songwriter and chair of the Academy’s songwriters and composers wing, instructed Selection earlier this month (and whose identify can also be on the listing). “It’s for those who can say, ‘Hey, I’m not performing on the Grammys; I’m not on the quilt of Rolling Stone and also you’re not going to know my identify — however you’re singing my melodies and lyrics.’” The songwriters on the listing have written for artists starting from Beyonce, Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes to Maren Morris and Blake Shelton, and plenty of others.

The listing additionally consists of artists who even have launched their very own initiatives like Michaels, Hemby and Ryan Hurd — however should have written at the very least 5 songs on which they didn’t carry out or produce, per the award’s guidelines — along with numerous Grammy veterans like four-time winner Fauntleroy and The-Dream, whose submissions this yr centered round writing for Beyoncé’s “Renaissance,” plus Brent Fayiaz and Pusha T. Additionally on the “Renaissance” entrance: the songwriting and file manufacturing crew Nova Wav (Denisia “Blue June” Andrews and Brittany “Chi” Coney) behind “Cuff It,” “Summer season Renaissance” and extra, are additionally in rivalry.

The class falls in the identical household because the producer of the yr (non-classical) award which has a complete of 214 entries this yr. The five-songs-for-others rule applies to producers in addition to artists, and has met with some resistance from songwriter-producers. Bogart responded, “Much like the artists, they may submit 5 songs the place they solely wrote, in addition to 4 they wrote and produced. We didn’t wish to create a class that might principally be a mirror picture of producer of the yr, and I really assume it’d be fantastic if any individual certified for each — it will present simply how a lot they impacted the panorama.”
Elsewhere on the listing, nation artist Hardy’s submissions embody songs written for Blake Shelton and Brantley Gilbert that includes Jason Aldean, along with one tune the place he’s featured as an artist (Cole Swindell’s “Right down to the Bar”).

The primary spherical of voting began on Oct. 13 and can run by means of Oct. 23, with the official nominations to be introduced Nov. 15. Under, see an alphabetical listing of the 62 eligible, non-classical writers up for the songwriter of the yr award on the sixty fifth annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 5, 2023.

Sarah Aarons
Andy Albert
Amy Allen
Denisia “Blu June” Andrews and Brittany “Chi” Coney of Nova Wav
Edgar Barrera
Even Kidd Bogart
Nija Charles
Desmond Youngster
Lauren Christy
Steve Cooper
Kat Dahlia
Sean Douglas
Tom Douglas
Ed Miranti
James Fauntleroy
Omer Fedi
Douglas Ford
James Aaron Foster
Edgar Galcano
Adam Garzilli
Natalie Nicole Gilbert
Andrew Goldstein
Ashley Gorley
Michael Wilson Hardy
Joyce V Harrison
Scott Harris
Natalie Hemby
Cory Henry
Jacob “Jkash” Hindlin
Sarah Hudson
Ethan Hulse
Ryan Hurd
Jason Ingram
Ink
Tobias Jesso Jr.
Steph Jones
Jozzy
David Leonard
Hillary Lindsey
Natalie Litza
Marcus Lomax
Madison Love
Shane Mc Anally
Chase Mcgill
Julia Michaels
Kayla Morrison
Michael Pollack
Elena Rose
Tia Scola
Shekinah Grace Moyes
Jonathan Smith
Skyler Stonestreet
Ali Tamposi
The-Dream
Theron Thomas
Jake Torrey
Justin Tranter
Laura Veltz
Billy Walsh
Betsy Walter
Emily Warren
Victoria “Ryann” Zaro