The Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) has announced its slate of nominees to be voted upon for induction at its 2025 Induction & Awards Gala in New York City.
Songwriters Hall of Fame is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the exceptional work and lives of composers and lyricists who make an indelible impact creating music around the world. 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 will have until midnight EST on December 22, 2024 to turn in ballots with their choices of up to three nominees in each of the songwriter and performing songwriter categories.
Songwriters Hall of Fame 2025 Nominees for Induction
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 * Deja 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 * Fuck Tha Police * Gangsta Gangsta * Straight Outta Compton
Steve Winwood – Higher Love * Gimme Some Lovin’ * I’m a Man * Valerie * Roll With It
The Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates and honors the contributions of songwriters of all genres of music, educates the public with regard to their achievements and produces a spectrum of professional programs devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through songwriting craft forums, scholarships, digital initiatives and Master Sessions on both coasts. Educational activities are held at The GRAMMY Museum, which hosts the permanent Songwriters Hall of Fame Gallery, and at the University of Southern California/Thornton School of Music, with additional events and programs at Belmont University’s Mike Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, the University of North Carolina and NYC’s Stuyvesant High School. Out of the tens of thousands of songwriters of our era, there are approximately 470 inductees who make up the impressive roster enshrined in the Hall of Fame. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first significant commercial release of a song. The list of inductees include Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier & Brian Holland, Smokey Robinson, Paul Williams, Hal David & Burt Bacharach, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly, Bob Dylan, Isaac Hayes & David Porter, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora, Elton John & Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Don Schlitz, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Webb, Van Morrison, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Diane Warren, Carole Bayer Sager, Stevie Wonder, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry, Mac Davis, Leonard Cohen, Ray Davies, Cyndi Lauper, Desmond Child, Mick Jones & Lou Gramm, Elvis Costello, Marvin Gaye, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond, Jay Z, Tom Petty, Toby Keith, Max Martin, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Berry Gordy, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Robert Lamm & James Pankow, Holly Knight, Bill Anderson, Steve Dorff, Jermaine Dupri, Alan Jackson, Kool & The Gang, Liz Rose, John Mellencamp, Gloria Estefan, and Allee Willis, among many others.
For more about the Songwriters Hall of Fame, visit: songhall.org
