Keith Urban, The Chicks' Martie Maguire Among Country Legends Set for Major Awards Ceremony

Keith Urban and The Chicks' Martie Maguire are among the country music legends set for a major awards ceremony. It has been announced that the two stars will attend the 53rd Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala on Wednesday, October 11. Both are 2023 nominees in the Contemporary Songwriter/Artists category alongside Steven Curtis Chapman, as well as the songwriting team of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings.

Additionally, the NaSHOF Gala will also honor country music icon Bobby Bare with the Frances Williams Preston Mentor Award. "Throughout his storied career, Bobby Bare has changed the lives of countless songwriters," said Mark Ford, Executive Director of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. "He has befriended numerous NaSHOF legends, including Shel Silverstein, Tom T. Hall, Billy Joe Shaver, Bob McDill, Harlan Howard and Kris Kristofferson.  He discovered Waylon Jennings and helped him sign with RCA Records in the mid-1960s. He featured many songwriters on his TNN TV show, Bobby Bare and Friends, from 1983-1988. Bobby has made a tremendous impact upon our music, and we are proud to salute him in this way."

Notably, it was also noted that, as a recording artist, "Bare has had a powerful influence upon NaSHOF for decades. During his 60-year career, Bare has recorded more than 300 songs – including 35 Top-40 singles – written or co-written by 76 NaSHOF songwriters." This makes up "roughly 30 percent of the Hall's entire membership." Bare was inducted into the Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2013 and initially became a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1970. 

Bare "will be the first recording artist to receive the award named for Frances Williams Preston, who influenced and nurtured the careers of thousands of songwriters, performers and publishers in all genres during her five-decade career at BMI." Previous recipients if the award include music publisher Bob Beckham (2008), music publisher Bill Hall (2009), Preston (2010), music publisher David Conrad (2011), music publisher Donna Hilley (2012), Bluebird Café founder Amy Kurland (2013), music publisher Pat Higdon (2014), music publisher Bill Lowery (2016). In 2019, songwriter advocate Ralph Murphy was honored with the award.