Bryan Adams, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings Among Nominees For 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame

Andrew Wright | November 21st, 2023

Bryan Adams — seen here in a 2019 portrait — is up for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for the second year in a row. Last year he and frequent songwriting partner Jim Vallance received induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Photo: Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

Canadian rock legends Bryan Adams, Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings are among a group of celebrated artists nominated for induction into the U.S. Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Out of the Canadian set, Adams is familiar with how difficult it is to make it into the hall. The 64-year-old — who was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022 alongside his frequent songwriting partner Jim Vallance — was nominated last year, but didn’t make the cut.

Fellow nominees this year include Kenny Loggins and Tracy Chapman, while The Doobie Brothers (Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons and Michael McDonald), R.E.M., Blondie (Debbie Harry, Chris Stein and Clem Burke) and Heart are also on the ballot for the second year in a row.

Eligible voting members have until Dec. 27 to select three artists from each of the performing-songwriter and songwriter categories.

Since its launch in 1969, the hall has only inducted 400 artists.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 and has since honoured artists “whose work represents a spectrum of the most beloved songs from the world’s popular songbook.” A songwriter qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.

Last year’s winners included Snoop Dogg, Gloria Estefan, Sade, Jeff Lynne, Glen Ballard (who co-wrote Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill album and collaborated with Michael Jackson and others) and Teddy Riley (who also worked with Michael Jackson, among many others).

The hall will honour the 2024 class at an Induction and Awards Gala in New York City. Plans for the event have yet to be announced.

Scroll down for a full list of the nominees and examples of their work.

Performing Songwriters

Bryan Adams (Summer of ’69)
Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings (American Woman)
Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, and Clem Burke AKA Blondie (Call Me)
Tracy Chapman (Fast Car)
George Clinton (Give Up the Funk)
Tom Johnston, Patrick Simmons, and Michael McDonald AKA The Doobie Brothers (Listen to the Music)
David Gates (Everything I Own)
Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson AKA Heart (Barracuda)
Kenny Loggins (Footloose)
Carlton Douglas Ridenhour and William Jonathan Drayton AKA Public Enemy (Fight the Power)
Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills, and Michael Stipe AKA R.E.M. (Losing My Religion)
Donald Fagen and Walter Becker AKA Steely Dan (Reelin’ in the Years)

Non-Performing Songwriters

L. Russell Brown (Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree)
Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter (We Built This City)
Dean Dillon (Tennessee Whiskey)
Hillary Lindsay (Jesus Take the Wheel)
Tony Macaulay (Build Me Up Buttercup)
Timothy Mosley AKA Timbaland (SexyBack)
Roger Nichols (Rainy Days and Mondays)
Dean Pitchford (Footloose)
Maurice Starr (Candy Girl)
Narada Michael Walden (How Will I Know)

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