Songwriters Hall of Fame Announces 2026 Inductees, Including Taylor Swift and KISS

NEW YORK (AP) - The Songwriters Hall of Fame announced its 2026 inductees Thursday, recognizing a mix of non-performing and performing songwriters.

Among the non-performing songwriters and songwriting teams to be inducted are Walter Afanasieff, the duo of Terry Britten and Graham Lyle, and Christopher "Tricky" Stewart.

Performing songwriters or songwriting teams set for induction include Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of KISS, Kenny Loggins, Alanis Morissette, and Taylor Swift.

Swift, 36, becomes the youngest woman ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She is also the first recipient of the organization's Hal David Starlight Award to be inducted as a full member. The Starlight Award, established in 2004, recognizes promising young songwriters. Swift received it in 2010. Songwriters are eligible for induction 20 years after the commercial release of their first song; Swift's debut single, "Tim McGraw," was released in June 2006. The 2026 gala is scheduled for June 11, meaning Swift qualifies by a matter of months.

Many of this year's inductees are known for collaborations with previous Hall of Fame members. Swift worked with 2023 inductee Liz Rose on several early hits, including "All Too Well." Afanasieff is known for his collaborations with 2022 inductee Mariah Carey on songs such as "Hero" and "All I Want for Christmas Is You." Loggins notably co-wrote "What a Fool Believes" with 2025 inductee Michael McDonald and "Footloose" with 2024 inductee Dean Pitchford.

Three of this year's inductees or inductee teams have won Grammy Awards for song of the year: Britten and Lyle for Tina Turner's "What's Love Got to Do With It," Loggins for "What a Fool Believes" with McDonald, and Stewart for Beyonc 's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," co-written with Beyonc , Terius "The-Dream" Nash, and Thaddis Harrell.

Morissette was nominated for song of the year for co-writing "You Oughta Know," but did not win. She is a two-time Juno Award winner for songwriter of the year, in 1996 and 1997.

The induction of Simmons and Stanley comes one month after KISS received the Kennedy Center Honors and three months after the death of original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley. Frehley died Oct. 16 in New Jersey at age 74.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame was established in 1969 and inducted its first class in 1970.

The full list of 2026 nominees is below. Inductees are noted.

Non-Performing Songwriters
- Walter Afanasieff: "All I Want for Christmas Is You," "My All," "Hero," "Love Will Survive," "One Sweet Day"
- Pete Bellotte: "Hot Stuff," "I Feel Love," "Love to Love You Baby," "Heaven Knows," "Push It to the Limit"
- Andreas Carlsson: "I Want It That Way," "Bye Bye Bye," "It's Gonna Be Me," "That's the Way It Is," "Waking Up in Vegas"
- Steve Kipner: "Physical," "Hard Habit to Break," "Genie in a Bottle," "These Words," "Breakeven"
- Jeffrey LeVasseur (Jeffrey Steele): "What Hurts the Most," "My Wish," "Knee Deep," "The Cowboy in Me," "I'd Give Anything/She'd Give Anything"
- Patrick Leonard: "Like a Prayer," "Live to Tell," "Nevermind," "You Want It Darker," "Yet Another Movie"
- Inducted: Terry Britten and Graham Lyle: "What's Love Got to Do With It," "We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)," "Typical Male," "Devil Woman," "I Should Have Known Better"
- Bob McDill: "Everything That Glitters Is Not Gold," "Good Ole Boys Like Me," "Gone Country," "Don't Close Your Eyes," "Song of the South"
- Kenny Nolan: "Lady Marmalade," "My Eyes Adored You," "I Like Dreamin'," "Masterpiece," "Get Dancin'"
- Martin Page: "We Built This City," "These Dreams," "King of Wishful Thinking," "Faithful," "Fallen Angel"
- Vini Poncia: "Do I Love You," "I Was Made for Lovin' You," "Oh My My," "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing," "Just Too Many People"
- Tom Snow: "He's So Shy," "Let's Hear It for the Boy," "Dreaming of You," "Don't Know Much," "After All"
- Inducted: Christopher "Tricky" Stewart: "Umbrella," "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)," "Obsessed," "Just Fine," "Break My Soul"
- Larry Weiss: "Rhinestone Cowboy," "Bend Me Shape Me," "Hi Ho Silver Lining," "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore," "Darling Take Me Back"

Performing Songwriters
- Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell (America): "A Horse With No Name," "Ventura Highway," "Sister Golden Hair," "I Need You," "Tin Man"
- David Byrne: "Once in a Lifetime," "Psycho Killer," "Burning Down the House," "Naive Melody (This Must Be the Place)," "Strange Overtones"
- Richard Carpenter: "Goodbye to Love," "Top of the World," "Yesterday Once More," "Only Yesterday," "Merry Christmas Darling"
- Harry Wayne Casey: "Rock Your Baby," "Get Down Tonight," "That's the Way (I Like It)," "(Shake Shake Shake) Shake Your Booty," "Please Don't Go"
- Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings (The Guess Who): "These Eyes," "Laughing," "No Time," "American Woman," "No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature"
- Inducted: Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley (KISS): "Rock and Roll All Nite," "I Love It Loud," "Calling Dr. Love," "Shout It Out Loud," "Christine Sixteen"
- Inducted: Kenny Loggins: "Danny's Song," "Footloose," "Celebrate Me Home," "Return to Pooh Corner," "What a Fool Believes"
- Sarah McLachlan: "Angel," "Sweet Surrender," "I Will Remember You," "Building a Mystery," "Adia"
- Inducted: Alanis Morissette: "You Oughta Know," "Hand in My Pocket," "Ironic," "You Learn," "Thank U"
- Alecia B. Moore (P!nk): "Glitter in the Air," "Just Like a Pill," "Raise Your Glass," "So What," "What About Us"
- Boz Scaggs: "Lido Shuffle," "Lowdown," "We're All Alone," "Thanks to You," "Look What You've Done to Me"
- James Todd Smith (LL Cool J): "Mama Said Knock You Out," "I Need Love," "Around the Way Girl," "Going Back to Cali," "Illegal Search"
- Inducted: Taylor Swift: "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version)," "Blank Space," "Anti-Hero," "Love Story," "The Last Great American Dynasty"
- Charlotte Caffey, Kathy Valentine and Jane M. Wiedlin (The Go-Go's): "We Got the Beat," "Our Lips Are Sealed," "Vacation," "Head Over Heels," "This Town"

The 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala is set for June 11 in New York.