The Songwriters Hall of Fame will celebrate a new class of inductees, a group with works spanning R&B, pop, country and rock.
Hillary Lindsey, Timbaland, Dean Pitchford, R.E.M. and Steely Dan are the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame inductees, the organization announced Wednesday. The Hall of Fame said it seeks to celebrate the legacies and careers of songwriters from all genres of music.
“The music industry does not exist without songwriters delivering great songs first. Without them there is no recorded music, no concert business, no merch … nothing,” Songwriters Hall of Fame chairman Nile Rodgers said in a statement. “It all starts with the song and the songwriter.”
The 2024 class of honorees will be inducted into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony in New York City on June 13.
“GOD IS GREAT!!!!!!!,” Timbaland, known for hits “Apologize” and “Promiscuous,” reacted to the honor on Instagram.
On Facebook, “Losing My Religion” group R.E.M. said members Bill Berry, Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Michael Stipe “are beyond thrilled” with news of the Songwriters Hall of Fame honor.
“When it’s all said and done, it’s always been about the songs and the process of crafting them as a band — it’s why they started the band all those years ago,” the band said in a Facebook statement.
In 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame inducted Gloria Estefan, Teddy Riley, Jeff Lynne, Tim Rice, Glen Ballard and Liz Rose. Snoop Dogg and Sade were also 2023 honorees but deferred their inductions until 2024. It is currently unclear whether they will participate in the June ceremony.
Estefan made Songwriters Hall of Fame history, becoming the first Hispanic woman to receive the honor.
“To those fans that have found in my music what I found in the music of the life-changing songwriters that nourished my soul throughout my life, I thank you for that privilege,” the “Conga” singer said. “I can assure you that it is just as magical from the other side of the song.”
Songwriters who have also been inducted into the Hall of Fame include Mariah Carey, the Isley Brothers, Pharrell Williams, Missy Elliott, John Mellencamp, Jay-Z, Tom Petty and Cyndi Lauper.
