Kris Kristofferson Chooses Garth Brooks for Songwriter Award
The Nashville Songwriters Association, or NSAI will be holding their annual Nashville Songwriter Awards on September 20th at the Ryman Auditorium, and the big name that will be making a big splash for the event will be Garth Brooks, who will receive the organization’s Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award.
But wait, Garth Brooks is receiving a songwriter lifetime achievement award, and one named after Kris Kristofferson? Sure, Garth Brooks is considered a fine songwriter by some, and he did co-write a few on his signature hits such as “If Tomorrow Never Comes” and “The Thunder Rolls.” But you don’t exactly think of Garth Brooks when you think of prolific or award-winning country music songwriters.
What makes this okay is that it was Kris Kristofferson who made the decision himself. He’s the one who gets to choose the recipients for the NSAI Lifetime Achievement award named after him. This is only the 4th time the award has been given out, with Willie Nelson earning the inaugural award in 2013, Bill Anderson winning it in 2018, and Loretta Lynn in 2019. Apparently this year, Kristofferson felt it was Garth’s opportunity.
“It’s pretty damn embarrassing to give a man of Garth’s stature an award with my name on it,” Kristofferson said in a statement. “When Willie got one he said he could take care of that. Congratulations Garth, I am truly humbled and honored that you have accepted this! You belong on Mount Rushmore. See you there.”
Of course, Garth Brooks took a humble tone as always, including figuring out how to address himself in the first person.
“When they name awards after artists, that award takes on an even greater meaning. Kristofferson is known as the songwriter’s songwriter… and he should be,” Brooks said. “The honor is the name on the award and the names who have received it. My hope is that through time, the Garth Brooks name is worthy of such an honor. This is going to be a cool night.”
It isn’t unprecedented for the NSAI to give a songwriter award to somebody who isn’t exactly known as a songwriter, but has done significant work for songwriters throughout their career by championing those dedicated to the craft, and by taking quality songs and making them hits. In 2019, the NSAI awarded George Strait with the organization’s President’s Keystone Award, which was in “recognition of his contributions toward the betterment of all songwriters.” Strait is definitely not known as a songwriter (even less than Garth is), though Strait did write a few songs here and there, and has written much more on his recent records.
But one of the things that helped make the Nashville songwriting system work for so many years was guys like Garth Brooks and George Strait selecting quality songs, and making them hits. Kris Kristofferson benefited from that himself, with Janis Joplin and Johnny Cash cutting his songs early on. And hey, if Kris Kristofferson says Garth Brooks should have his award, who are we to question?
July 3, 2022 @ 7:48 am
Well I question it because there are definitely others who deserve it more but it’s his award so I guess he can give it to who he wants to.
July 3, 2022 @ 8:21 am
So, Kristofferson thinks Brooks is a poet, a picker, a prophet, a pusher, a pilgrim, and a preacher, and a problem when he’s stoned?
July 3, 2022 @ 8:45 am
Congratulations Garth, it is well deserved. He is a great songwriter. He might be a showman but he is some songwriter.
July 3, 2022 @ 9:30 am
Garth has always been great at selecting songs to record as well as writing and co-writing his own. Of course if you’re Garth Brooks, you can pretty much have the pick of any song you dang well please.
July 3, 2022 @ 9:34 am
I attended the NSAI event in 2019 and it was a truly special experience to see Loretta Lynn, George Strait, Reba McEntire, and so many more in one place.
I wonder when tickets for this year’s event will go on sale?
July 3, 2022 @ 10:17 am
Oh no, here comes another round of fake forced tears and quivering bottom lip from “Mr. Humble I really am” guy.
However, I will also admit that Garth’s success is unprecedented. Good for him, but please no more forced tears!!
July 3, 2022 @ 12:52 pm
The Supreme Court has ruled! Only Garth can abort babies!
July 3, 2022 @ 1:32 pm
I have no idea if this was really Kris’s idea or if he signed on to what someone else decided.
Kris is 86 and may be be needing help from other people with day to day living, as well as issuing public statements. He did announce his retirement a year-and-a-half ago and said then that his son had been handling his affairs for awhile
I wish Kris the best, but this announcement doesn’t really mean all that much.
It’s hard to know how much of a songwriter Garth is. Most of his songs were collaborations with two or more writers, so the extent of Garth’s contributions are unknown to the public.
July 4, 2022 @ 11:35 pm
I saw his last show in Seattle with The Strangers backing him up. He was in fine form and seemed totally on top of things. Sure he has had memory issues but it seems like that was dealt with when they realized it was Lyme disease. Anyway, he obviously could have deteriorated but it didn’t seem like it. That said, it seems like an odd pick but I won’t argue with one of the true greats.
July 5, 2022 @ 4:16 am
Garth always struck me as largely the “a third for a word” type.
July 3, 2022 @ 2:00 pm
Kristofferson could choose Kane Brown and we would all have to then fully accept that he was the best songwriter ever. He can do whatever he wants to do forever. Spooky Lady Sideshow is a masterpiece and that just skims the surface.
July 3, 2022 @ 4:29 pm
Kane Brown is this generation’s Garth Brooks: dancing, pyrotechnics, and songs with no depth at all.
July 3, 2022 @ 11:26 pm
This is completely absurd. Say what you will about Garth’s live performances, but for every Friends in Low Places there’s a Much Too Young.
Also, not a whole lot of people (at the height of unprecedented popularity) get songs pushed off of radio airplay. But that’s exactly what happened with We Shall be Free – certainly not a song lacking depth.
July 4, 2022 @ 11:37 pm
YES! I have always LOVED Spooky Lady. To think it was critically panned is madness. I would also say that Darbys Castle and Stairway to the bottom are insanely good. He’s right up with Mickey Newbury.
July 3, 2022 @ 2:22 pm
Yeah, the guy who rhymes “oasis” with “low places.”
And really, The Godfather of pop country and bro country.
How very gross.
July 3, 2022 @ 3:34 pm
“Oasis” and “low places” is a fabulous rhyme.
Credit Earl Bud Lee an Dewayne Blackwell (the songs writers) for that.
July 3, 2022 @ 4:27 pm
Wow. He couldn’t even come up with that on his own?
Garth is gross.
July 3, 2022 @ 6:00 pm
Not every song has to be a lyrical masterpiece to be good song or a country song. Not every song from some of the best songwriters ever is a masterpiece
July 4, 2022 @ 4:33 am
Show us on the doll where the bad man in the cowboy hat touched you and we’ll make sure he goes somewhere he’ll be wearing plastic slippers instead of snakeskin boots. You’re safe here.
July 4, 2022 @ 5:35 am
He didn’t “hurt” me. But his music is ass & should offend all with good taste.
Without Garth, there wouldn’t be a Luke Bryan, FGL, etc. Garth was the permission structure for pop country & bro country.
July 4, 2022 @ 6:45 am
Garth is directly responsible for dozens, maybe hundreds of other artists’ careers. the amount of money that flowed into every business-venture he was associated with, employed many, many people, lots of whom had no connection to him, and no idea the money was coming from his success.
He was successful because he combined multi-genre influences and business savvy. I wasn’t really a fan, until I was offered free tickets to s sold-out local show… I went prepared to make fun, and 30 seconds into the first song, 18,000 people would have done ANYTHING he wanted, it was like Elvis.
He sold that venue out 4 more times, added shows.
In 2 hours.
If Garth Brooks is the “Kiss” of country music, I would point out that every schooled knows Kiss’ music, and every member, 50 years later. 90’s country would never have been what it is, and anyone who suggests otherwise is naive and laughably self-absorbed.
July 4, 2022 @ 8:47 am
What’s wrong with that rhyme?
July 4, 2022 @ 7:58 pm
Nothing. And that is a great song.
July 4, 2022 @ 1:26 pm
Couldn’t reply on the other thread but I can see the argument. Although I don’t know about opening the door, more like last one out of the barn and into the limelight before the younger decided they didn’t need the barn to begin with. I guess in that metaphor the barn is traditional country music but I didn’t think it through before I wrote it. I’ll let it stand though.
July 3, 2022 @ 2:30 pm
Maybe its because Garth went out of his way to let his fans know about the people writing his songs.
On one of his Christmas albums, he got a lot of his regular writers (including stephanie davis) to sing a traditional song just to highlight their existence.
So, strange but not essentially a bad choice.
July 3, 2022 @ 3:25 pm
Many great songwriters also exposed other lesser known songwriters to their audience and made the songs their own. Jerry Jeff was one of them, I’m not a huge Garth fan,but like his earlier stuff, my favorite song he did but didn’t write was ‘Same old story’ by Tony Arata.
July 3, 2022 @ 6:19 pm
Must have been all the songs Chris Gaines wrote
July 3, 2022 @ 6:39 pm
KRIS was and is the greatest song writer beside being a great actor. Being the best he gets to chose however I might have chosen Graham Parsons but I’m not a great song writer but I am Kris’s greatest fan. George
PS remember me from Asbury Park Show. G
July 4, 2022 @ 12:56 am
Where are the bodies Garth?
July 4, 2022 @ 6:56 am
I can’t exactly tell you his full list of writing credits (although he did write mostly a full album that didn’t do as well as others) but if you look at the book “platinum cowboy” by Edward morris which was published in 1993. It had a list of songs that he had cuts on as a writer for himself or others. At time of publication then it was at 49. That is a lot more than you think and fairly early in his long career.
July 4, 2022 @ 7:28 am
Maybe it was Alzheimer’s instead of Lyme disease after all.
July 4, 2022 @ 7:57 am
He co-wrote Much Too Young.
That is award worthy itself.
July 4, 2022 @ 11:47 am
I really think Eric Church is a lot better songwriter then Brooks. When was the last time he wrote a song. Eric Church just had his year anniversary of his triple album. So that’s my aping. Eric Church goes all our there for is fans. Brooks does not do That.
July 4, 2022 @ 6:29 pm
I hope he tells the story of Beer Run and shames the hack who stole it from Todd Snyder.
July 4, 2022 @ 6:58 pm
*”If Tomorrow Never Comes.
No need to publish comment, just thought I’d let ya know, Trigger. Thanks for your labors.
July 5, 2022 @ 3:57 am
Embarrassing, and I don’t even like Kristofferson.
July 5, 2022 @ 11:58 pm
What other Songwriters were in the Running?
July 8, 2022 @ 1:03 pm
The g man likes that
July 13, 2022 @ 6:38 am
Go listen to Garth Brooks first three albums, Garth Brooks, No Fences and Roping The Wind. They are all strong country albums with some really good deep cuts on them like Alabama Clay and Cowboy Bill off his first album, Wild Horses and Wolves off No Fences, and In Lonesome Dove off Roping The Winds. His later albums may get a bit over produced and “rock and roll” for some people’s taste but even those have some really great songs.
July 21, 2022 @ 5:27 pm
Kris’s award to give — his choice. Best damned songwriter ever with deepest catalog. If you think he still can’t handle a good song, check out the youtube video made in 2021 of “Help Me Make It Through The Night” performed with Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum. Garth would not have been my personal choice, but I suspect Kris’s decision was driven less by Garth’s writer output than his open support of other writers, and a personal factor, i.e., Garth’s stepping away from his career for a while for family reasons. Think that might be admired by a man with eight kids who by his own admission has great regret regarding the short shrift given to his kids by first marriage? I repeat — Kris can pick whoever he wants for whatever reason. I know people who are in regular touch with Kris, as recently as his birthday June 22. He is in fine shape physically and mentally. Period.