Mission Statement
The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) consists of a body of creative minds, including songwriters from all genres of music, professional and amateur, who are committed to protecting the rights and future of the profession of songwriting and to educate, elevate and celebrate the songwriter and to act as a unifying force within the music community and the community at large.
WHO WE ARE
Established in 1967, The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) is the world’s largest not-for-profit songwriters trade association consisting of thousands of professional and developing songwriters from all genres. NSAI maintains the steadfast commitment, set by its founding songwriters, to protect the rights and future of the profession of songwriting and to educate, elevate and celebrate the songwriter. With more than 90 chapters throughout the U.S. and beyond, NSAI acts as a unifying force within the music community and the community at large.
With an all-songwriter board of directors and dedicated staff, some of NSAI’s legislative, judicial, regulatory, and marketplace advocacy work includes: restoring Capital Gains tax treatment to songwriter catalogue sales, being at the forefront of the creation and adoption of the Orrin G. Hatch Music Modernization Act, victorious Copyright Royalty Board trials, ensuring songwriters were eligible for federal relief and state unemployment benefits during the Covid pandemic and recent state and pending federal legislation to put guardrails around generative artificial intelligence including adoption of the ELVIS Act.
NSAI is the proud owner of The Bluebird Cafe, and the historic Music Mill studios—our headquarters located on Roy Acuff Place in the heart of Nashville’s Music Row. We stage the world’s largest songwriter festival called Tin Pan South each Spring and the Nashville Songwriter Awards each Fall.
HOW IT BEGAN
In 1967 there were approximately 80 songwriters in Nashville, Tennessee. Eddie Miller, who wrote the classic song “Please Release Me, Let Me Go,” was determined that they needed a “voice.” Over lunch, he, Buddy Mize and Bill Brock envisioned the Nashville Songwriters Association.
The first organizational meeting was held at the Old Professional's Club on Music Row. Around forty songwriters were founding members of the organization including Kris Kristofferson, Marijohn Wilkin, Jerry Chestnut, Danny Dill, Liz and Casey Anderson, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, and Ted Harris.
Maggie Cavendar became the first Executive Director of the Association. Lorene Mann, who served as secretary, came up with the motto: “It All Begins with A Song.” The organization’s first advocacy effort was to get songwriters’ names placed on records. Not an industry-wide practice at the time, the new group worked for more than four years and got record labels to agree to include the songwriters' name. In 1967 the association held its first awards presentations and “There Goes My Everything” written by Dallas Frazier was named “Song of the Year.” Dallas also received the inaugural “Songwriter of the Year” award.
A few years after it was founded NSAI began helping aspiring professional songwriters and composers in every genre of music navigate the path to career success.
In 1988 Pat Rogers became NSAI Executive Director of NSAI. She created the NSAI Regional Workshops Program and the NSAI Professional Division. In 1993 the Nashville Songwriters Association began what would become America’s largest songwriter festival called “Tin Pan South,” paying homage to Tin Pan Alley and the history of the American songwriting profession. Bart Herbison became Executive Director in 1997.
Now, over 57 years later, the Nashville Songwriters Association has become the most important “voice” for every American songwriter. The organization continues a strong record of legislative, courtroom and marketplace advocacy on behalf of the songwriting profession and continues to support and educate current and soon to be professional songwriters around the world.
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November 1967, over lunch at Ireland's Restaurant in Nashville, Eddie Miller (a 1975 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and founding member of the Academy of Country Music in Hollywood) encouraged fellow songwriters Buddy Mize and Bill Brock to begin an association for writers in Nashville. Mize and Brock loved the idea, and all three set out to make it happen.
Within a month, Eddie, Buddy and Bill were conducting the group's first organizational meeting at the Old Professional's Club on Music Row. The meeting attracted some 40 songwriters, including Liz and Casey Anderson ("The Fugitive"), Felice and Boudleaux Bryant ("Wake Up Little Susie"), Kris Kristofferson ("Me And Bobby McGee") and Marijohn Wilkin ("One Day At A Time"). These 40 became the founding membership of NSAI and began spending countless hours around Marijohn's kitchen table brainstorming, discussing and refining ideas.
December 6, 1967, the very first organizational meeting of the Nashville Songwriters Association was held at the Old Professional's Club on 16th Ave. South. About forty songwriters were present, including Marijohn Wilkin, Kris Kristofferson, Clarence Selman, Johnny Scoggins, Rusty Adams, Eddie Sovine, Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, Liz and Casey Anderson, Tommy Floyd, and Eddie Miller.
NSA elected its first board of directors including Liz Anderson, Boudleaux Bryant, Tom T. Hall, Ted Harris, Kris Kristofferson, Vic McAlpin, Bobby Russell, Glen Sutton, Glen Tubb, Bob Tubert and John Bucky Wilkin. Officers were Buddy Mize, President; Eddie Miller, Vice President; Johnny Scoggins, Treasurer; Marijohn Wilkin, Secretary; and Clarence Selman Sergeant-at-Arms.
In 1969, the organization began work to successfully persuade most of Nashville's Record companies to start printing the full names of the writers on label copy by 1970. This was followed by working to get more name credit of writers on album jackets. They wanted the public to know that artists did not always write the songs fans loved.
October 1970 the Nashville Songwriters Association sponsored a songwriter showcase during the annual DJ Convention featuring Kris Kristofferson, Roger Miller, Dallas Frazier and others. It is believed this is the first time “It All Begins With A Song” was used. The theme, to become known worldwide, was the idea of NSA’s volunteer secretary, songwriter and Grand Ole Opry performer Lorene Mann.
In early 1974, NSA went on record to vocally support anti-piracy legislation in Congress designed to combat counterfeit records and tapes that were being manufactured and sold with no royalties paid to the original creators.
On August 19, 1978, the Nashville Songwriters Association sponsored its first songwriting seminar outside of the Nashville area. Over 100 aspiring songwriters participated in the event held in Kansas City, KS, with panelists including songwriters: Bill Hall, Patsy and Ed Bruce, Sonny Throckmorton, Linda Hargrove, Ron Peterson, Don Wayne and, Brad MeCuen of SESAC, Merlin Littlefield of ASCAP, Roger Sovine of BMI and NSA Executive Director Maggie Cavender. The songwriter panelists presented a showcase that evening.
February 23-24,1979, the Nashville Songwriters Association held is first annual Songwriter Symposium. The theme was "Songwriting A to Z." it was held February 23 and 24 at the Hyatt Regency by Tennessee Governor Lamar Alexander, and Nashville Mayor Richard Fulton proclaimed it “Nashville Songwriters Association International Week.
Throughout the first half of 1981, NSAI continued to lobby for an increase in the mechanical royalty rate. On June 18, due to these efforts by NSAI and other songwriter organizations, the United States Court of Appeals upheld the Copyright Royalty Tribunal's decision to increase the mechanical royalty rate to four cents, effective July 1, 1981.
In 1983, NSAI, through the auspices of Frances Preston and Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), presented Barbara Mandrell in "The Lady Is a Champ," direct from the MGM Grand Show in Las Vegas, at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Jackson Hall in Nashville. This August 4 show was taped for a ninety minute HBO special, with all proceeds going directly to NSAI. This special concert raised $40,000.
May 1, 1989, after 17 years of service as Executive Director, Maggie Cavender moved into the newly created position of Director Emerita, and Music Row veteran Pat Rogers was named Executive Director. In honor of Cavender, the Maggie Cavender Award of Service was created to be given annually to an individual who has worked hard for the interests of songwriters.
Spring 1992 NSAI started the “Tin Pan South” songwriters festival. It would eventually become the largest songwriter-only festival in the United States with about 100 shows during the weeklong event and around 400 songwriter performers.
1992, NSAI created the “White Hat Award” to recognize a political leader who had been a particularly good friend to songwriters. The first was given to U.S. Representative Bob Clement (D-TN), the Congressman from Nashville who had always taken an interest in the plight of the American songwriter.
August 1997—Bart Herbison is hired as Executive Director of NSAI. He had worked for U.S. Congressman Bob Clement where he had worked for a decade with the organization on songwriter copyright and intellectual property issues.
In 1999, NSAI had its first bill introduced its in Congress, “The Songwriters Capital Gains Tax Equity Act,” designed to change a fifty-year old inequity in the way songwriter royalty income was taxed. Experts said passage of the law would “be impossible” because it would change the way song copyright assets were viewed under the tax code.
2000, NSAI held its First Annual Song Contest. Connie Howard was named the winner and Dave Stewart the runner-up. The contest is still going strong every fall and is now a joint-venture with CMT. This year’s contest kicks off September 1.
2000 NSAI awarded “Songwriter-Artist of the Decade” to Vince Gill (“When I Call Your Name”, “Don’t Let Our Love Start Slippin’ Away”, “One More Last Chance”, “I Still Believe In You”, etc.) for the years 1990-1999.
NSAI protested CMT’s decision to remove songwriter credits from broadcast videos and persuaded the company to reinstate them in 2001.
In September of 2003, NSAI coordinated a massive lobbying trip to Washington, in which songwriters met with over 50 members of Congress to tell the songwriter's story and to announce the creation of a Songwriter's Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. We since have started a Songwriter’s Caucus in the U.S. Senate. This means a solid team of allies for any legislation supporting songwriters’ rights.
NSAI was instrumental in having the State of Tennessee Senate pass Resolution No. 121 on May 19, 2003 to designate songwriting as one of Tennessee’s official art forms. And now puts on an annual songwriter show for Caucus members and guests in Washington D.C.
February 2005, NSAI purchased the Music Mill studio building on Music Row as its permanent headquarters. They began operations in the 12,000 square foot facility in May. The Music Mill would be the first location owned by NSAI who had seen many rented and donated locations throughout its history.
2006 NSAI introduced and spear-headed The Songwriters Capital Gains Tax Equity Act, legislation that allows songwriters to save 20% or more in tax payments when selling a song catalogue. This change to the U.S. Tax Code was made permanent by Congress on December 9, 2006.
Regions Bank began their Title Sponsorship for Tin Pan South and remains the presenting partner to this day!
January 1, 2008 NSAI assumed ownership of the legendary Bluebird Cafe, America’s premier songwriter performance venue. Erika Wollam-Nichols, who worked at NSAI at the time and had previously worked at the Bluebird Cafe, was named General Manager.
Also in 2008, NSAI was invited to testify in Washington, D.C., before the Copyright Royalty Board as they considered updates to copyright law for the digital age. Then-NSAI President Steve Bogard was a witness.
July 2009, with Nashville Insurance executive Robert Frost of Frost Specialty, Inc., NSAI created the first-ever group Copyright Infringement Insurance for American songwriters designed to offer affordable rates in the event of a copyright infringement claim.
2010 NSAI awarded the second Songwriter-Artist of the Decade award to Toby Keith (“How Do You Like Me Now?!”, “You Shouldn’t Kiss Me Like This”, “I’m Just Talkin’ About Tonight”, “American Soldier”, “Beer For My Horses”, etc.) for the years 2000-2009.
2013, NSAI created a lifetime achievement award in the name of one of our founders: the Kris Kristofferson award. At a private event at the Bluebird Café, Kris presented the very first Kris Kristofferson Award to his friend and collaborator Willie Nelson and the two treated the small private gathering to a concert.
NSAI worked with like-minded organizations ASCAP, BMI, CMPA, NMPA and SESAC to introduce the Songwriter Equity Act (H.R. 4079, S. 2321). The bill seeks to modernize the rules governing the way both mechanical and performance royalty rates are set. NSAI President, Lee Thomas Miller, testified before the House Judiciary Committee in June 2014 to advocate for the bill and other songwriter issues.
February 25, 2015, at the behest of NSAI along with like-minded organizations ASCAP, BMI, CMPA, NMPA and SESAC, Congressmen Doug Collins (R-GA), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) introduced the Songwriter Equity Act of 2014 (H.R.4079) in an attempt to change the standards by which songwriters’ rates are set for both mechanical and performance royalties. Later that same year, an accompanying Senate bill (S.2321) was introduced by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Bob Corker (R-TN), Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Both bills were reintroduced at the beginning of the 114th Congress as H.R.1283 and S.662.
March 28-April 1, 2017, Tin Pan South celebrated its 25th anniversary. 25 years of celebrating the creators of music and filling venues across the city of Nashville with stories and performances of your favorite songs!
2018 - The Orrin G. Hatch Music Modernization Act (MMA), legislation designed to improve streaming royalty rates for American songwriters was passed unanimously by both houses and signed into law!
2021 - As a direct result of the Orrin G. Hatch Music Modernization Act (MMA), In January 2021, an organization, The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) began administering blanket mechanical licenses to eligible streaming and download services (digital service providers or DSPs) in the United States. The MLC will then collect the royalties due under those licenses from the DSPs and pay songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers.
The MLC has built a publicly accessible musical works database, as well as a portal that creators and music publishers can use to submit and maintain their musical works data. These tools will help ensure that creators and music publishers are paid properly.
The MLC will strive to ensure songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers receive their mechanical royalties from streaming and download services in the U.S. accurately and on time.
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