An evening filled with heartfelt speeches, emotional stories and incredible performances, over 20 songwriters and artists took the stage throughout the ceremony to pay tribute to the honorees and award-winning songs. GARTH BROOKS (Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award), ASHLEY GORLEY (Songwriter of the Decade) and TAYLOR SWIFT (Songwriter-Artist of the Decade) were honored with milestone achievements, and another top honor of the night, ‘Song of the Year,’ was awarded to Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins and Matt Jenkins for "Buy Dirt" (recorded by Jordan Davis feat. Luke Bryan). Gorley was named 'Songwriter of the Year' for a record-breaking 6th time and MATTHEW WEST earned 'Songwriter-Artist of the Year,' making him now only the second-ever Christian genre songwriter-artist to receive the title. In addition, 11 songs in total were celebrated as winners in the cherished peer-voted '10 Songs I Wish I'd Written' award category!
