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Taylor Swift has been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, becoming the youngest woman ever to receive the honor.
The 36-year-old U.S. artist was recognized at a ceremony held in New York on Thursday, surpassing a record set by Carole Bayer Sager, who was 43 at the time of her induction in 1987.
Swift is now the second youngest inductee overall, behind Stevie Wonder, who joined the Hall of Fame at age 32 in 1983.
Artists become eligible for the Hall of Fame 20 years after the release of their first commercial track. For Swift, that was "Tim McGraw," released in June 2006.
Delivering a 20-minute speech at the ceremony, Swift reflected on her career and the role songwriting has played throughout it.
"If I look back at my entire 23-year career in music, the ups and downs, the industry battles, the trials and tribulations... songwriting was the easiest thing I ever did," she told the audience.
Swift credited the ease of writing to instinct, saying no one taught her the craft and that it came together when she learned to play guitar at age 12.
She also acknowledged her family, noting that her parents and brother relocated from Pennsylvania to Nashville to support her pursuit of a career in music.
"They uprooted their entire lives to move me to music city," Swift said. "I'll never be able to express my gratitude to you guys for doing that for me."
Swift was inducted by director Steven Spielberg, whom she personally asked to present the honor. In his remarks, Spielberg described Swift as "the most successful female artist not just of her time, but of all time."
Swift has recorded 12 albums spanning country, pop and folk genres. She has won 14 Grammy Awards, including four Album of the Year trophies—a record in that category. Estimates put her worldwide sales at over 250 million album-equivalents.
Her 2023–2024 "Eras Tour" generated approximately $2 billion in revenue, setting a record for concert tour earnings. She also holds the record for the most songs by a female artist to reach the Billboard top 10.
Eight other songwriters were inducted at the same ceremony. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley of the rock band KISS joined the Hall of Fame, as did Kenny Loggins, known for soundtrack contributions to films including "Footloose" and "Top Gun."
Canadian singer Alanis Morissette, record producer Walter Afanasieff, and songwriters Tricky Stewart, Graham Lyle and Terry Britten were also among the honorees.
John Fogerty received the Johnny Mercer Award, a lifetime achievement honor for previously inducted songwriters.
British artist Raye was presented with the Hal David Starlight Award, given to early-career songwriters.
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