NEW YORK – “You can have the best-looking car in the world. But if you don’t have an engine, you’re not going anywhere. So you have to have a great song.”
So said Paul Stanley early Thursday morning as he and his KISS bandmate of 50-plus years Gene Simmons chatted at USA TODAY’s office about 12 hours before they would receive their flowers as inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
This year’s ceremony, held at the Marriott Marquis in midtown Manhattan on June 11, honored a class that also included Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion); Terry Britten and Graham Lyle (Tina Turner); Kenny Loggins; Alanis Morissette; Christopher “Tricky” Stewart (Rihanna, Beyoncé); and Taylor Swift.
A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song.
Shane Fogerty and John Fogerty roar through several of Fogerty’s hits at the 2026 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 11, 2026 in New York City.
In addition, John Fogerty, who was inducted in 2005, was honored with the Johnny Mercer Award for songwriters who have “achieved gold-standard status in music history,” while Raye received the Hal David Starlight Award, given to young songwriters making a significant impact in the music industry with original songs.
The 4 ½-hour ceremony varied between longwinded and succinct.
Fogerty spoke for nearly 40 minutes (“I love music. It’s supposed to be about joy. It’s supposed to be about fun!,” he said in the midst of a detailed career overview) and performed a trio of songs with sons Shane and Tyler including “Proud Mary.” Meanwhile, Stanley quickly accepted his award sans Simmons, who he said had a “family emergency at a local hospital.” (USA TODAY has reached out to Simmons’ rep for more information.)
The high-wattage that packed the ballroom included actors (Jeremy Renner introduced his friend Afanasieff, Jane Seymour talked up the careers of Britten and Lyle) and one very famous director, Steven Spielberg, who helped close out the ceremony with an eloquent speech to introduce Swift.
“I asked AI how many words have been written about Taylor. It couldn’t tell me. I asked AI how many words have been written ABOUT Taylor. It couldn’t tell me,” Spielberg said. “The depths of her achievements defy AI.”
Swift, the youngest female inductee in the history of the SHOF, spent the evening having a blast with fiancé Travis Kelce by her side and her family, as well as Donna Kelce, filling the table. Regardless of the performer, Swift mouthed along with words and leaped to her feet to give ovations, cementing her status as a fan as well as an icon.
Here are some standout moments from the 2026 ceremony.
Sombr performs for Taylor Swift at the 2026 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 11, 2026 in New York City.
A humble Sombr, his lanky frame clad in a black suit, offered impassioned versions of “Cardigan” and “Dear John.”
“I’m so nervous,” he said after “Cardigan,” joking that it was hard to sing Swift’s songs in her presence. “Thank you, Taylor, for trusting me.”
Swift blew him a kiss and loudly applauded his performances.
When it came time to accept her honor, Swift spoke eloquently about how, for her, songwriting was (unlike learning the music business or how to dance) instinctual ever since childhood.
“In a world consumed by metrics and data, writers need to trust their human intuition,” she said to a roar of cheers. “You can be sensitive, but also durable.”
Brandi Carlile bows to Alanis Morissette
Chauntee Ross of SistaStrings and Brandi Carlile perform onstage during the 2026 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 11, 2026 in New York City.
With SistaStrings behind her, Carlile rolled through Morissette’s slow-burner “Uninvited,” which led to Carlile’s foot stomping the stage and her hair flopping during the song’s escalation.
Carlile called Morissette’s 1995 breakthrough “Jagged Little Pill,” “a masterclass in knowing oneself” and the Canadian singer’s oeuvre, “Pure, unapologetic innovation.”
Morissette read from notes about how she has to “write or die.” Songwriting, she said, “makes meaning out of pain and pain out of joy.”
Before singing searing versions of “Mary Jane” and “You Oughta Know” while sitting between two acoustic guitarists, Morissette made a plea to those in the education system.
“Please don’t remove arts programs, writing and music. These are some of the primary ways humans metabolize experiences,” she said.
Billy Corgan and John Rzeznik honor KISS
Billy Corgan (left) and John Rzeznik “Shout it Out Loud” to honor KISS’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley at the 2026 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 11, 2026 in New York City.
The black-coated Corgan added his own rock muscle to the definitive KISS anthem, “Rock ‘n’ Roll All Nite,” as he paced the stage and barely needed to encourage the crowd to sing and fist bump along.
Goo Goo Dolls singer John Rzeznik joined Corgan for a thumping rendition of “Shout it Out Loud,” while Stanley, sitting with his wife and adult children, nodded along approvingly.
Kenny Loggins celebrates with Gavin DeGraw
Gavin DeGraw (left) celebrates honoree Kenny Logginsduring the 2026 Songwriters Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at The New York Marriott Marquis on June 11, 2026 in New York City.
Following his own lengthy speech, primarily about his brother, Dan, the inspiration for “Danny’s Song,” Loggins turned on his best yacht rock grooves for “Heart to Heart.”
The gliding soft rock hit was the warmup for “Celebrate Me Home,” which Loggins dedicated to the late record producer Phil Ramone, who encouraged the singer-songwriter to keep it as a song title.
A six-piece choir and inductor Gavin DeGraw buffed up the nostalgic ballad, which, despite Loggins’ standing as the soundtrack king (see: “Footloose,” “Top Gun”) demonstrated why “Celebrate” is his defining song.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Songwriters Hall of Fame highlights from Taylor Swift, KISS
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com ’
