One of the hottest debates throughout country music’s history has been songwriting. There have always been outspoken critics of those who don’t write their own music. While there is validity to that sentiment, the argument itself disregards the talent of many session writers who have proven to have the ability to deliver incredible songs year in and year out throughout the decades.
While there will always be a special place for the premier singer/songwriters of today such as Jason Isbell, Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers, there are plenty of talented writers working today that get overlooked due to their songs being performed by other artists.
Here are 13 of the most prominent songwriters working in Nashville today.
Lori McKenna
Lori McKenna is a living legend; there’s no other way to put it. The two-time Grammy Award winner has been a mainstay in country’s songwriting circle, cutting songs with everyone from Miranda Lambert to Tim McGraw to Taylor Swift.
Outside of her mainstream, award-winning album cuts, McKenna also has 12 solo records in her personal discography all filled to the brim with some of the most expertly penned tracks you’ll hear today.
- Girl Crush – Little Big Town
- Humble and Kind – Tim McGraw
- Cry Pretty – Carrie Underwood
- It All Comes Out in the Wash – Miranda Lambert
- Skin and Bones – Eli Young Band
Luke Laird
Luke Laird is not only the driving force behind some of Eric Church’s most popular songs, Drink in My Hand, Talladega and Give Me Back My Hometown, he’s also responsible for the brilliant production on Kacey Musgraves’ Grammy-winning album, Same Trailer, Different Park and her Grammy-nominated album Pageant Material.
Laird has co-written over 20 #1 hits throughout his career, won ACM Songwriter of the Year in 2015 and won BMI Song of the Year (Rodney Atkins’ Take a Backroad) and Songwriter of the Year in 2012.
- Drink in My Hand – Eric Church
- Last Name – Carrie Underwood
- You – Chris Young
- Baggage Claim – Miranda Lambert
- Talladega – Eric Church
Chris DuBois
If you consider yourself a fan of Brad Paisley, then there’s a good chance that you’re also a fan of Chris DuBois. He has been a long-time collaborator with Paisley, co-writing 12 of his #1 hits.
DuBois owns 30 Top 20 singles as a co-writer and 17 #1s hits. The Oklahoman singer/songwriter has also won over 30 ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) awards.
- Mud on the Tires – Brad Paisley
- Remind Me – Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood
- Your Man – Josh Turner
- 19 Somethin‘ – Mark Willis
- It Won’t Be Like This For Long – Darius Rucker
Josh Thompson
Josh Thompson has a respectable solo career, owning two Top 20 hits and a gold record for Out Here. However, it’s his writing career that has made him a name in Nashville.
Thompson has been a staple in Nashville writing circles for the better part of the last two decades. His most popular co-write to date is Morgan Wallen’s 11-week #1 hit, Wasted On You.
- Wasted On You – Morgan Wallen
- Ain’t Always the Cowboy – Jon Pardi
- Any Old Barstool – Jason Aldean
- Drowns the Whiskey – Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert
- Damn Country Music – Tim McGraw
Chris Stapleton
It’s no stretch to say that Stapleton has already reached legendary status in the genre. With 10 Grammy wins under his belt, a plethora of #1s and dozens of platinum records, Stapleton has a valid case for one of country music’s GOATs. However, a lot of people don’t know how many songs he’s written for other artists.
- Your Man – Josh Turner
- Come Back Song – Darius Rucker
- Drink A Beer – Luke Bryan
- Crash and Burn – Thomas Rhett
- I’m Sorry – Blake Shelton
Stapleton has dozens of other co-writes over the past two decades. Read our article highlighting his Top 30 co-writes here.
Ben Hayslip
Ben Hayslip is responsible for a plethora of #1s throughout the 2000s and 2010s. He won ASCAP Songwriter of the Year in 2011 and 2012 and ASCAP Song of the Year for Blake Shelton’s Honey Bee and Thomas Rhett’s It Goes Like This. Overall, he owns 20 ASCAP Awards.
Hayslip has also won CMA’s Triple Play Award four times in 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2018 for having three separate songs go #1 in a 12 month period.
- Kick It In the Sticks – Brantley Gilbert
- When She Says Baby – Jason Aldean
- Honey Bee – Blake Shelton
- Gimme That Girl – Joe Nichols
- All Over Me – Josh Turner
- I Can Take It From There – Chris Young
Tom Douglas
Writing Miranda Lambert’s Grammy-nominated, The House That Built Me, is already impressive enough; however, Douglas’ songwriting history is packed full of Grammy and Academy Award-nominated tracks.
Douglas is responsible for Keith Urban and Eric Church’s Grammy-nominated track, Raise ‘Em Up, Tim McGraw’s Grammy-nominated song, Meanwhile Back at Momma’s and the Academy Award-nominated Coming Home from the film Country Strong.
- The House That Built Me – Miranda Lambert
- Southern Voice – Tim McGraw
- Raise ‘Em Up – Keith Urban and Eric Church
- Love’s the Only House – Martina McBride
- Meanwhile Back at Momma’s – Tim McGraw
Jeff Hyde
Like DuBois and Paisley, if you’re a fan of Eric Church, you’re definitely a fan of Jeff Hyde’s work. Hyde has earned a Grammy nomination, three CMA Song of the Year nominations and three ACM Song of the Year nominations, primarily for his co-writes with Church.
- Springsteen – Eric Church
- We Were – Keith Urban
- Record Year – Eric Church
- Comeback Kid – Kip Moore
- Smoke a Little Smoke – Eric Church
Josh Osborne
Josh Osborne has quickly become one of the hottest session writers in Nashville. He’s earned 23 #1s throughout his career along with a slew of ASCAP awards including Songwriter of the Year in 2015 for his work on Sam Hunt’s Take Your Time.
Osborne has also won a Grammy for Best Country Song, co-writing Kacey Musgraves’ Merry Go Round along with two ACM Awards for Old Dominion’s One Man Band and Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde’s Never Wanted to Be That Girl.
- 7 Summers – Morgan Wallen
- Drinkin’ Problem – Midland
- Merry Go ‘Round – Kacey Musgraves
- Vice – Miranda Lambert
- Come Over – Kenny Chesney
- Sangria – Blake Shelton
- Drunk Last Night – Eli Young Band
Shane McAnally
Shane McAnally gets a bit of a bad rap given that he frequently writes with the likes of Walker Hayes, Old Dominion, Sam Hunt and a plethora of other mainstream pop country artists. With that being said, it’s hard to ignore the sheer volume of his work throughout the past two decades in Nashville.
- Mama’s Broken Heart – Miranda Lambert
- Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye – Luke Bryan
- Stay a Little Longer – Brothers Osborne
- 7 Summers – Morgan Wallen
- Space Cowboy – Kacey Musgraves
Rhett Akins
For fans of 90s country, Rhett Akins is best known for hits like That Ain’t My Truck and Don’t Get Me Started. However, it’s his songwriting career that really cemented Akins’ legacy in the genre.
Akins has written over a dozen #1 hits for artists ranging from Blake Shelton to Josh Turner to Parker McCollum.
- Boys ‘Round Here – Blake Shelton
- Dirt on My Boots – Jon Pardi
- Farmer’s Daughter – Rodney Atkins
- When She Says Baby – Jason Aldean
- Bait a Hook – Justin Moore
- Mind Reader – Dustin Lynch
- I Don’t Want This Night To End – Luke Bryan
- Loved By You – Parker McCollum
HARDY
HARDY has slowly risen to be one of the most popular acts in the genre, scoring a #1 hit with One Beer and multiple Top 10 entries. Though many are familiar with his music, there are plenty who don’t know how prominent of a songwriter he is in Nashville.
HARDY has co-written 17 tracks on Morgan Wallen’s three studio albums, scoring multiple #1s on tracks like Sand in My Boots and More Than My Hometown. He’s also won multiple songwriting awards including ACM Songwriter of the Year in 2022 and ACA Artist-Songwriter of the Year in 2023.
- God’s Country – Blake Shelton
- Sand in My Boots – Morgan Wallen
- Simple – Florida Georgia Line
- More Than My Hometown – Morgan Wallen
- Church – Jelly Roll
Ross Copperman
Ross Copperman feels like one of the most underrated songwriters in all of Nashville. Though he doesn’t have the flashy hits that many others on this list have, Copperman has the awards and quality deep cuts to justify his place as a premiere songwriter in the genre.
He has won CMA’s Double Triple Play Award twice in 2015 and 2016 and a Triple Play Award in 2017 as well as BMI’s Songwriter of the Year in 2021.
Copperman has been the driving force behind underrated albums such as Jake Owen’s American Love and Brett Eldredge’s Sunday Drive.
- Beat of the Music – Brett Eldredge
- American Country Love Song – Jake Owen
- Confession – Florida Georgia Line
- Point At You – Justin Moore
- If I Told You – Darius Rucker