Taylor Swift Becomes Youngest Female Inductee at Songwriters Hall of Fame

At 36, Taylor Swift was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square on Thursday evening, becoming the youngest female honoree in the institution's history. The event, which ran from 6 p.m. to after 12:30 a.m., celebrated songwriting as an art and industry. Steven Spielberg introduced Swift, praising her storytelling, though his mention of using AI to count words about her drew a boo. Swift delivered a 20-minute speech reflecting on her career, family sacrifices, and learning to handle criticism. Other 2026 inductees included Alanis Morissette, Walter Afanasieff, Christopher 'Tricky' Stewart, Terry Britten, Graham Lyle, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Kenny Loggins. Performances included Tamar Braxton's 'Single Ladies,' Sheléa's medley of Afanasieff's hits, Billy Corgan and John Rzeznik's 'Shout It Out Loud,' Brandi Carlile and SistaStrings' 'Uninvited,' Morissette's 'You Oughta Know,' John Fogerty's 'Fortunate Son,' and Sombr's 'Cardigan' and 'Dear John.' Raye, receiving the Hal David Starlight Award, called for better songwriter royalties not based on radio play. Swift's fiancé Travis Kelce arrived as the ceremony began.