Legendary singer-songwriters like Janet Jackson and veteran lyricists like Eminem and N.W.A. might be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
On Tuesday, November 12, the Songwriters Hall of Fame announced the nominees for its 2025 induction class ahead of the annual SHOF Awards Gala. Out of the 26 nominees â 13 nominees in the songwriter category and three from 13 nominees in the performing songwriter category â only three songwriters and three performing songwriters will be inducted. A majority of the nominees are solo artists except for five groups including The Doobie Brothers and N.W.A.
Icons like Janet Jackson, Eminem, Sheryl Crow, George Clinton and Alanis Morissette were nominated in the performing songwriters category. Meanwhile, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, "All I Want For Christmas" co-writer Walter Afanasieff, and "Dreaming of You" writer Franne Golde were nominated in the non-performing songwriter category. All nominees qualify for induction 20 years after he or she released the first commercial hit from their historic catalog.
The inductees will be honored at the 2025 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Gala on June 12 in New York City. See the full list of nominees below.
NON-PERFORMING SONGWRITERS
Walter Afanasieff â âAll I Want for Christmas Is You,â âHero,â âLicense to Kill,â âLove Will Survive,â âOne Sweet Dayâ
Steve Barri and P.F. Sloan â âSecret Agent Man,â âEve Of Destruction,â âWhere Were You When I Needed You,â âYou Baby,â âCan I Get to Know Youâ
Mike Chapman â âThe Best,â âLove Is a Battlefield,â âBallroom Blitz,â âStumblinâ In,â âKiss You All Overâ
Sonny Curtis â âLove Is All Around (Theme from âThe Mary Tyler Moore Showâ),â âI Fought the Law,â âWalk Right Back,â âMore Than I Can Say,â âIâm No Stranger to the Rainâ
Tom Douglas â âThe House That Built Me,â âLittle Rock,â âI Run to You,â âGrown Men Donât Cry,â âLove Me Anywayâ
Franne Golde â âDreaming of You,â âNightshift,â âDonât Look Any Further,â âDonât You Want Me,â âStickwituâ
Ashley Gorley â âI Had Some Help,â âLast Night,â âYou Should Probably Leave,â âPlay It Again,â âYouâre Gonna Miss Thisâ
Rodney âDarkchildâ Jerkins â âSay My Name,â âThe Boy Is Mine,â âYou Rock My World,â âDĂ©jĂ vu,â âTelephoneâ
Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter â âOne Tin Soldier (Theme from âBilly Jackâ),â âDonât Pull Your Love,â âAinât No Woman (Like the One Iâve Got),â âIt Only Takes a Minute,â âCountry Boy (You Got Your Feet In L.A.)â
Tony Macaulay â âBaby Now That Iâve Found You,â âBuild Me Up Buttercup,â âDonât Give Up On Us,â â(Last Night) I Didnât Get to Sleep at All,â âLove Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)â
Roger Nichols â âWeâve Only Just Begun,â âRainy Days and Mondays,â âI Wonât Last a Day Without You,â âOut in the Country,â âTimes of Your Lifeâ
Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham â âIâm Your Puppet,â âCry Like a Baby,â âA Woman Left Lonely,â âOut of Left Field,â âIt Tears Me Upâ
Narada Michael Walden â âHow Will I Know,â âFreeway of Love,â âYouâre a Friend of Mine,â âBaby Come to Me,â âWhoâs Zoominâ Who?â
Performing Songwriters
Bryan Adams â â(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,â âHeaven,â âAll for Love,â âHave You Ever Really Loved a Woman?,â âSummer of â69â
George Alan OâDowd p/k/a Boy George â âKarma Chameleon,â âDo You Really Want to Hurt Me,â âTime (Clock Of The Heart), âLove Is Love,â âMiss Me Blindâ
George Clinton â âAtomic Dog,â âFlash Light,â â(Not Just) Knee Deep,â âIâd Rather Be With You,â âGive Up The Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker)â
Sheryl Crow â âAll I Wanna Do,â âSoak Up The Sun,â âIf It Makes You Happy,â âA Change Would Do You Good,â âEveryday Is a Winding Roadâ
Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald and Patrick Simmons p/k/a Doobie Brothers â âListen to the Music,â âTakinâ It to the Streets,â âBlack Water,â âWhat a Fool Believes,â âLong Train Runninââ
Marshall Mathers p/k/a Eminem â âLose Yourself,â âStan,â âMockingbird,â âHoudini,â âRap Godâ
David Gates â âEverything I Own,â âMake It With You,â âBaby Iâm-A Want You,â âThe Guitar Man,â âIfâ
Janet Jackson â âBlack Cat,â âTogether Again,â âAgain,â âGot âtil Itâs Gone,â âRhythm Nationâ
Tommy James â âMony Mony,â âCrimson and Clover,â âCrystal Blue Persuasion,â âSweet Cherry Wine,â âTighter, Tighterâ
Mike Love â âCalifornia Girls,â âGood Vibrations,â âThe Warmth of the Sun,â âI Get Around,â âFun, Fun, Funâ
Alanis Morissette â âYou Oughta Know,â âIronic,â âHand in My Pocket,â âThank U,â âUninvitedâ
Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren and DJ Yella p/k/a N.W.A â âExpress Yourself,â âDopeman,â âFu*k Tha Police,â âGangsta Gangsta,â âStraight Outta Comptonâ
Steve Winwood â âHigher Love,â âGimme Some Lovinâ,â âIâm a Man,â âValerie,â âRoll With Itâ