SZA has made one hit after another since she got her start in music, and her contributions to the business have been celebrated by one of the most prestigious institutions in the American creative circuit.
On Thursday (June 13), the Missouri native was honored with the Hal David Starlight Award at the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards dinner.
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“I’m just beyond all of my wildest dreams,” the 34-year-old said during her acceptance speech at the at the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel.
“I swear, I’ll be like, ‘Oh I wrote this and I wrote that,’ and [people would] be like, ‘Okay,’ especially if you’re a woman; especially if you’re a Black woman. So to win this … It just means the world.”
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Soon after SHOF chairman Nile Rodgers presented her with the accolade, she took the stage and performed an acoustic version of her SOS hit “Snooze”
The Hal David Starlight Award is presented to “gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry with their original songs,” according to a press release.
SZA has now become the second Black woman to receive the honor, following Alicia Keys in 2005.
In a statement, Rodgers wrote: “This is such an exciting time for songwriters and music. Phenomenal artists like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are pushing the envelope of what success looks like, but who could argue that the last two years belong to SZA. Incredible songwriting, incredible performances, incredible artistry. She so deserves to be the 2024 recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award!”
Reacting to the news on her Instagram Story, the singer said: “This is THE most meaningful thing to me you have NO idea. THANK YOU beyond words for seeing me at all.”
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As for the event’s main card, Timbaland, R.E.M., Steely Dan, Hillary Lindsey and Dean Pitchford were all inducted into the Hall Of Fame this year.
