Garth Brooks to Receive Gershwin Prize for Popular Song Music

Country Star Garth Brooks Awarded Gershwin Prize

At 57 he' s the youngest recipient of the Library of Congress honor

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP As the top-selling solo artist in U.S. history, it makes sense that Garth Brooks, 57, will be the next recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. Brooks is the youngest recipient of the prestigious award and only the second country musician to claim the honor, after Willie Nelson. "Garth Brooks’ appeal as a performer, songwriter and humanitarian has brought many new fans into the world of country music,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said in announcing the prize. “During his career, Brooks has set countless records, earned numerous awards and elevated country music into a national anthem of the American people." The Library of Congress cited Brooks’ ability to weave poetry and the human experience in a blend of genres as the root of his success in song. For entertainment news, advice and more, , named for the songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin, was created in 2007 to recognize lifetime achievement in promoting song as a vehicle for entertainment, information, inspiration and cultural understanding. Previous recipients are Paul Simon, , , songwriting duo Burt Bacharach and the late Hal David, Carole King, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, , and . "An award is only as good as the names on it,” Brooks said in a statement. “First off, for any musician, the name Gershwin says it all. Add to Ira's and George's names the names of the past recipients, and you have an award of the highest honor. I am truly humbled." Brooks will receive the prize at a tribute concert in Washington, D.C., in March 2020. The concert will air nationwide on PBS in spring 2020.

More on Music for Grownups

Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.