The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) is set to honor country star Garth Brooks with its Songwriter Icon Award at the organization’s first-ever virtual meeting this June.

Honoring music creators and composers who have contributed greatly to the craft of songwriting, the award is typically given at NMPA’s annual industry gathering in NYC prior to the Songwriters Hall of Fame gala. Past recipients of the award include Billy Joel, Alicia Keys, Ryan Tedder, Jon Bon Jovi, Pharrell, Steven Tyler, Diane Warren and Sting.

NMPA President & CEO David Israelite shared, “Garth is someone who has created uplifting, joyful and meaningful music for decades. He’s brought millions of fans to country music and he’s brought this country together in times of hardship. His music has tackled tough issues and his lyrics have transformed everyday life into poetry that is as catchy as it is timeless. We are grateful to get to hear from him and thank him for what his songwriting has meant to so many of us.”

7-time CMA Entertainer of the Year and 8-time diamond award receiver Brooks remains the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history and is certified by the RIAA with 156m album sales. In addition to his record-breaking The Stadium Tour, his recent duet “Dive Bar” with Blake Shelton inspired a DIVE BAR Tour, which will continue a run of stops through 2022. Garth also has a weekly Facebook Live series, Inside Studio G, airing every Monday at 7:00pm ET