Taylor Swift to receive country music songwriting award

Reuters

Reuters/Reuters - Singer Taylor Swift poses at the premiere of "Romeo and Juliet" in Los Angeles, California September 24, 2013. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country-pop singer Taylor Swift will be honoured as this year's songwriter and artist of the year by the Nashville Songwriters Association International, making her the only artist to win the award six times, her record company said on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old singer and writer of pop crossover hits "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble" will be officially named the award's recipient on Sunday, Big Machine Records said.

The annual award recognizes country music's songwriters who scored top 30 hits during the past year.
Swift's win pulls her ahead of five-time winners Vince Gill and Alan Jackson. She is also the youngest person to have won the award.

Her fourth album, "Red," has sold 6 million copies worldwide since it was released last October.

Swift and newcomer singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves lead the nominees with six nods each at next month's Country Music Association Awards.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Stacey Joyce)