Sza Receives Hal David Starlight Award from Songwriters Hall of Fame

Her acceptance speech was everything.

Sza celebrated her “value” as a songwriter after receiving the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame last week.

The Grammy award-winning singer was in New York City on Thursday, June 13, to attend the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel. Sza received the award from legendary musician and songwriter Nile Rodgers, Forbes reports.

The “Kill Bill” singer expressed her gratitude for receiving the honor.

“As an artist, I’ve been a lot of different people. I’ve been 200 pounds. I’ve been 130 pounds,” SZA shared during her acceptance speech. “I’ve been someone who doesn’t dance at all onstage, someone that can only close their eyes and look down, someone that is dancing and trying their best.

“I’ve just been all these things, and I feel like, ‘Oh man, I struggle at the artist thing.’ Like writing was where I felt like a person and that I had value and that I could show that I was smart, and it was beyond, ‘Am I pretty? Am I liked?’ And that basically meant everything to me,” she continued.

“It made me feel like a person, that I was doing something worth something. So basically receiving this award validates my entire career.”

Sza followed up her acceptance speech with a performance of an acoustic version of her acclaimed SOS single, “Snooze.” She joins a long list of acclaimed honorees, including Alicia Keys, John Mayer, John Legend, Lil Nas X, Ed Sheeran, and Drake.

Others honored at the 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame include super producer Timbaland, Hillary Lindsey (who’s written songs for everyone from Shakira to Carrie Underwood), ballad queen Diane Warren, the late Cindy Walker (“You Don’t Know Me”), Donald Fagen and Walter Becker of Steely Dan, and Mike Mills and Michael Stipe of R.E.M.