NEW YORK (AP) — Tamar Braxton opened a spirited 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony Thursday night with a tribute to a new inductee — the game-changing R&B songwriter, producer and rapper Christopher “Tricky” Stewart — with one of the biggest songs he’s known for: Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies.”A few other tracks he’s responsible for? Rihanna’s “Umbrella,” Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body” and Justin Bieber’s “Baby.”Dallas Austin, a songwriter and producer known for work with Boyz ll Men and Madonna, introduced Stewart. “Think about that catalog,” he said, listing off those zeitgeist-shifting records. “Those are cultural moments.” Stewart thanked God, his family, artists he’s worked with and mentors — giving a special shout out to Grammy award-winning music producer Antonio “L.A.” Reid and the iconic singer-songwriter Babyface. “I wanted to be like L.A. and Baby,” he reflected.
It set the tone for an event with a lot to celebrate. The gala, held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, also features a wide variety of inductees: Taylor Swift, Kiss’ Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, Alanis Morissette, Kenny Loggins, the songwriting duo Terry Britten and Graham Lyle (known for Tina Turner’s “What’s Love Got To Do With It”), and songwriter Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You”).
