Jay Z Nominated For Songwriters Hall Of Fame

Jay Z has been nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame next year.

The 46-year-old rapper - who will be the first ever rapper to be selected for the honour - is among 24 other artists in with the chance of snapping up the prize as they've made it on to the prestigious 2017 cycle of nominations.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame is awarded to artists who have boasted a successful career at the helm of the music industry spanning over 20 years.

Jay Z - whose real name is Shawn Corey Carter - will have some stiff competition ahead of him though as he's to go head-to-head with 'Like a Virgin' hitmaker Madonna, Bryan Adams, George Michael, Cat Stevens and Gloria Estefan.

The late musician Sylvester 'Sly Stone' Stewart, who died last year, is also in the running to receive a posthumous accolade for his work with Barry McGuire, Johnny Rivers, as well as other recognised artists.

The 'Run This Town' hitmaker, who unveiled his debut album 'Reasonable Doubt' in 1996, has since had a number of hit records, including his LP 'The Blueprint' and 'The Black Album', which were recognised as the greatest albums of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

The New York-born rapper - who has four-year-old daughter Blue Ivy with his wife Beyoncé - follows in the footsteps of music legends Stevie Wonder, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Dolly Parton and Keith Richards, who have previously been honoured.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame nominations for 2017 are as follows:

Non-performing songwriters

Kenneth Edmonds

Randy Goodrum

Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis

Tony Macaulay

Max Martin

Kenny Nolan

Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham

Paul Overstreet

P.F. Sloan and Steve Barri

William Stevenson

Allee Wills

Maury Yeston

Performing songwriters

Bryan Adams

Shawn 'Jay Z' Carter

Peter Cetera, Robert Lamm and James Pankow

Gloria Estefan

David Gates

Vince Gill

Cat Stevens

Robert ''Kool'' Bell, Ronald Bell & George Brown (Kool & The Gang)

Jeff Lynne

Madonna

George Michael

Sylvester 'Sly Stone' Stewart