Donna Summer posthumously inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame

Donna Summer has been posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the organization announced Monday in Los Angeles. The ceremony took place at The Butterfly Room at Cecconi’s in West Hollywood, underscoring a career in which Summer helped bridge disco, pop and R&B with a string of enduring songs. She died in 2012 at age 63, leaving behind a catalog that includes such hits as “Love to Love You Baby,” “I Feel Love,” “Bad Girls,” “Dim All the Lights,” “On the Radio” and “She Works Hard for the Money.”

The event was led by Academy Award–winning songwriter Paul Williams, who spoke at the ceremony and celebrated Summer as both a performer and a songwriter. Summer’s husband, Bruce Sudano, and their daughters Brooklyn Sudano and Amanda Sudano Ramirez attended the ceremony, which marked a milestone some of her family had long advocated for in recognizing her work behind the scenes as a writer as well as a star.

“Donna Summer is not only one of the defining voices and performers of the 20th century; she is one of the great songwriters of all time who changed the course of music,” Williams said in a statement accompanying the induction. “She wrote timeless and transcendent songs that continue to captivate our souls and imaginations, inspiring the world to dance and, above all, feel love.”

Sudano, in a press release, added that being honored as a songwriter mattered deeply to Summer, noting that she often felt her songwriting was overlooked in a career filled with accolades as a performer. “The backstory is, with all the accolades that she received over her career, being respected as a songwriter was always the thing that she felt was overlooked. So, for her to be accepted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame I know that she’s very happy … somewhere.”

The Songwriters Hall of Fame, established in 1969, recognizes composers and lyricists whose catalogs have had a lasting impact on popular music. Induction typically requires 20 years to elapse after a songwriter’s first commercially released song. The organization cautions that posthumous inductions are not part of its main annual gala; when they occur, they are handled at separate events. In this year’s cycle, Pete Bellotte, known for his work with Summer on “Hot Stuff,” “I Feel Love” and “Love To Love You Baby,” is a current nominee for the 2026 Songwriters Hall of Fame class. Bellotte’s work on those hits—co-written with Summer and producer Giorgio Moroder—has made the songs enduring touchstones in pop and dance music and has been sampled by artists including Beyoncé, LL Cool J and Timbaland.

Summer’s influence spans multiple genres. Her smooth blend of R&B, soul, pop, funk, rock, disco and electronica helped launch chart-topping singles in the 1970s and 1980s and contributed to three multiplatinum albums. In the years since her passing, Summer’s legacy has continued to resonate with new generations of listeners and creators alike, underscoring why she is remembered not only as a performer but as a prolific songwriter whose work helped redefine dance music’s possibilities.

The 2026 inductees will be announced in early 2026, and the industry will watch to see how the Songwriters Hall of Fame continues honoring songwriters who shaped popular music across decades. In the meantime, Summer’s family and collaborators welcomed the acknowledgment of her craft as a central facet of her artistic legacy.