Van Morrison and Loretta Lynn have been chosen to receive Icon Honor awards at the upcoming BMI Country Awards in Nashville, Tennessee, in November.
The performing rights organisation's honour is a tonic for Lynn, who was forced to pull the plug on her American summer tour when she fell ill.
The Icon Honor salutes songwriters' "enduring influence on generations of music makers."
Past honorees have included Dolly Parton, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Al Green and Isaac Hayes.