We are always happy to sing the praises of our own Holly Gleason. Turns out, we’re not the only ones: Gleason has received 13 nominations for this year's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. Those nods cover feature stories written on subjects including Ella Langley, Todd Snider, Billy Bob Thornton & the Boxmasters, Jeannie Seely and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Chairman John Sykes, along with her HEART LIFE MUSIC, the New York Times bestseller she authored with Kenny Chesney.

Said Gleason, "It was disorienting doing so little journalism this year, but I think it really fueled my fire for the stories I was telling. Most stories are so much more than what you see on the surface—and the diversity of topics gave my mind so much inspiration for the larger work. Whether doing Seely's 5398th Opry appearance memorial, announcing Ella Langley's move to real arenas in January or celebrating quixotic songwriter-troublemaker Todd Snider's life after his surprising death, every story is a reminder life is to be lived, savored and built on."

Gleason then went on to furiously scratch our logo off her business card.