The country music industry was left abuzz last week when the new inductees into the Nashville Songwriters' Hall of Fame were announced.
The names were revealed at the historic Nashville Columbia Studio A, and include Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn, Casey Beathard, David Lee Murphy, and none other than Keith Urban.
The Australian-American country star, 55, is being honored for his three-decade long career, beginning with his self-titled debut album in 1991, and his songwriting not only on his own hits, but also with others like P!nk, Carrie Underwood, Dolly Parton, Nelly Furtado, and many more.
His wife Nicole Kidman, 56, reacted to the honor by sharing a sweet tribute to him on her Instagram Stories, sharing a picture of a headline bearing the news.
"Congratulations baby!!" she wrote. "What an incredible honor xx." Keith and Nicole have been married since 2006 and share daughters Sunday, 15, and Faith, 12.
MORE: Keith Urban makes big announcement in personal message – and it's major
In an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after the announcement, Keith gushed: "It's truly surreal," saying he "just wouldn't have believed it" if someone had told him this would one day be happening.
© Instagram"To be recognized as a writer is extraordinary, because I've always loved songwriting," he continued. "When I started really writing poetry in school, and I started writing songs just out of a desire to not be stuck, always singing somebody else's song, playing in cover bands, and realizing 'This is going nowhere for me. I want to write my own songs.'"
MORE: Keith Urban celebrates 'extraordinary' wife Nicole Kidman
The 'You Look Good in My Shirt' singer is preparing to release a new album soon, the follow-up to 2020's The Speed of Now Part 1, and opened up about the creative process as well.
© Getty Images"Most of the album, I'd say, is finished," Keith explained. "I think I've got one basically one more song to record from the ground up and then a whole bunch of others that just need to be mixed. I'm in the final stages of landing the plane right now. An album will come out sometime next year."
MORE: Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban and daughters look to bittersweet reunion as end of an era looms
The father-of-two, who is preparing to head back on the road with a Las Vegas residency later this year, also divulged some details on whether parenting would be a feature on his album, but it wasn't meant to be.
© Getty Images"I've never written about that; it doesn't speak to me from a writing standpoint quite that way, I think, it's in my spirit," Keith stated.
MORE: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban are all loved up in new photo for special celebration
© Getty Images"I love songs about hope, wild longing, working through things, and just sheer, mindless fun. At this stage there is one song that will probably finish the album, it's called 'Break the Chain', and that's probably the most personal song, out of everything."
Get the lowdown on the biggest, hottest celebrity news, features and profiles coming out of the U.S. Sign up to our HELLO! Hollywood newsletter and get them delivered straight to your inbox.
