New York, NY (Top40 Charts) ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the only US PRO that operates on a not-for-profit basis, announces the winners of the 61st ASCAP Country
Music Awards, celebrating the songwriters and publishers of country music's 50 most-performed ASCAP songs of the past year.
With his 10th ASCAP Country
Music Songwriter of the Year accolade, Ashley Gorley extends his record as the winningest ASCAP songwriter in the country format. Ten of ASCAP's most-performed country songs of the past year were penned by Gorley, including "Last Night," "Everything I Love," "One Thing at a Time," "
You Proof" "
Thinkin' Bout Me" (Morgan Wallen), "Gold" (Dierks Bentley), "She Had Me at Heads Carolina" (Cole Swindell), "
What He Didn't Do" (Carly Pearce), "Girl in Mine" (Parmalee) and "You Didn't" (Brett Young).
"
You Proof" is the ASCAP Country Song of the Year, marking Gorley's third time accepting this honor, alongside winning publishers
Round Hill Songs and Sony
Music Publishing. The song is among Gorley's 70 #1 hits, an unprecedented career achievement in any genre. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the first song to top the Billboard Country Airplay chart for 10 weeks.
Jordan Davis collected his first ASCAP Country
Music Songwriter/Artist of the Year honor. The MCA Nashville artist's #1 hits "
Next Thing You Know" and "
What My World Spins Around" were also honored as most-performed songs. "
Next Thing You Know" is also nominated for Single, Song and
Music Video of the Year at Wednesday's CMA Awards.
Sony
Music Publishing was named ASCAP Country
Music Publisher of the Year and represents 21 of this year's most-performed songs including "Heart Like a Truck" (Lainey Wilson), "Heartfirst" (Kelsea Ballerini), "Need a Favor" (Jelly Roll), "
Next Thing You Know" (Jordan Davis), "
What He Didn't Do" (Carly Pearce), "Gold" (Dierks Bentley), "Everyone She Knows" (Kenny Chesney), "
5 Foot 9" (Tyler Hubbard), "No Body" (Blake Shelton) and "You, Me, and Whiskey" (Justin Moore and
Priscilla Block), among others.
ASCAP celebrated the winners at an exclusive gathering in Nashville. ASCAP CEO
Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams and ASCAP Vice President of Nashville Membership Mike Sistad presented awards to the "Of the Year" winners as writers of the most-performed songs mingled with artists, peers and top industry creatives at the invitation-only celebration.
A complete list of ASCAP Country
Music Award winners can be found here: www.ascap.com/countryawards23.
