ASCAP Country Awards

The writers and publishers of country music’s most-performed songs of the past year will be honored by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) beginning today. The 59th Annual ASCAP Country Music Awards once again celebrate the genre’s best and brightest creatives in a special virtual format across all social media platforms. Using the hashtag #ASCAPAWARDS, exclusive winner photos, videos, acceptance speeches and a surprise or two will be posted to @ASCAP on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, giving fans, friends and industry peers a front row seat to the special event. Dedicated posts for each winning song will be rolled out on @ASCAP social media each day through November 10.

Celebrated hitmaker Josh Osborne is named ASCAP Country Music Songwriter of the Year for the first time for eight chart-topping songs, including “7 Summers,” “Beers and Sunshine,” “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90’s,” “Happy Anywhere,” “Hard to Forget,” “How They Remember You,” “Next Girl” and “Nobody But You.” The honor brings Osborne’s total number of ASCAP Awards to 35, including Song of the Year wins in 2015, 2018 and 2020. George Strait, one of Osborne’s biggest influences, shared news of the win with Osborne in an exclusive video to be featured on @ASCAP social media.

Ashley Gorley’s chart-topping “One of Them Girls” (recorded by Lee Brice) receives ASCAP Country Music Song of the Year honors. ASCAP social media will share Gorley’s award acceptance for the certified platinum single, which hit #1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, along with kudos from Brice and several of the song’s publishers.

Sony Music Publishing wins Publisher of the Year for the first time since 2012. Their winning songs included “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90’s” (Sam Hunt), “Hole in the Bottle” (Kelsea Ballerini), “Lady” (Brett Young) and “Things a Man Oughta Know” (Lainey Wilson). SMP CEO Nashville, Rusty Gaston, will appear on @ASCAP social media thanking their songwriters and staff.

ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams, Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Matthews and EVP, Chief Creative Officer John Titta kicked off the online festivities with a joint welcome video message along with congratulations from ASCAP Vice President, Membership Nashville Mike Sistad and the ASCAP Nashville team.

The social media event will also include a celebration of the life of Connie Bradley, former head of ASCAP Nashville. A beloved music industry trailblazer who passed away earlier this year, Bradley served more than three decades at ASCAP, rising to Senior Vice President and head of their Nashville office at a time when women filled very few top leadership positions in the music industry. The video tribute features remembrances from country stars Wynonna Judd, Trisha Yearwood, Amy Grant and more.

The ASCAP Country Music Awards will also feature special performances of three other top award-winning songs: Chris August will deliver his Keith Urban single “God Whispered Your Name;” Madeline Merlo will perform her Songland hit for Lady A, “Champagne Night,” and rising country star Lainey Wilson will share an exclusive performance of her recent #1 hit “Things a Man Oughta Know.”

7 SUMMERS Josh Osborne Smackborne Music, Sony Music Publishing

BREAKING UP WAS EASY IN THE 90’S

Zach Crowell, Josh Osborne Between the Pines, Kyler’s Kinda Night, Round Hill Songs, Smackborne Music, Sony Music Publishing, Spirit Music Nashville, Universal Music Publishing Group

ALL NIGHT

Andrews Deroberts, John Osborne, TJ Osborne All The King’s Pens, Downtown Music Publishing, Patriot Games Publishing, Songs in the Key of Claire, Songstein Publishing, Trampy McCauley, Warner Chappell Music

GOD WHISPERED YOUR NAME

Chris August BMG Gold Songs, Gold Leaf Pages NashvilleMusicGuide.com 50

ALMOST MAYBES Jordan Davis, Hillary Lindsey Anthem Entertainment, Concord Music Publishing, Jordan Davis Music

BEERS AND SUNSHINE

J.T. Harding, Josh Osborne, Darius Rucker Detroit Records and Tapes, Growingmusic Publishing, Smackborne Music, Sony Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music

BE A LIGHT

Matt Dragsterm Big Loud Proud Songs, Big Machine Music, Round Hill Songs

HOW THEY REMEMBER YOU Marc Beeson, Josh Osborne, Allen Shamblin Built on Rock Music, Clearbox Advantage, Downtown Music Publishing, Kobalt Songs, SMACKSongs, Son of Ron Songs, Sony Music Publishing

BEER CAN’T FIX Thomas Rhett Allied One Publishing, Downtown Music Publishing, Patriot Game Publishing

NOBODY Dylan Scott Curb Song

BLAME IT ON YOU Kurt Allison BMG Gold Songs, Makena Cove Music

CHAMPAGNE NIGHT Paticia Conroy, Andrew Deroberts, Dave Haywood, Madeline Merlo Deluge Music, Downtown Music Publishing, Haywoodja Cut That Songs, Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Patriot Games Publishing, Reservoir, Songs in the Key of Claire, Warner Chappell Music,

DIE FROM A BROKEN HEART Maddie Font, Deric Ruttan, Jonathan Singleston Big Machine Music, Seven Red Birds Publishing, Sony Music Publishing Spirit Music Nashville, Warner Chappell Music

DONE Mitch Oglesby Kjmmusic Publishing, Mitchell Marlow Music, Warner Chappell Music

DRINKN’ BEER’ TALKIN’ GOD AMEN. Corey Crowder, Cale Dodds, Hunter Phelps Big Crowd Publishing, Cale Dodds Publishing, Georgia Song Vibez, Nontypical Music, Warner Chappell Music, Who Wants to Buy My Publishing

DRINKING ALONE Brett James, David Garcia Common Music, Spirit Music Nashville, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music

EVERYWHERE BUT ON Paul Sikes, Matt Stell Endurance Music Group, Sony Music Publishing

FAMOUS FRIENDS Corey Crowder Big Crowd Publishing, Georgia Song Vibez, Warner Chappell Music

GLAD YOU EXIST Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers Beats and Banjos, Buckeye26, Jreynmusic, Warner Chappell Music

GOOD TIME Anna Moon, Joshua Murty, Mark Trussell Anna Moon Publishing, Future Heartbeat Publishing, Joshua Murty Publishing, Mark Trussell Music, Warner Chappell Music

HAPPY ANYWHERE Matt Jenkins, Josh Osborne Combustion Music, Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Seeker Music Group, SMACKSongs, Sony Music Publishing, Tape Room Music, Warner Chappell Music, Who Wants to Buy My Publishing

HARD TO FORGET Ashley Gorley, Josh Osborne Between The Pines, Caleb’s College Fund, Round Hills Songs, Sam Hunt Publishing, Smackborne Music, Sony Music Pubkishing, UNiversal Music Publishing Group

HERE AND NOW David Garcia, David Lee Murphy, Craig Wiseman 4Thekidz Music, Big Loud Proud Songs, N2D Publishing Company, Old Desperadoes, Red Toe Rocker, Round Hill Songs, Spirit Music Nashville, The Vault Music

HOLE IN THE BOTTLE Kelsea Ballerini, Ashley Gorley, Steph Jones, Hillary Lindsey 410 Music, Caleb’s College Fund, Concord Music Publishing, Hipgnosis Songs Group, Round Hill Songs, Sony Music Publishing, Steph Jones Who Music, Vistaville

I LOVE MY COUNTRY Corey Crowder Big Crowd Publishing, Warner Chappell Music

NOBODY BUT YOU Josh Osborne Smackborne Music, Sony Music Publishing

I SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO BED Dan Smyers Beats and Banjos, Warner Chappell Music

JUST THE WAY Kevin Bard, Nolan Sipe Kevin Bard Music, Margetts Road Music, Nolan W. Sipe Music, Sony Music Publishing

LADY Brett Young Caliville Publishing, Sony Music Publishing, Big Machine Music

LONELY IF YOU ARE Hunter Phelps Nontypical Music, Warner Chappell Music, Who Wants To Buy My Publishing

LONG LIVE Corey Crowder, David Garcia 4Thekidz Music, Big Crowd Publishing, Georgia Song Vibez, Spirit Music Nashville, The Vault Music, Warner Chappell Music

MADE FOR YOU

Neil Medley Songs of Mojo Two, Son of A Carl Music

WORHIP YOU

Alexander “Eskeerdo” Izquierdo AIX Music Publishing, BMG Gold Songs

ONE BEER Hillary LIndsey Concord Music Publishing

ONE MARGARITA Michael Carter, Matt Dragstrem Big Loud Proud Songs, Big Machine Music, Round Hill Songs, Sony Music Publishing

ONE TOO MANY James ‘Boy Matthews’ Norton, Cleo Tigha Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music

SHE’S MINE Scott Stepakoff Sony Music Publishing

SINGLE SATURDAY NIGHT Ashley Gorley Caleb’s College Fund, Round Hill Songs

SOME GIRLS CJ Solar Clearbox Advantage, Sea Gayle Music

STARTING OVER Chris Stapleton I Wrote These Songs, Warner Chappell Music

MINIMUM WAGE

Corey Crowder Big Crowd Publishing, Georgia Song Vibez, Warner Chappell

THINGS A MAN OUGHTA KNOW

Jonathan Singleton, Lainey Wilson Big Machine Music, Sony Music Publishing, Spirit Music Nashville

MY BOY Nick Columbia Boondock Voodoo Music Company, Kobalt Songs Music, Nick Columbia Publishing, Rome Phrey Songs

NEXT GIRL Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce BMG Gold Songs, For The Kids Gold, Redfeather Publishing, Smackbone Music, Sony Music Publishing

NO I IN BEER

Kelley Lovelace, Brad Paisley Clearbox Advantage, Sea Gayle Music, Own My Own Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music

WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG

Ashley Gorley Caleb’s College Fund, Round Hill Songs

WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH Paul Digiovanni, Jeremy Stover Anthem Ent., Paulywood Music, RED Creative Group, Univeral Music Publishing Group

WHY WE DRINK David Lee Murphy, Jeremy Stover Anthem Ent., N2D Publishing, Old Desperadoes