ASHLEY GORLEY WINS ASCAP COUNTRY MUSIC SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR FOR 10th TIME

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Nov 06, 2023, 21:00 ET

Jordan Davis Named Songwriter/Artist of the Year
"You Proof" Takes Song of the Year
Sony Music Publishing Earns Publisher of the Year
As ASCAP Celebrates 2023 ASCAP Country Music Award Winners

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- 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 61^st ASCAP Country Music Awards, celebrating the songwriters and publishers of country music's 50 most-performed ASCAP songs of the past year.

With his 10^th 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.

About ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 950,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, and represents some of the world's most talented music creators. Founded and governed by songwriters, composers and publishers, it is the only performing rights organization in the U.S. that operates on a not-for-profit basis. ASCAP licenses a repertory of over 18 million musical works to hundreds of thousands of businesses that use music, including streaming services, cable television, radio and satellite radio and brick and mortar businesses such as retail stores, hotels, clubs, restaurants and bars. ASCAP collects the licensing fees; identifies, matches and processes trillions of performances every year; and returns nearly 90 cents of every dollar back to its members as royalties. The ASCAP blanket license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. ASCAP puts music creators first, advocating for their rights and the value of music on Capitol Hill, driving innovation that moves the industry forward, building community and providing the resources and support that creators need to succeed in their careers. Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com, on X and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook.

SOURCE ASCAP