ASCAP HONORS RECORD-BREAKING SONGWRITERS, CULTURAL ICONS, AND PUBLISHING POWERHOUSES IN 2025 AWARDS CYCLE
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) celebrated its 2025 Awards cycle by honoring the creators of the year’s most-performed songs across Pop, Rhythm & Soul, Country, and Screen music. The ceremonies validated artists who achieved unprecedented commercial longevity and those driving essential cultural narratives, underscoring the dynamic shifts in global music consumption.
The Nashville Songwriters Celebration produced a historic moment as Ashley Gorley claimed his 12th ASCAP Country Music Songwriter of the Year award, setting a new all-genre record for the most wins in this category. Crossover sensation Shaboozey was named Country Songwriter-Artist of the Year, with his smash hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”—a track that tied the record for the longest-running #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100—winning Country Song of the Year.
In Pop Music, culture-shifting producer Jack Antonoff earned his first ASCAP Pop Music Songwriter of the Year honor for co-writing six of the year’s biggest hits, including “Anti-Hero” and “Fortnight”. Pop Song of the Year went to Teddy Swims’s “Lose Control,” recognized for breaking records with its 58-week run in the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10.
The Rhythm & Soul Celebration honored Cardi B with the prestigious Voice of the Culture Award for her profound influence as a creator and changemaker. Swiss-native producer Oz took home Songwriter of the Year , while Kendrick Lamar’s high-velocity track “Not Like Us” (co-written by Mustard) won ASCAP R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap Song of the Year.
Across the board, Sony Music Publishing secured the Publisher of the Year titles for the Pop, Rhythm & Soul, and Country categories, reflecting their unmatched strength in cultivating catalogs that dominate diverse markets. Separately, the Screen Music Awards recognized Trent Reznor for Challengers (Film Score of the Year) and Nainita Desai for Tales of Kenzera: Zau (Video Game Score of the Year).
The 2025 ASCAP Country Music Awards, celebrated during the ASCAP Nashville Songwriters Celebration on November 17, recognized the following major winners:
ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year: Ashley Gorley. Gorley secured this top honor for the 12th time, setting an all-genre record for the most Songwriter of the Year wins in ASCAP history.
ASCAP Country Songwriter-Artist of the Year: Shaboozey.
ASCAP Country Song of the Year: “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”.
Writers: Shaboozey, Sean Cook, Jerrell “J-KWON” Jones, Joe Capo Kent, and Mark “Tarboy” Williams. This song tied the record for the longest-running #1 song ever on the Billboard Hot 100.
Country Publisher of the Year: Sony Music Publishing