Hit songwriter Ashley Gorley has won more ASCAP Awards than any other songwriter or artist in the organization’s history. Still, the celebrated hitmaker still isn’t used to being lauded by his peers during formal ceremonies.
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“It’s very uncomfortable but it also needs to happen just for the moment of gratitude and blessing,” Gorley told American Songwriter from the red carpet. “It’s very surreal every time, especially now.”
The Kentucky native earned the title of ASCAP Country Music Songwriter of the Year for the tenth time this year. His work can be hear on dozens of hit country tracks from 2023, including Dierks Bentley‘s “Gold,” Carly Pearce‘s “What He Didn’t Do” (Carly Pearce), and Morgan Wallen‘s “You Proof,” which also earned the award for ASCAP Country Song of the Year.
Gorley was just one of the dozens of accomplished songwriters and artists who gathered inside Twelve Thirty Club in downtown Nashville on Monday night (November 6) for the awards ceremony. Lainey Wilson, Brothers Osborne, Kelsea Ballerini, and Kip Moore were among the chart-topping acts on hand for the celebration.
The evening also marked a special moment for Jordan Davis, who earned his first ASCAP Country Music Songwriter/Artist of the Year award. As he looks back on a year of immense creative growth, including earning two No. 1 hits, “Next Thing You Know” and “What My World Spins Around,” Davis was transported back to his early days on Music Row.
[RELATED: Jordan Davis Channels Growth and Honesty Into His Bluebird Days]
“Tonight is a special one for a lot of reasons,” Davis told American Songwriter. “ASCAP was the first building I walked into when I moved to Nashville and they’ve been with me from day one. I can look around and see all these people—songwriters, co-writers, and friends—it truly is a connection directly to ASCAP. For them to honor me tonight, I feel like it should be the other way around, but I am truly grateful.”
The 2023 ASCAP Awards helped kick off a busy week of industry events in Nashville, anchored by the upcoming CMA Awards, which will be held this Wednesday (November 8).
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See the full list of 2023 ASCAP Awards Honorees:
Country Music Songwriter of the Year: Ashley Gorley
Songwriter/Artist of the Year: Jordan Davis
Song of the Year: “You Proof”
Publisher of the Year: Sony Music Publishing
Winning Songwriters & Publishers of the Most Performed ASCAP Country Songs of 2022
“5 Foot 9”
Writer: Jaren Johnston
Publishers: Songs For Buddy, Sony Music Publishing
“Brown Eyes Baby”
Writer: Will Bundy
Publishers: Cornman Music, Warner Chappell Music, Wild Willy Music
“Bury Me In Georgia”
Writer: Jordan Schmidt
Publishers: Endurance Music Group, Pile Of Schmidt Songs, Warner
Chappell Music
“Can’t Have Mine”
Writer: Dylan Scott
Publisher: Curb Songs
“Country On”
Writer: Mitchell Oglesby
Publishers: Kjmmusic Publishing, Mitchell Marlow Music, Warner
Chappell Music
“Don’t Think Jesus”
Writer: Jessi Alexander
Publishers: Warner Chappell Music, Where I Started Music Publishing
“Down Home”
Writer: Rian Ball
Publishers: Red Door Music Group, Warner Chappell Music
“Drinkaby”
Writers: Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt
Publishers: Endurance Music Group, Nontypical Music, Pile Of Schmidt
Songs, Tree Vibez Music, Warner Chappell Music, Tape
Room Music
“Everyone She Knows”
Writer: Josh Osborne
Publishers: PRAS Music, Sony Music Publishing
“Everything I Love”
Writer: Ashley Gorley
Publishers: Michael Scott Paper Company Publishing Company, Sony
Music Publishing
“Everything She Ain’t”
Writer: Hailey Whitters
Publishers: Pigasus, Warner Chappell Music
“Fall In Love”
Writer: Gavin Lucas
Publishers: Gavin J Lucas, Warner Chappell Music
“Fast Car”
Writer: Tracy Chapman
Publisher: Purple Rabbit Music
“Girl In Mine”
Writer: Ashley Gorley
Publishers: Domain Capital Group, Poppy’s Picks, Sony Music
Publishing
“Gold”
Writers: Dierks Bentley, Ashley Gorley
Publishers: Caleb’s College Fund, Dudetunes, Round Hill Songs, Sony
Music Publishing
“Good Day For Living”
Writer: Bobby Hamrick
Publishers: Spirit Music Nashville, The Vault Music, Yes Yes Yes
“Half of Me”
Writer: Will Bundy
Publishers: Cornman Music, Warner Chappell Music, Wild Willy Music
“Hate My Heart”
Writers: David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey
Publishers: 410 Music, 4 The Kidz Music, Concord Music Publishing,
Spirit Music Nashville, The Vault Music
“Heart Like a Truck”
Writer: Lainey Wilson
Publishers: Louisiana Lady, Sony Music Publishing
“Heartfirst”
Writer: Kelsea Ballerini
Publishers: Feel Your Way Through Publishing, Sony Music Publishing
“How It Oughta Be”
Writer: Mitchell Oglesby
Publishers: Kjmmusic Publishing, Mitchell Marlow Music, Warner
Chappell Music
“Human”
Writer: Tony Lane
Publishers: BMG Gold Songs, Heytone Music
“Last Night”
Writers: Ashley Gorley, Jacob “JKash” Hindlin
Publishers: Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Domain Capital Group,
Poppy’s Picks, Prescription Songs, Rap Kingpin Music, Sony
Music Publishing
“Looking For You”
Writers: Chris DeStefano, Emily Weisband
Publishers: Monsters Hate Puppies Publishing, Sony Music Publishing,
Weis Owl Publishing
“Memory Lane”
Writers: Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi
Publishers: Bird And Bean Music, Trevor’s Advocate Publishing, Turs
And Chorus, Twelve6 Dogwood, Universal Music Publishing
Nashville, Warner Chappell Music
“Need a Favor”
Writers: Austin Nivarel, Joe Ragosta
Publishers: Austin Nivarel Publishing, BMG Gold Songs, Sony Music
Publishing
“Next Thing You Know”
Writers: Jordan Davis, Josh Osborne
Publishers: Anthem Entertainment, Jordan Davis Music, Smackborne
Music, Sony Music Publishing
“No Body”
Writers: Josh Kear, Chris Tompkins
Publishers: Big Loud, Ertie Bird Expressions, Ikigai Music, Round Hill
Songs, Sony Music Publishing
“One Thing At a Time”
Writer: Ashley Gorley
Publishers: Michael Scott Paper Company Publishing Company, Sony
Music Publishing
“Out In the Middle”
Writer: Jonathan Singleton
Publishers: Prestige Countrywide, Spirit Music Nashville, The Vault
Music
“Party Mode”
Writer: Jerry Flowers
Publishers: Jflo Records And Tapes, Twelve6 Dogwood, Warner
Chappell Music
“Religiously”
Writer: Frank Romano
Publishers: Reach Music Publishing, Inc., Jesse Jaye Music
“She Had Me at Heads Carolina”
Writers: Ashley Gorley, Mark D Sanders
Publishers: Michael Scott Paper Company Publishing Company, Sony
Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Nashville,
Warner Chappell Music
“Soul”
Writer: Kevin Kadish
Publishers: Endurance Music Group, Endurance XRay, Shooting Moving
Targets In The Dark
“Standing Room Only”
Writer: Craig Wiseman
Publishers: Big Loud, Red Toe Rocker, Round Hill Songs
“Tennessee Orange”
Writer: Ben Williams
Publisher: Major Bob Music, Inc.
“That’s What Tequila Does”
Writer: Kurt Allison
Publishers: BMG Gold Songs, Makena Cove Music
“Thinkin’ Bout Me”
Writer: Ashley Gorley
Publishers: Michael Scott Paper Company Publishing Company, Sony
Music Publishing
“wait in the truck”
Writers: Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt
Publishers: Endurance Music Group, Nontypical Music, Pile Of Schmidt
Songs, Tree Vibez Music, Warner Chappell Music, Tape
Room Music
“Water Under the Bridge”
Writer: Josh Osborne
Publishers: Smackborne Music, Sony Music Publishing
“We Got History”
Writers: Andy Albert, Jordan Schmidt
Publishers: Concord Music Publishing, Endurance Music Group, Pile Of
Schmidt Songs, Tacklebox Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music
“What He Didn’t Do”
Writers: Ashley Gorley, Carly Pearce
Publishers: BMG Gold Songs, Altadena, Domain Capital Group,
Redfeather Publishing, Round Hill Songs, Sony Music
Publishing, Warner Chappell Music
“What My World Spins Around”
Writers: Jordan Davis, Matt Drag
Publishers: Anthem Entertainment, Big Loud, Jordan Davis Music,
Round Hill Songs, Big Machine Music
“Whiskey on You”
Writer: Nate Smith
Publishers: Coreent Music, Nate Smith Music Publishing Company,
Sony Music Publishing
“Y’All Life”
Writers: Jay E, Nelly
Publishers: Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing
Nashville
“You”
Writers: Dave Barnes, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers
Publishers: Beats And Banjos, BMG Gold Songs, Buckeye26,
Jreynmusic, Lawnwranglers, Warner Chappell Music
“You Didn’t”
Writers: Ashley Gorley, Jimmy Robbins, Brett Young
Publishers: Caliville Publishing, Cinq Music Publishing, LLC, Jrm3,
Domain Capital Group, Muse Magic, Round Hill Songs, Sony
Music Publishing, Big Machine Music
“You, Me, and Whiskey”
Writers: Jessi Alexander, Cole Taylor
Publishers: Anthem Entertainment, Randolph Country Music, Sony
Music Publishing, Red Creative Group, Warner Chappell
Music, Where I Started Music Publishing
“Your Heart or Mine”
Writers: John Pierce
Publishers: Brumby Cooper Otis Music, Universal Music Publishing
Nashville
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