Chris Stapleton & Ashley Gorley Take Top Honors at ASCAP Country Music Awards

Chris Stapleton and Ashley Gorley were top winners of the 2024 ASCAP Country Music Awards, celebrating the songwriters and publishers of country music’s most-performed ASCAP songs of the past year. The awards were presented at an invitation-only gathering in Nashville on Monday (Nov. 18).

Stapleton received the ASCAP Country Music Songwriter/Artist of the Year honor. Gorley won his 11th ASCAP Country Music Songwriter of the Year honor, which is more than anyone else in the 62-year history of the ASCAP Country Music Awards. 

Stapleton and Gorley will be competing for song of the year at the CMA Awards on Wednesday. Stapleton is nominated for co-writing his own hit “White Horse”; Gorley for co-writing “I Had Some Help,” the Post Malone smash featuring Morgan Wallen. Fun Fact: Stapleton and Gorley, both Kentucky natives, were born just 34 miles and less than one year apart. Stapleton was born in 1978 in Lexington; Gorley in 1977 in Danville.

Stapleton’s “White Horse” (co-written by ASCAP member Dan Wilson) and “Think I’m in Love with You” were among ASCAP’s 50 most-performed country songs of the year.

Gorley co-wrote Wallen’s megahit “Last Night,” which is the ASCAP Country Song of the Year. Co-written by JKash and Gorley, the song marks Gorley’s fourth ASCAP Country Song of the Year win. He previously won for “You Proof” (2023), “One of Them Girls” (2021) and “You’re Gonna Miss This” (2009).

Sony Music Publishing, Kobalt Songs Music Publishing, Domain Capital Group, Poppy’s Picks, Prescription Songs and Rap Kingpin Music shared in the honor for “Last Night.” The Grammy-nominated single spent 16 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2023.

Gorley had a total of 11 songs among ASCAP’s 50 most performed country songs of the year. The others, and the artists who made them famous, are: “All I Need is You” (Chris Janson), “Bulletproof” (Nate Smith), “Cowgirls” (Wallen), “God Gave Me a Girl” (Russell Dickerson), “I Had Some Help” (Wallen and Post Malone), “Save Me the Trouble” (Dan + Shay), “This Town’s Been Too Good to Us” (Dylan Scott), “Truck Bed” (Hardy), “World On Fire” (Nate Smith) and “Young Love & Saturday Nights” (Chris Young).

Gorley was nominated last week for induction to the Songwriters Hall of Fame; eligible voting members have until midnight ET on Dec. 22 to turn in their ballots.

Sony Music Publishing was named ASCAP Country Music Publisher of the Year for the 11th time, with 24 of this year’s most-performed songs. Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston accepted the award.

Among Sony Music Publishing’s top songs are “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” Shaboozey’s mega-hit that has spent 17 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100, as well as “Can’t Break Up Now” (Old Dominion and Megan Moroney), “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” (Kelsea Ballerini), “Texas Hold ‘Em” (Beyoncé), “Outskirts” (Sam Hunt), “Bulletproof” (Nate Smith), “Save Me the Trouble” (Dan + Shay), “I Can Feel It” (Kane Brown), “Light On in the Kitchen” (Ashley McBryde) and “Austin” (Dasha).

ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews, ASCAP chairman of the board and president Paul Williams and ASCAP vice president of Nashville membership Mike Sistad handed out awards. Rising duo Everette performed their recent single “High and Lonesome.”

A complete list of ASCAP Country Music Award winners can be found at: ASCAP.com/countryawards24.