ASCAP
ASCAP announced Wednesday (Jan. 15) that it will distribute $1 million in emergency relief to ASCAP songwriters or composers who have suffered the loss or damage of their primary residences or studios in the Los Angeles wildfires. The organization is also offering assistance to those who have been evacuated.
ASCAP will provide one-time stipends in the amount of $1,500 to ASCAP writer members in good standing as of Jan. 1, 2025, who do “not have a resignation notice pending.” The stipends will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis while funds are available.
Please see the ASCAP website for more information or to apply for benefits. You can also check out our resource guide for music workers impacted by the fires here and find out how to help here.
“Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by the devastating Los Angeles fires. We are here to support our ASCAP members during troubled times, and we will ensure these funds reach ASCAP composers and songwriters in need,” said ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews in a statement.
ASCAP president Paul Williams also wrote a message to members in need. His letter can be read below in full:
To my fellow ASCAP members,
My heart aches for the unimaginable loss and devastation that has struck our beloved city of Los Angeles. I want to say to all members and their families who have been impacted by the fires and are facing profound challenges, please take comfort that you are not alone. We are a community. As music creators, our community is built on a foundation of compassion, connection and a sense of purpose. That is our bedrock, where we always land, where we always begin.
Some of you have lost your homes, your studios, your instruments, those materials of your life which hold memories and meaning. What can never be lost is the spirit of this community and the enduring bond we share with each other. The outpouring of kindness, support, concern and generosity we have witnessed throughout this crisis is beyond inspiring. Proof, yet again, of an abundant supply of love.
As a community of songwriters, composers and music publishers, ASCAP has always harnessed our collective strength for the greater good. That is why ASCAP is setting up an emergency fund in the amount of $1 million for our members who have suffered from loss and damage to their homes and studios.
If you need help, please visit www.ascap.com/lafirerelief for more info.
Wishing you much love, hope and strength,
Paul
Two-time Grammy winner Dennis Scott is the 15th recipient of The ASCAP Foundation’s Joe Raposo Children’s Music Award. Honoring the best in children’s music since 2010, the award is presented by the family of Joe Raposo, one of the co-creators of Sesame Street and the show’s longtime musical director. “I feel honored to be among […]
The fourth annual ASCAP Foundation Holiday Auction is back, with some of the biggest names in music contributing items to the sale.
Launching on Wednesday (Dec. 4), the annual auction is the latest to be launched by ASCAP, which aims to support music education and talent development programs throughout the U.S. This year, more than 70 exclusive items and experiences – the most in the auction’s history – have been donated by some of ASCAP’s top music creators.
Items in the auctions include a signed vinyl copy of Chappell Roan‘s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess album; a behind-the-scenes studio tour and dinner with producer Jermaine Dupri; a signed merch package from Olivia Rodrigo; and a package of two VIP concert tickets for Usher’s upcoming European tour, including a meet-and-greet and travel vouchers.
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Elsewhere, signed guitar from Jack Antonoff, Peter Frampton, and Steve Vai are on offer, along with a set of books signed by Patti Smith, and VIP concert tickets for artists such as Gracie Abrams, Deftones, Graham Nash, and more.
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Other artists involved in the auction include Tate McRae, Reneé Rapp, Bernie Taupin, Max Martin, Noah Kahan, Sara Bareilles, Chris Stapleton, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Coheed and Cambria, Huey Lewis and The News, and numerous others.
“It’s been an absolute joy to work with ASCAP’s top members to dream up unforgettable experiences and one-of-a-kind gifts to delight music fans this holiday season,” says the ASCAP Foundation Executive Director Nicole George-Middleton. “With over 70 items from music legends, chart-topping artists and more, this year’s auction is bigger and better than ever.
“We are unbelievably grateful to the ASCAP community for these incredible contributions that will help us raise the funds we need to continue supporting the next generation of music creators.”
ASCAP’s annual auction is live now via Charity Buzz, and runs through to December 18.
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.
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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.
Composer, lyricist, librettist and performer Shaina Taub, creator and star of the Broadway musical Suffs, has received The ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award. Taub, who in June became the first solo woman to win Tony Awards for both the book and score of a musical, is a current Grammy nominee for best musical […]
ASCAP and SACEM are expanding their existing relationship into an alliance that will allow them to invest together in data technology and collect directly from streaming services in more foreign markets, plus launch an AI task force and encourage collaboration among songwriters. Since 2022, SACEM has collected money from online services in foreign markets for ASCAP […]
Longtime songwriter advocate John Titta, who served as executive vp/chief creative officer at ASCAP, died Monday (Oct. 21) after a two-year battle with cancer. His age is unknown.
“All of us at ASCAP are heartbroken,” said ASCAP president/chairman and songwriter Paul Williams in a statement. “John Titta was one of a kind, and truly one of the most beloved music industry executives I have known, with deep ties to songwriters across genres and generations. John — you had a song in your heart always, and you will always be in our hearts. I miss you already.”
ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews added, “John Titta’s warmth, his humor, his kindness, his love of family, and his passion for music were infectious. He was a north star for me personally, and for all of us at ASCAP. John was instrumental in the success of so many songwriters throughout his storied career, and he shared his love of music and songwriters so freely that we all felt the joy. All of us in the ASCAP family are devastated by his passing. Titta — we love you.”
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The lifelong Staten Island resident started as a musician, songwriter and music teacher before joining Screen Gems/EMI music as a manager, signing such acts as The Smithereens and working with the legendary Carole King and Lou Reed. He then moved to PolyGram Music Publishing, where, as vp of A&R, he signed Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Pearl Jam, Brian McKnight, k.d. lang, Billy Ray Cyrus and songwriter Jimmy Webb, among others. Before joining ASCAP in 2013, where he led the membership team, he also had stints at Warner Chappell Music as senior vp/GM, where he worked with Missy Elliott, Shaggy, Bruce Hornsby, Kid Rock and many others, as well as running his own independent music publishing company and label, MPCA Music Publishing and Recordings.
He kept his creative side alive by playing on albums by Ringo Starr, Michael McDonald, Sambora and others, as well as producing and A&R’ing albums by Dionne Warwick, Todd Rundgren, Donny & Marie Osmond and others.
Tributes to Titta came pouring in on social media from top songwriters. “There’s a giant hole in the hearts of all of us who loved John Titta today. Such a huge loss,” wrote Diane Warren on Facebook. “John loved songwriters. And we loved him. Rest in Power my dear friend. There’s some pretty great songwriters up there waiting to give you a big hug.”
Sam Hollander also expressed his appreciation, writing on Facebook, “John was one of the genuinely good guys in this layered industry—a real advocate for songwriters & artists back when music was more than just algorithms. If he believed in you, he fought for you, no matter your place in the proverbial pecking order. I was blessed to have him in my corner & share decades of incredible hangs—he was just a sweet, funny, generous soul who made you feel heard.”
Titta was also a Songwriters Hall of Fame board member. “The quintessential New York Italian, John loved his family, friends — especially those who became family, music, songwriters, artists, creative talent, The Godfather films, Staten Island and life itself. He was extremely proud of being a SHOF Board member, thought of it as ‘the feather in his cap’ and was one of our most active and dedicated board members,” says Linda Moran, president/CEO of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, via email. “Even when going through personal hardships and heartaches, he always had a smile on his face and a kind word to say, so that you would never know what he was experiencing.”
Fellow board member and Universal Music Publishing Group North America president Evan Lamberg tells Billboard, “John’s love of people, artists and songwriters is unmatched. The way he cared for his friends, of which he had many, was all heart. He made a big positive difference in so many lives and we will all miss him dearly.”
Titta seemed impossibly connected to a wide swath of the entertainment community. When a luminary would die, most recently songwriters JD Souther and Kris Kristofferson and comedian Bob Newhart, he would endearingly post a photo of himself with the deceased and share a warm, personal memory on social media.
Survivors include his wife Lana, sons Alex and Julian, daughter Martine, grandson Mason, and his brother Michael. The family is planning a private service to be followed by a memorial at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the John and Rose Titta Fund, set up by Titta in memory of his parents to help children on the autism spectrum through music programs. Donations can be made through the ASCAP Foundation.
The ASCAP Lab, ASCAP’s innovation program, has announced this year’s cohort for their AI and the Business of Music Challenge. Featuring CRESQA, Music Tomorrow, RoEx, SoundSafe.ai and Wavelets AI, these start-ups will take part in a 12-week course, in partnership with NYC Media Lab, led by the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, to receive mentorship and small grants to develop their ideas.
As part of the initiative, the start-ups will receive hands-on support from the ASCAP Lab, as well as ASCAP’s network of writer and publisher members, to help them optimize their products for the music creator community.
While last year’s cohort of companies focused on AI for music creation and experience, the 2024 AI and the Business of Music Challenge is much more focused on commercial solutions that can help the music industry better manage data and improve workflows.
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ASCAP Chief Strategy and Digital Officer Nick Lehman says of the 2024 cohort: “ASCAP’s creator-first, future-forward commitment makes it imperative for us to embrace technology while simultaneously protecting the rights of creators. The dialogue, understanding and relationships that the ASCAP Lab Challenge creates with the music startup community enable us to drive progress for the industry and deliver on this commitment.”
Meet the ASCAP Lab Challenge teams for 2024 below:
CRESQA: An AI social media content assistant designed for songwriters and musicians that automates the process of social media strategy development and helps generate fully personalized post ideas and schedules for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, Facebook and more.
Music Tomorrow: Analytics tools that monitor and boost artists’ algorithmic performance on streaming platforms, using AI for advanced audience insights and automation that improve an artist’s content discoverability, listener engagement and team efficiency.
RoEx: AI-driven tools for multitrack mixing, mastering, audio cleanup and quality control, designed to streamline and enhance the final steps of the creative process by delivering a professional and balanced mix with ease.
SoundSafe.ai: Robust, state-of-the-art audio watermarking using AI to enhance security, reporting and the detection of real-time piracy and/or audio deepfakes.
Wavelets AI: Tools for artists, labels, copyright holders, content distributors and DSPs that help reduce IP infringement by detecting AI vocals in music.
Matthew West and Brandon Lake received top honors at the 47th annual ASCAP Christian Music Awards, which were held in downtown Nashville on Sunday (Sept. 29). West was named Christian music songwriter of the year. Lake won Christian music songwriter/artist of the year.
This is the sixth time West has been named ASCAP Christian music songwriter of the year. His most performed songs this year are “Any More,” “Don’t Stop Praying,” “Heaven Changes Everything,” “Never,” “Running Home” and “Strong.” In 2023, West received the ASCAP Golden Note Award.
West, 47, is a five-time Grammy nominee. He has released 15 albums, had cuts by such artists as Casting Crowns, Amy Grant, Scotty McCreery and Rascal Flatts, and penned six books. West’s Don’t Stop Praying Tour runs through November.
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Lake, 34, penned four most performed songs – “Fear Is Not My Future,” “Praise,” “Praise You Anywhere” and “Trust in God.” The five-time Grammy-winner recently released For the One: A Tour Documentary with Phil Wickham and is currently on his Tear Off the Roof Tour. He leads this year’s Dove Awards nominations with 16 nods, including artist of the year. Lake was ASCAP Christian music songwriter of the year in 2023.
“Thank God I Do,” co-written by Nate Ruess and published by Bearvon Music and Warner Chappell Music, won Christian music song of the year. The song was Lauren Daigle’s sixth No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart, holding the top spot for 20 weeks. Ruess was the 2015 recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award given by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is a two-time Grammy winner as a member of the pop trio fun., and has had cuts by such artists as Keith Urban, P!nk, Halsey, Kesha, Maroon 5 and Ellie Goulding.
Essential Music Publishing won Christian music publisher of the year. Their most-played songs of the past year are “Any More,” “Don’t Stop Praying,” “Fear Is Not My Future,” “Never,” “Rescue,” “Running Home,” “Praise,” “Praise You Anywhere,” “Somebody to You,” “Strong,” “These Days” and “Trust in God.” Essential Music Publishing vp Jamie Rodgers accepted the award.
The event was hosted by ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews, chairman of the board and president Paul Williams, vp of Nashville membership Mike Sistad and Nashville assistant vp, Strategic Services, Kele Currier. Ben Glover, a five-time ASCAP Christian music songwriter of the year, kicked off the event with a performance.
A complete list of ASCAP Christian Music Award winners is available at ASCAP’s website.
The ASCAP Foundation has launched the new “In Her Voice” scholarship which will provide funds to female-identifying music makers who are trying to break into the songwriting field. “In Her Voice” Scholarship will be granted to two undergraduate or graduate students who are female-identifying and are ASCAP members or have not affiliated with any other performing rights […]