Matthew West and Brandon Lake received top honors at the 47th Annual ASCAP Christian Music Awards, held on Sunday (September 29) in Nashville The Electric Jane at the Center is held. West was named Christian Music Composer of the Year. Lake received the Christian Music Composer/Entertainer of the Year award.
This is the sixth time West has been named ASCAP Christian Music Composer 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 won the ASCAP Golden Note Award.
West, 47, is a five-time Grammy nominee. He has released 15 albums with cuts by artists including Casting Crowns, Amy Grant, Scotty McCreery and Rascal Flatts, and has written six books. West’s Don’t Stop Praying tour continues through November.
Lake, 34, has written four of her most popular songs – “Fear Is Not My Future,” “Praise,” “Praise You Anywhere” and “Trust in God.” The five-time Grammy Award winner recently posted To a Man: A Travel Documentary Working with Phil Wickham, currently on his Tear Off the Roof tour. He leads this year’s Dove Awards nominations with 16, including Artist of the Year. Lake is the recipient of the 2023 ASCAP Christian Music Songwriter of the Year Award.
“Thank God I Do,” co-written by Nate Ruess and released by Bearvon Music and Warner Chappell Music, won Christian Music Song of the Year. The song is Lauren Daigle’s sixth number one hit on the charts. advertising billboard‘s Hot Christian Songs chart, occupying the top spot for 20 consecutive weeks. Ruess is the 2015 recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award from the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a two-time Grammy Award winner as a member of the pop trio fun, and has been featured by Keith Urban, P!nk and more Artist cuts out.
Essential Music Publishing wins Christian Music Publisher of the Year award. Their most played songs last year were “Any More”, “Don’t Stop Praying”, “Fear Is Not My Future”, “Never”, “Rescue”, “Running Home”, “Praise”, “Praise” Anywhere of you,” “Someone’s with you,” “Be strong,” “These days,” and “Trust in God.” Jamie Rodgers, vice president of Essential Music Publishing, accepted the award.
The event was moderated by ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews, Board Chairman and President Paul Williams, Nashville Vice President of Membership Mike Sistad and Nashville Assistant Vice President of Strategic Services Kele Currier. Ben Glover, 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 can be found on the ASCAP website.
