Industry Pics: WME, Warner/Chappell Music, CMS Nashville

WME Celebrates CMA Awards Week

WME Nashville co-heads Greg Oswald and Rob Beckham celebrated CMA Awards week during the pre-BMI cocktail party.

Pictured (L-R): WME Nashville co-heads Greg Oswald and Rob Beckham, Chairman & CEO Warner Music Nashville John Esposito, WME | IMG Co-CEO Patrick Whitesell and WME partner Jay Williams. Photo: Alan Poizner.

Warner/Chappell Music Toasts Wins During CMA Awards Week

Back row (L-R: Jon Platt, Alison Junker, Travis Carter, Will Overton, Ben Vaughn, BJ Hill, Matt Michiels, Phil May. Front row (L-R): Alicia Pruitt, Jessi Vaughn, Karen Harrison-Hite, Neena Wright, Patricia Ragan-Mainello, LuAnn Inman, Steve Butler

Earlier this week, Warner/Chappell Music was named ASCAP Publisher of the Year for the fourth year in a row, and its songwriters took home 38 country music awards from the three major performing rights organizations, including: 18 ASCAP “Most Performed Song” Awards, 15 BMI “Top Song” Awards, and five SESAC “Country Performance Activity” Awards.

Additionally, Ashley Gorley won ASCAP Songwriter of the Year for a third consecutive year. WCM songwriter Chris Stapleton earned ASCAP’s Vanguard Award, while Brothers Osborne earned ASCAP Song of the Year for “Stay A Little Longer.” WCM songwriter Josh Mirenda co-wrote SESAC Song of the Year “Somewhere On A Beach,” while Sean Douglas won BMI Song of the Year for Thomas Rhett‘s “Die A Happy Man.”

CMS Nashville Celebrates Top Songwriters

(Back Row, L-R): CMS Nashville Chairman and CEO Chris King; Jostens VP Curt Bruns. (Front Row, L-R): CMS Nashville Songwriter of the Year honorees Ross Copperman, Josh Hoge, and Ashley Gorley. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMS

CMS Nashville celebrated several top songwriters at its party held in Nashville last night, featuring DJ Mata and a performance from all-female country group Farewell Angelina.

Yamaha gave away a S970 keyboard to each of the Songwriter of the Year recipients as well as one lucky attendee. The highlight of the evening was the year’s top songwriter honorees — Ross Copperman/BMI, Ashley Gorley/ASCAP, Josh Hoge/SESAC — being presented Jostens Super Bowl style gold rings by CMS Nashville’s Chairman and CEO, Chris King.

Tyler Farr and Jerrod Niemann also performed, helping to raise $100,000 to benefit Folds of Honor, including $15,000 from presenting partner NRA Country.

Hitmakers Tyler Farr and Jerrod Niemann performed for the standing room only crowd in support of Folds of Honor. Photo: Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMS