ASCAP Country Music Awards To Be Held at Nashville’s Music City Center

ASCAP 2012 Songwriter of the Year Ben Hayslip

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) will host the 51st annual ASCAP Country Music Awards on Monday, November 4, 2013 at the newly opened Music City Center in downtown Nashville. The invitation-only black tie gala will honor the songwriters and publishers of ASCAP’s most performed country music songs from April 1, 2012 through March 31, 2013.

The 51st annual awards ceremony will also include the announcements of the ASCAP Country music Songwriter of the Year, Songwriter/Artist of the Year, Song of the Year and Publisher of the Year. The evening will feature live performances of the top five most performed songs of 2012 by the award-winning songwriters and the artists who recorded them. Special awards, including the ASCAP Founder’s Award, will be given out to recognize the leaders and legends of Nashville’s songwriting community.

The award winners for 2012 were Ben Hayslip (2012 ASCAP Country music Songwriter of the Year), Brad Paisley (2012 ASCAP Songwriter/Artist of the Year) and Lyle Lovett (2012 ASCAP Golden Note Honoree). “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” written by Eric Paslay and Terry Sawchuk and published by Cal IV Entertainment, was named ASCAP 2012 Country music Song of the Year, as was “Honey Bee,” written by Hayslip and published by Warner/Chappell and THiS Music.  Sony/ATV/EMI Music Publishing was named ASCAP Country music Publisher of the Year in 2012.