ASCAP Christian Music Awards Honor Matthew West as Top Songwriter

0
129


Matthew West pulled off a sweep of the top two honors at the ASCAP Christian Music Awards, picking up both songwriter of the year and song of the year in kudos that were announced online Wednesday.

Earning song of the year stripes was “Nobody,” a song West wrote and then had recorded by Casting Crowns, with himself billed as a featured artist on the track. It’s West’s fifth time being celebrated by the performing rights organization for having the year’s most played song.

It was “only” his third time, meanwhile, being named ASCAP’s Christian songwriter of the year. He earned the honor for songs that included “The God Who Stays” as well as “Nobody.” He’d previously won it in 2014 and 2017, on top of earning a different but related honor, Christian songwriter-artist of the. year, three other times, in 2013, 2015 and 2016.

As with all its other awards this year, ASCAP is putting a good deal of material online in lieu of the annual ceremony in Nashville. Among the content the PRO is rolling out on its social media accounts is a new performance of “Nobody” by West to go along with his acceptance speech.

If West feels at all like an expected choice for his honors, that goes several times over for the winner of ASCAP’s Christian music publisher of the year award. That went to Capitol CMG Publishing — for the 18th straight year. “Reason,” “Almost Home,” “Holy Water” and “Build My Life” were among the Capitol CMG hits cited as contributing to the award, which will be accepted by co-president Brad O’Donnell in a video.

Exclusive performances that will show up on ASCAP’s social accounts in celebration of the awards include Luke and Joel Smallbone of For King & Country singing a stripped down version of “God Only Knows,” and Unspoken’s Chad Mattson and Jonathan Lowry singing “Reason.”

A full list of winners can be found here.

 





Source : Variety