ASCAP Pop Music Awards announce winners

Winners have been announced for the 40th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards. The awards recognize the songwriters and publishers of the most performed songs of the past year based on Luminate data for terrestrial and satellite radio and streaming services. ASCAP is the only US PRO that operates as a not-for-profit.

“STAY,” the chart-topping smash performed by The Kid LAROI and ASCAP member Justin Bieber, who co-wrote the song, wins ASCAP Pop Music Song of the Year. The song topped the charts for seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart last summer and was #1 on Apple Music’s Top 100 global songs chart for 51 days straight. “STAY,” which is published by Universal Music Publishing Group and Bieber Time Publishing, also took the #1 slot on both Billboard’s Year-End Adult Pop Airplay Songs and Year-End Radio Songs charts.

The overwhelming amount of radio airplay and number of streams for hit songs such as “Big Energy” (Latto), “Need to Know” (Doja Cat) and “Super Freaky Girl” (Nicki Minaj) make producer Dr. Luke the ASCAP Pop Music Songwriter of the Year. Listeners’ love of Doja Cat’s “Woman” and “You Right” propelled them to the top of the charts and contributed to the win. (As specified by ASCAP Pop Music Awards rules, the Pop Music Songwriter of the Year is determined by the total number of a writer’s shares in ASCAP Pop Music Award-winning songs multiplied by the winning songs’ impressions, which are calculated based on Luminate data on radio and streaming.)

Sony Music Publishing takes ASCAP Pop Music Publisher of the Year for the eighth time, for a banner year with songs including “Break My Soul” (Beyoncé), “Hrs and Hrs” (Muni Long), “One Right Now” (Post Malone and The Weeknd), “Numb Little Bug” (Em Beihold), “23” (Sam Hunt) and many more.

Other songwriters honored for their ASCAP Pop Music Award-winning songs include Billy Walsh (“Die for You,” “I Like You,” “One Right Now”), Cardi B (“Wild Side”), Dua Lipa (“Sweetest Pie”), Fousheé (“Bad Habit”), Greg Kurstin (“Easy on Me”), Henry “Cirkut” Walter (“Die for You,” “Unholy”), Kim Petras (“Unholy”), Louis Bell (“I Like You,” “One Right Now”), Phil Plested (“I’m Good (Blue)”), Sarah Hudson (“Sweetest Pie”), Sia (“Unstoppable”), Starrah (“Wild Side”), Theron Thomas (“About Damn Time,” “Big Energy”) and Vaughn Oliver (“Big Energy,” “Super Freaky Girl”).

ASCAP celebrates with its winners at an exclusive, invitation-only party in Hollywood. A complete list of 2023 ASCAP Pop Music Awards honorees can be found at www.ascap.com/popawards23.