ASCAP Country Music Awards To Honor Chris Stapleton With Vanguard Award

Chris Stapleton

ASCAP will present singer, songwriter and performer Chris Stapleton with the ASCAP Vanguard Award at the 54th annual ASCAP Country Music Awards, slated for Oct. 31 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. The honor recognizes the impact of outstanding ASCAP members on musical genres that will help shape the future of American music.

The celebration will also honor the songwriters and publishers behind ASCAP’s most-performed country songs of 2015.

“Every so often, someone comes along with songwriting so masterful, a voice so powerful and a presence so captivating, that it stops you in your tracks,” says ASCAP President Paul Williams. “Chris Stapleton does just that. By distilling Southern sounds and themes into potent songs, he has brought raw soul back to the country charts, and established himself as one of the most respected and original artists in American music today. We are thrilled to honor him with the ASCAP Vanguard Award.”

Previous Vanguard Award recipients include Walk The Moon, St. Vincent, fun., The Civil Wars, Third Day, Band of Horses, Sara Bareilles and more.

Stapleton’s Traveller project was released in May 2015 on Mercury Records Nashville and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. At the 2015 CMA Awards later that year, Stapleton became the first artist to win Album of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and New Artist of the Year at the same time. Following Stapleton’s performance with fellow ASCAP member and singer-songwriter Justin Timberlake, Traveller re-entered the Billboard all-genre album chart at No. 1, staying there for two weeks.

Earlier this year, Stapleton earned four nominations and two wins at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards, where he took home honors for Best Country Album (alongside producer Dave Cobb) and Best Country Solo Performance.

Stapleton is nominated for several CMA Awards this year, including Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Music Video of the Year, as well as Musical Event of the Year, alongside his wife Morgane Stapleton, for their performance of “You Are My Sunshine” from Cobb’s Southern Family compilation.

Stapleton has also co-written six No. 1 hits for some of country music’s biggest artists.

As previously announced, the 54th annual ASCAP Country Music Awards will include the presentation of the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award to Ricky Skaggs, as well as the announcements of the ASCAP Country Music Songwriter of the Year, Song of the Year and Publisher of the Year.

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Jessica Nicholson

Jessica Nicholson serves as the Managing Editor for MusicRow magazine. Her previous music journalism experience includes work with Country Weekly magazine and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) magazine. She holds a BBA degree in Music Business and Marketing from Belmont University. She welcomes your feedback at jnicholson@musicrow.com.

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