Nashville Writers Honored At ASCAP’s 35th Annual Pop Music Awards

Pictured (L-R): Toni Osborne, Josh Osborne, guest host songwriter/producer Antonina Armato, Zach Crowell, Ashley Gorley

ASCAP hosted its 35th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards on Monday, April 23, at the historic Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles before a packed audience of songwriters, composers, producers and music industry executives.

A spotlight was on ASCAP Founders Award winner Desmond Child, who has written indelible hits over five decades like “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and, more recently in 2015, “Beautiful Now” by Zedd. Rock icons Alice Cooper and Paul Stanley of KISS helped pay tribute to Child. Cooper delivered a hard-hitting performance of their hit, “Poison,” while Stanley bestowed the award onstage to Child, who was also honored with a medley of his hits by singer Justin Benlolo. The ASCAP Founders Award is presented to ASCAP songwriters who have made exceptional contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators, and adds Child to the ranks of such past recipients as Jackson Browne, Billy Joel, Sir Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty and more.

Nashville-based hit country songwriters Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt and Josh Osborne were honored for Hunt’s crossover smash “Body Like a Back Road,” which Crowell also produced.

Pictured: Paul Stanley, Desmond Child, Alice Cooper

​Pictured (L-R): ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews, Zach Crowell, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Josh Osborne, ASCAP President & Chairman Paul Williams and ASCAP’s Michael Martin

Pictured (L-R): Marc Emert Hutner, Beth Matthews, Zach Crowell, Darrell Brown