Matthew West and Brandon Lake received top honors at the 47th annual ASCAP Christian Music Awards, which were held in downtown Nashville on Sunday (Sept. 29). West was named Christian music songwriter of the year. Lake won Christian music songwriter/artist of the year.
This is the sixth time West has been named ASCAP Christian music songwriter of the year. His most performed songs this year are “Any More,” “Don’t Stop Praying,” “Heaven Changes Everything,” “Never,” “Running Home” and “Strong.” In 2023, West received the ASCAP Golden Note Award.
West, 47, is a five-time Grammy nominee. He has released 15 albums, had cuts by such artists as Casting Crowns, Amy Grant, Scotty McCreery and Rascal Flatts, and penned six books. West’s Don’t Stop Praying Tour runs through November.
Lake, 34, penned four most performed songs – “Fear Is Not My Future,” “Praise,” “Praise You Anywhere” and “Trust in God.” The five-time Grammy-winner recently released For the One: A Tour Documentary with Phil Wickham and is currently on his Tear Off the Roof Tour. He leads this year’s Dove Awards nominations with 16 nods, including artist of the year. Lake was ASCAP Christian music songwriter of the year in 2023.
“Thank God I Do,” co-written by Nate Ruess and published by Bearvon Music and Warner Chappell Music, won Christian music song of the year. The song was Lauren Daigle’s sixth No. 1 hit on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs chart, holding the top spot for 20 weeks. Ruess was the 2015 recipient of the Hal David Starlight Award given by the Songwriters Hall of Fame, is a two-time Grammy winner as a member of the pop trio fun., and has had cuts by such artists as Keith Urban, P!nk, Halsey, Kesha, Maroon 5 and Ellie Goulding.
Essential Music Publishing won Christian music publisher of the year. Their most-played songs of the past year are “Any More,” “Don’t Stop Praying,” “Fear Is Not My Future,” “Never,” “Rescue,” “Running Home,” “Praise,” “Praise You Anywhere,” “Somebody to You,” “Strong,” “These Days” and “Trust in God.” Essential Music Publishing vp Jamie Rodgers accepted the award.
The event was hosted by ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews, chairman of the board and president Paul Williams, vp of Nashville membership Mike Sistad and Nashville assistant vp, Strategic Services, Kele Currier. Ben Glover, a five-time ASCAP Christian music songwriter of the year, kicked off the event with a performance.
A complete list of ASCAP Christian Music Award winners is available at ASCAP’s website.