The ASCAP Music Awards are annual awards presented by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), a performance rights organization founded in 1914. The awards recognize songwriters, composers, and publishers whose works achieved significant public performance across multiple genres. They are best suited for ASCAP members seeking industry recognition based on measurable performance data, not subjective voting. ASCAP holds separate ceremonies for Pop, Rhythm and Soul, Latin, Country, Film and Television, and Concert Music.
At the 2026 ASCAP Pop Music Awards on April 30 at Chaplin Studios in Hollywood, Amy Allen won Pop Songwriter of the Year for co-writing five of ASCAP's most-performed songs, including "APT." (ROSÉ and Bruno Mars) and Sabrina Carpenter hits "Tears," "Manchild," and "Bed Chem." Jimmy Jam introduced her to the stage, saying "We don't have to worry about AI because of people like Amy Allen." Allen had become the first woman to win the Grammy for Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical, in 2025, and repeated the feat at the 2026 Grammys in February, becoming the first songwriter to win the award twice. "Die With a Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars won Pop Song of the Year. The song spent five weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and charted for 60 weeks total, topping Billboard's year-end Hot 100 for the first time in the chart's 67-year history for a duet by a female and male soloist in lead roles.
Past Winners by Category and Year
ASCAP presents separate awards ceremonies across multiple genres. The Pop Music Awards, first held in 1984, are the most prominent. Below is a reference table of Pop Music Awards winners from the last four ceremonies.
| Year | Pop Songwriter of the Year | Pop Song of the Year | Pop Publisher of the Year | Special Honors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Amy Allen | "Die With a Smile" (Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars) | Sony Music Publishing (10th win) | Laufey (Creative Voice Award) |
| 2025 | Jack Antonoff | "Lose Control" (Teddy Swims) | Sony Music Publishing | Charli XCX (Global Impact Award) |
| 2024 | Olivia Rodrigo and Daniel Nigro | "Calm Down" (Rema feat. Selena Gomez) | Universal Music Publishing Group | Charli XCX (Global Impact Award) |
| 2023 | Dr. Luke | "Stay" (The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber) | Sony Music Publishing | (Private party format, no formal ceremony) |
The 2026 Rhythm and Soul Music Awards took place on June 25 at The London West Hollywood. Mustard won Songwriter of the Year for Kendrick Lamar's "tv off" and Ella Mai's "Little Things." "luther" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA won R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap Song of the Year. The song spent 13 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and broke the record for the longest-running number one hit in Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart history. Leon Thomas received the Vanguard Award, presented by Paul Williams and Nicole George-Middleton, with a video message from Ty Dolla $ign recorded at Paris Fashion Week.
The 2026 ASCAP Latin Music Awards took place on May 5 in Miami. Keityn won Songwriter of the Year for the third time. Romeo Santos won Latin songwriter-artist of the year. "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido" by Karol G won Latin Song of the Year.
Submission and Eligibility Details
ASCAP awards require no application or submission. The process is entirely data-driven:
- ASCAP uses Luminate Data LLC to track terrestrial radio, satellite radio, programmed streams, and on-demand audio streams
- The most-performed songs of the past year automatically qualify their ASCAP-affiliated writers and publishers
- Only ASCAP members are eligible (songwriters belonging to BMI or SESAC cannot win)
- ASCAP membership costs $50 for emerging songwriters
- Special honors (Vanguard Award, Creative Voice Award, Founders Award, Golden Note Award) are selected by ASCAP leadership
The 2026 ASCAP Pop Music Awards took place on April 30, 2026 in Hollywood. Amy Allen won Pop Songwriter of the Year for co-writing five of ASCAP's most-performed songs, including "APT." (ROSE and Bruno Mars) and Sabrina Carpenter hits "Tears," "Manchild," and "Bed Chem." "Die With a Smile" by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars won Pop Song of the Year. Sony Music Publishing won Publisher of the Year for the 10th time. Laufey received the Creative Voice Award.
The 2026 ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Music Awards took place on June 25, 2026 at The London West Hollywood. Mustard won Songwriter of the Year for Kendrick Lamar's "tv off" and Ella Mai's "Little Things." "luther" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA won R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap Song of the Year. Leon Thomas received the Vanguard Award.
The 2026 ASCAP Latin Music Awards took place on May 5, 2026 in Miami. Keityn won Songwriter of the Year for the third time. Romeo Santos won Latin songwriter-artist of the year. "Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido" by Karol G won Latin Song of the Year.
"APT." by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars was one of the most-performed ASCAP pop songs of 2025. Co-written by Amy Allen, the song reached number one on the Billboard Global 200 and has accumulated over 2.4 billion YouTube views since its October 2024 release. The song also won Best Collaboration at the 2025 MAMA Awards and was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2026 Grammys.
Key Benefits for Artists
- Data-driven recognition: Awards are based on measurable performance data, not voting panels. A song with significant radio play or streaming can qualify regardless of label affiliation.
- Multiple genre ceremonies: Pop, Rhythm and Soul, Latin, Country, and Film and Television ceremonies provide networking opportunities with industry executives specific to each genre.
- Royalty infrastructure: ASCAP distributes royalties quarterly to its 900,000+ members, providing a revenue stream separate from the awards.
- Career milestone awards: The Vanguard Award (Leon Thomas in 2026), Creative Voice Award (Laufey in 2026), and Founders Award recognize career achievements that independent artists can work toward over time.
- No submission cost: Unlike many awards, there is no application fee. Writers simply need ASCAP membership and songs that perform well.
Potential Drawbacks and Things to Consider
- ASCAP members only: Songwriters belonging to BMI, SESAC, or GMR cannot win ASCAP awards. You must join ASCAP ($50 annual dues for emerging writers) to be eligible.
- Performance bias: The data-driven criteria favor commercially successful songs over artistically significant but less-played works. Independent artists with limited radio play are unlikely to qualify for performance-based categories.
- Diluted prestige: Multiple genre-specific ceremonies mean no single "ASCAP Award" carries the prestige of a Grammy. The awards are industry events, not public broadcasts.
- Songwriter and publisher focus: The awards recognize writers and publishers, not performers who did not write the material.
- Limited media exposure: The ceremonies are invitation-only industry events, not televised broadcasts. Media coverage is primarily within trade publications.
Related Resources
- All the Music Royalties You Should Be Collecting in 2026 - Understand how ASCAP royalties fit into your total revenue
- Best Royalty Collection Services for Independent Artists in 2026 - Compare ASCAP against other PROs
- Publishing Royalty Split Calculator - Calculate how publishing royalties are divided
- Music Awards Directory - Browse all music awards in our directory
- BMI Music Awards - The competing PRO's awards for BMI-affiliated songwriters
- Grammy Awards - The recording industry's highest peer-voted honor, where ASCAP winners often also compete
- Ivor Novello Awards - The UK equivalent recognizing songwriters and composers
- Polaris Music Prize - Canadian award recognizing artistic merit in songwriting and composition
- Gershwin Prize for Popular Song - The Library of Congress award recognizing lifetime achievement in popular song
- Official website: ascap.com
