(L-R) Paul Williams, President & Chairman, ASCAP, James Fauntleroy, Nicole George Middleton, SVP of Membership, ASCAP and Elizabeth Matthews, CEO, ASCAP attend the ASCAP 2025 Pop Music Songwriters Celebration. (All photos by Lester Cohen)
As part of their annual reunion celebrating the best in pop music songwriting, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) lit up the night at Los Angeles’ Petersen Automotive Museum. ASCAP President (and avid car enthusiast) Paul Williams brought his usual enthusiasm and added bubbly interjections of praise for this year’s recipients, which included Song of the Year winner “Lose Control” (Teddy Swims), co-written by ASCAP songwriter Joshua “Ammo” Coleman. The song has broken the record for the longest-running top 10 song on Billboard’s Hot 100 after making the list for 58 weeks.
(L-R) Paul Williams, President & Chairman, ASCAP, Amanda “Kiddo A.I.” Ibanez, Elizabeth Matthews, CEO, ASCAP and Nicole George Middleton, SVP of Membership, ASCAP attend the ASCAP 2025 Pop Music Songwriters Celebration.
(L-R) Paul Williams, President & Chairman, ASCAP, Dan Nigro, winner of a 2025 ASCAP
award for Most Performed Song, and Elizabeth Matthews, CEO, ASCAP pose onstage
during the ASCAP 2025 Pop Music Songwriters Celebration.
Legendary creatives being honored included Songwriter of the Year recipient artist-producer Jack Antonoff (who appeared via recorded message while working overseas). Antonoff’s projects brought ASCAPS’s six most performed songs for the past year, including “Please Please Please” (Sabrina Carpenter), and songs for Taylor Swift including “Anti-Hero,” “Fortnight,” “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart,” “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault),” and “Karma.”
Justin Tranter attends the ASCAP 2025 Pop Music Songwriters Celebration.
Cian Ducrot attends the ASCAP 2025 Pop Music Songwriters Celebration.
(L-R) Lance Shipp and Michelle Buzz of Haute & Freddy attend the ASCAP 2025 Pop Music
Songwriters Celebration.
Sony Music Publishing received Publisher of the Year for songs “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (Shaboozey), “Hot to Go!” (Chappell Roan), “Houdini” (Dua Lipa), “Not Like Us” (Kendrick Lamar), “Stick Season” (Noah Kahan), and “Texas Hold ‘Em” (Beyoncé).” Other songwriting winners included Amy Allen (“Espressso” and “Feather”), Chappell Roan (“Good Luck, Babe!” “Hot to Go!”), Dan Nigro (“get him back!” “Good Luck, Babe!”), Dua Lipa (“Houdini,” “Illusion”), Justin Timberlake (“Selfish”), Justin Tranter (“Good Luck, Babe!”), Victoria Monét (“On My Mama”), and others.
(L-R) Nicole George Middleton, SVP of Membership, ASCAP, Jon Platt, Chairman & CEO,
Sony Music Publishing, Katie Welle, SVP, A&R, Sony Music Publishing, Elizabeth Matthews, CEO, ASCAP and Paul Williams, President & Chairman, ASCAP attend the ASCAP 2025 Pop Music Songwriters Celebration.
(L-R) Ammo, winner of the 2025 ASCAP Pop Song of the Year award, and Paul Williams, President & Chairman, ASCAP pose onstage during the ASCAP 2025 Pop Music Songwriters Celebration.
(L-R) Paul Williams, President & Chairman, ASCAP, Cheyenna, winner of a 2025 ASCAP award for Most Performed Song, and Elizabeth Matthews, CEO, ASCAP pose onstage during the ASCAP 2025 Pop Music Songwriters Celebration.
As the only non-profit US PRO founded and governed by music creators, ASCAP’s triumphant rooftop gathering of industry professionals brought jovial camaraderie, and celebrated each other with a positive and inspiring vibe.
For a full list of winners, please visit: www.ascap.com/popawards25
Photos by Lester Cohen
