Nashville’s songwriting community was in the spotlight as the CMA Triple Play Awards honored 16 writers who each earned credit on three No. 1 country songs within a 12-month period. Event organizers said the group included Andy Albert, Louis Bell, John Byron, Jessie Jo Dillon, Ashley Gorley, Riley Green, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Ella Langley, Chase McGill, John Morgan, Blake Pendergrass, Taylor Phillips, Austin Post, Ernest Keith Smith, and Morgan Wallen.
The association also recognized more than 40 songwriters who reached their first No. 1 country song since the last ceremony. That gave the event a broader focus, celebrating both established hitmakers and newer writers gaining momentum in the format.
Several of the Triple Play recipients were first-time winners, including Albert, Bell, Green, Kasher Hindlin, Langley, Morgan, Pendergrass and Post. Gorley added another milestone to his long list of achievements with his 27th Triple Play Award.
Bart Herbison also received the CMA Songwriter Advocate Award for his work supporting songwriters’ rights. The evening highlighted the writers behind many of country music’s biggest songs.