Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, was recently announced as the pop music songwriter of the year at a special event in Los Angeles. The gathering, held at Yamashiro Hollywood, replaced the traditional ASCAP Pop Music Awards ceremony for 2023. This marks the third time that Dr. Luke has received this honor, having previously won in 2010 and shared the award with Max Martin in 2011.
In the 40-year history of the ASCAP Pop Music Awards, only three other songwriters have achieved the feat of winning pop music songwriter of the year three or more times. Max Martin leads the pack with a staggering 11 victories, followed by Diane Warren with five wins. Dr. Luke is tied with Lionel Richie, each having secured three wins in this category.
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Dr. Luke earned the title of pop music songwriter of the year for 2023 based on the radio airplay and streaming success of several hit songs. Some of the notable tracks that contributed to his win include Latto’s “Big Energy,” Nicki Minaj’s “Super Freaky Girl,” and a string of chart-toppers for Doja Cat, such as “Need to Know,” “Woman,” and “You Right.”
The determination of the pop music songwriter of the year is based on the total number of shares a writer holds in ASCAP Pop Music Award-winning songs, multiplied by the impressions those winning songs receive. Impressions are calculated using data from Luminate, which takes into account terrestrial and satellite radio airplay, as well as streaming services.
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The award for ASCAP pop music song of the year went to “Stay,” performed by The Kid LAROI and co-written by ASCAP member Justin Bieber. This synth-pop hit held the No. 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for an impressive seven weeks and remained on the chart for 63 weeks in total. This feat set a new record for the longest chart run of any Bieber single.
“Stay,” which is published by Universal Music Publishing Group and Bieber Time Publishing, not only topped Billboard’s year-end Radio Songs chart for 2022 but also secured the No. 3 position on the year-end Hot 100 Songs chart. Remarkably, the points for this song were split between two years, as it had also reached No. 12 on the year-end Hot 100 Songs chart for 2021.
For the second consecutive year and the eighth time overall, Sony Music Publishing was honored as the ASCAP pop music publisher of the year. In 2009, Sony/ATV tied with EMI for this recognition. Sony/ATV has consistently been a frontrunner in the industry, having won outright or tied as publisher of the year in 2009, 2013-2015, 2017, and 2019.
Sony Music Publishing’s victory as pop music publisher of the year in 2023 can be attributed to the success of various hit songs. Tracks like “Break My Soul” by Beyoncé, “Hrs and Hrs” by Muni Long, “One Right Now” by Post Malone and The Weeknd, “Numb Little Bug” by Em Beihold, and “23” by Sam Hunt all contributed to their achievement.
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The ASCAP Pop Music Awards also recognized several other talented songwriters for their award-winning songs. Billy Walsh, Cardi B, Dua Lipa, Fousheé, Greg Kurstin, Henry “Cirkut” Walter, Kim Petras, Louis Bell, Phil Plested, Sarah Hudson, Sia, Starrah, Theron Thomas, and Vaughn Oliver were among the notable honorees.
For a comprehensive list of all the honorees at the 2023 ASCAP Pop Music Awards, you can visit the official ASCAP website.
