ASCAP to Honor Chris Stapleton With the Vanguard Award

CMAs, ACMs, Grammys . . . Chris Stapleton has taken home a bunch of awards over the past year based on his solo debut album, Traveller. And he can add one more award to the list.

ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, will present Chris with the ASCAP Vanguard Award at the 54th annual ASCAP Country Music Awards. The awards celebration, which honors the songwriters and publishers of ASCAP’s most performed country songs of 2015, will take place at the historic Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville on October 31.

The Vanguard Award recognizes the impact of outstanding ASCAP members on musical genres that will help shape the future of American music. Previous recipients include Walk The Moon, St. Vincent, fun., The Civil Wars, Third Day, Band of Horses, Sara Bareilles and more.

As previously announced, the 54th annual ASCAP Country Music Awards will include the presentation of the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award to Ricky Skaggs, as well as the announcements of the ASCAP Country Music Songwriter of the Year, Song of the Year and Publisher of the Year. The evening will feature live performances of the top five most performed songs by the award-winning songwriters and/or the artists who recorded them.

photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

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