The American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) will celebrate its 42nd Annual Country Music Awards on Monday, November 8, 2004 at Nashville's Gaylord Opryland Hotel. The Monday night celebration during Country Music Week is a time-honored tradition for the organization's gala awards dinner, at which it will also commemorate its 90th anniversary as the first and largest Performing Right Society in the US.

Country music's other prestigious awards show, the Country Music Association Awards, will celebrate its 38th annual awards the following night at the Grand Ole Opry House. ASCAP members won 73% of the CMA awards last year with multiple awards going to Alan Jackson, and the late Johnny Cash.

ASCAP's black-tie event will honor songwriters and publishers of the most performed country songs from the previous year. A highlight of the evening will include the special presentation to the ASCAP "Songwriter of the Year." Past recipients of this top honor include some of Country music's most celebrated talents such as four time winner Alan Jackson, Phil Vassar, Diane Warren, Craig Wiseman, Darrell Scott, Keith Follese, Don Schlitz and Garth Brooks. Special awards will also be given to "Song of the Year," and "Publisher of the Year." The evening will also celebrate ASCAP's 90th anniversary with special guest performances.

Commenting on the upcoming awards event in Nashville, Marilyn Bergman, President and Chairman of ASCAP said: “As a member-owned society, it is always an honor to recognize the work of our community of wonderfully talented songwriters and composers, and celebrate their outstanding contributions to music."

Nashville Senior Vice President, Connie Bradley added: "The ASCAP Awards not only honor music, they celebrate it, and we are proud to welcome Country music's finest talent to our traditional Monday night celebration."

ASCAP is the dominant creative force in Country music. ASCAP members secured 72% of Hot Country Singles & Tracks on the 2003 Billboard year-end charts, and won 73% of the awards at the 2003 Country Music Awards. Its megastar members include Ray Benson, Garth Brooks, the late Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, The Dixie Chicks, Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Robert John "Mutt" Lange, Reba McEntire, Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, Ricky Skaggs, George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, and Wynonna.

February 2004 marks the 90th anniversary of the founding of ASCAP. As the world’s largest performing right organization, ASCAP has over 175,000 composer, lyricist and music publisher members representing all genres of music. ASCAP is committed to protecting the rights of its members by licensing and collecting royalties for the public performance of their copyrighted works, and then distributing these fees to the Society’s members based on performances. ASCAP’s Board of Directors is made up solely of writers and publishers, elected by the membership every two years.