Country Music Association Celebrates Recipients Of 10th Annual CMA Triple Play Awards
CMA Songwriters Series Presented by U.S. Bank Sold-Out Performance at Marathon Music Works Featured the Year’s Biggest Hitmakers Including Luke Combs, Nicolle Galyon, Ashley Gorley, Josh Kear, Chase McGill and Josh Osborne
The Country Music Association honored the songwriters behind Country Music’s biggest hits at the 10th annual CMA Triple Play Awards Tuesday, Feb. 19 during an intimate, industry luncheon at Marathon Music Works in Nashville. CMA Triple Play Awards recipients were honored for having penned three No. 1 songs within a 12-month period based on the Country Aircheck, Billboard Country Airplay and Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Following opening remarks from Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer, the event’s host, Troy Tomlinson, Sony/ATV Music Publishing President and CEO and CMA Board member, handed out trophies to 10 songwriters: Luke Combs, Jesse Frasure, Nicolle Galyon, Ashley Gorley, Tyler Hubbard, Josh Kear, Shane McAnally, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne and Thomas Rhett. As each recipient took the stage to receive their award, a compilation of YouTube videos played, with fans from around the globe performing covers of one of the three No. 1 songs that each songwriter was being honored for writing.
Combs accepted his first CMA Triple Play Award joking, “I’m Luke, by the way, if you guys didn’t know. I probably look like the guy who changes your oil, but I’m not.” He continued to thank his team, explaining, “This is truly an award that is not for me, it’s for the publishers, the promo teams, the fans in Country radio, the people that buy tickets to my concerts.”
Galyon, who was also honored with her first CMA Triple Play Award, shared, “A number of people have liked to point out I’m the only woman up here, but I was thinking today about how the really cool story about that is I’ve written with all of the men that are winning this award today, I’ve never been treated with anything but encouragement, like a sister. I’ve been empowered. I’ve been so respected by all of my brothers in this business. I think that’s a story that we don’t hear enough. I’m just really proud to be a part of this community and the way that we all encourage and cheer for each other. Brothers and sisters alike.”
After thanking his family and team, Kear shared, “This is stunning, always. Amazing. It’s hard to believe they ever line up properly. I’ve made my entire career out of writing fiction, but not these three songs.”
Frasure, who accepted the first award of the day shared, “This award is the miracle. It doesn’t really matter how hard you work, it just takes so much to line up for this to happen. So, this one is like the Super Bowl for us.” Before finishing he thanked Thomas Rhett. “Thomas, thank you man. All three of these are you, so literally I would not be here if it wasn’t for you. I love you man, I love your family.”
Thomas Rhett later took the stage to thank his family for inspiration saying, “I got to write ‘Life Changes’ with my dad, which was probably the coolest thing in the world to get to write a song about my life and then my dad to put perspective into watching me grow up.”
After the luncheon, Galyon hosted a sold-out CMA Songwriters Series Presented by U.S. Bank show at Marathon Music Works, joined by songwriters Combs, Gorley, Kear, McGill and Osborne performing songs they’ve written, including several of their CMA Triple Play Award-winning songs, and sharing never-before-told stories with the audience. Kear and Galyon shared stories of what it’s like to be parents as songwriters. Kear joked about never winning a “Father of the Year” award since his daughter’s favorite song that he’s penned is Dierks Bentley’s “Drunk On A Plane.” Before playing her Dan + Shay hit “Tequila,” Galyon dedicated the song to her daughter stating, “My last song today goes out to my five-year-old daughter, who asked me the other day, ‘Why did God make tequila?’”
Combs reflected on what it means to him to receive the honor and performed a new, unreleased song for the crowd titled “Dear Today.” “For everyone here on stage, congratulations for getting the Triple Play, that’s super cool. I say that like I’ve done 100 of them. This is my first one so it’s really, really cool to win,” before joking, “Only Ashley Gorley has 100 of them.” Osborne had the crowd singing along at the top of their lungs when he performed “Body Like A Back Road,” sharing, “This is an awesome thing to be a part of. My wife’s here tonight, her birthday is tomorrow, so I’ll do this one for her.”
Before playing “Break Up In The End,” McGill shared a story about the quiet morning he was out hunting when he received the call that he had been nominated for two Grammys and his excited reaction scared away all the deer. The most decorated CMA Triple Play Award winner to date, Gorley rounded out the show telling the audience how amazing it is for songwriters to get the opportunity to write about all types of subject matter. “Country Music in Nashville is a unique thing…it’s not just about making up and breaking up, it’s about tequila, it’s about a body like a back road, it’s about scratch-off tickets, it can be about the way you walk, the way you talk, and there’s so much subject matter that we get to cover as writers because you’ve all been through that.”
In addition to the special performance, $3 of each ticket sold will benefit CMA’s philanthropic arm, the CMA Foundation, which is committed to improving and sustaining high-quality music education programs across the country. See the full set list below.
CMA Songwriters Series Presented by U.S. Bank Set List:
Nicolle Galyon – “All the Pretty Girls” (recorded by Kenny Chesney)
Josh Kear – “Woman, Amen” (recorded by Dierks Bentley)
Luke Combs – “Hurricane”
Josh Osborne – “Get Along” (recorded by Kenny Chesney)
Chase McGill – “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset” (recorded by Luke Bryan)
Ashley Gorley – “Marry Me” (recorded by Thomas Rhett)
Nicolle Galyon – “Consequences” (recorded by Camila Cabello)
Josh Kear – “Most People Are Good” (recorded by Luke Bryan)
Luke Combs – “When It Rains It Pours”
Josh Osborne – “Drinkin’ Problem” (recorded by Midland)
Chase McGill – “Lose It” (recorded by Kane Brown)
Ashley Gorley – “Dirt On My Boots” (recorded by Jon Pardi)
Nicolle Galyon – “Automatic” (recorded by Miranda Lambert)
Josh Kear – “Drunk On A Plane” (recorded by Dierks Bentley)
Luke Combs – “Dear Today”
Josh Osborne – “Hotel Key” (recorded by Old Dominion)
Chase McGill – “The Way I Talk” (recorded by Morgan Wallen)
Ashley Gorley – “Play It Again” (recorded by Luke Bryan)
Nicolle Galyon – “Tequila” (recorded by Dan + Shay)
Josh Kear – “Need You Now” (recorded by Lady Antebellum)
Luke Combs – “Beautiful Crazy”
Josh Osborne – “Body Like A Back Road” (recorded by Sam Hunt)
Chase McGill – “Break Up In The End” (recorded by Cole Swindell)
Ashley Gorley – “I Lived It” (recorded by Blake Shelton)
The 10th annual CMA Triple Play Awards recipients were recognized for the following:
Luke Combs
“Hurricane”
“When It Rains It Pours”
“One Number Away”
Jesse Frasure
“Unforgettable,” recorded by Thomas Rhett
“Marry Me,” recorded by Thomas Rhett
“Life Changes,” recorded by Thomas Rhett
Nicolle Galyon
“All the Pretty Girls,” recorded by Kenny Chesney
“Tequila,” recorded by Dan + Shay
“Coming Home,” recorded by Keith Urban ft. Julia Michaels
Ashley Gorley
“Fix A Drink,” recorded by Chris Janson
“Marry Me,” recorded by Thomas Rhett
“Life Changes,” recorded by Thomas Rhett
Tyler Hubbard
“Meant to Be,” recorded by Bebe Rexha ft. Florida Georgia Line
“You Make It Easy,” recorded by Jason Aldean
“Simple,” recorded by Florida Georgia Line
Josh Kear
“God, Your Mama, And Me,” recorded by Florida Georgia Line ft. Backstreet Boys
“Most People Are Good,” recorded by Luke Bryan
“Woman, Amen,” recorded by Dierks Bentley
Shane McAnally
“Written in the Sand,” recorded by Old Dominion
“Marry Me,” recorded by Thomas Rhett
“Get Along,” recorded by Kenny Chesney
Chase McGill
“Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset,” recorded by Luke Bryan
“Break Up in the End,” recorded by Cole Swindell
“Lose It,” recorded by Kane Brown
Josh Osborne
“Drinkin’ Problem,” recorded by Midland
“All the Pretty Girls,” recorded by Kenny Chesney
“Get Along,” recorded by Kenny Chesney
Thomas Rhett
“Unforgettable”
“Marry Me”
“Life Changes”
