ASCAP CHRISTIAN MUSIC AWARDS RECOGNIZE EMI CHRISTIAN MUSIC PUBLISHING, MATT REDMAN, MATTHEW WEST & SAM MIZELL'S SONG "YOU ARE EVERYTHING" AS PUBLISHER, SONGWRITER AND SONG OF THE YEAR.

Nashville, Tennessee April 20, 2009: The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) hosted their annual Christian music awards gala Monday evening at Richland Country Club. The lush Richland grounds provided a perfect setting for the themed dinner, "An Evening At The Oasis". For the 15th year, ASCAP Senior Vice President, Connie Bradley and Vice President, Dan Keen teamed up to host the prestigious ceremony attended by Gospel luminaries such as AMY GRANT, POINT OF GRACE, MAC POWELL, JEREMY CAMP, LARNELLE HARRIS, MARK HARRIS and American Idol CHRIS SLIGH and co-writer, CLINT LAGERBERG who currently have the #1 Country song in the nation, Rascal Flatts', "Here Comes Goodbye."

In her remarks Bradley noted that ASCAP has collected and distributed more money than any other Performance Rights Organization in history. She also recognized ASCAP's dominant market share in Christian music and thanked the songwriters and publishers in attendance for their creative excellence. To the gathering of Christian music's best songwriters and publishers, Keen noted, "Your songs help us find strength, hope, a happiness that is real and a better perspective on our troubles. We really need that, even if it's only for an average of 3½ minutes at a time. You give us a healthy, safe place to escape and refresh."

The crowd was packed with ASCAP's GMA Dove Awards nominees such as NATALIE GRANT, THE DAVID CROWDER BAND, BRANDON HEATH, RUSH OF FOOLS, SANCTUS REAL, BERNIE HERMS, TONY WOOD, FRANCESCA BATTISTELLI, LOUIE GIGLIO, LAURA STORY and THE ROBBIE SEAY BAND.

ASCAP's Living Legend Award was presented to songwriter/publisher/record label exec, DAVE CLARK who recently enjoyed his 25th #1 song as a writer. Artists Larnelle Harris and Mark Harris participated in the tribute to Clark.

The evening culminated with the bestowing of the ASCAP Christian Songwriter of the Year to MATT REDMAN and the ChristianPublisher of the Year to EMI CMG Publishing (for the 6th year in a row). ASCAP's Christian Song of the Year trophy was awarded to"YOU ARE EVERYTHING" written by MATTHEW WEST and SAM MIZELL, published by Word Music, Simple Tense Songs, Songs For Lulu and Wyzell Music. It was noted that coincidently, MATTHEW WEST, SAM MIZELL and co-writer JASON HOUSER have the current #1 Christian Song in the US right now; Matthew West's "The Motions."