CMA Triple Play Awards honor elite songwriters in country's mainstream

For about half of the 15 years that mainstream country hit songwriter Ashley Gorley has been penning hit singles, he's written songs that have topped country's charts.

That was the most impressive—of many—takeaway from 2024's Country Music Association Triple Play Awards presentation, which occurred on April 15, 2024, at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Triple Play Awards celebrate songwriters who pen three No. 1 songs within 12 months based on the Country Aircheck, Billboard Country Airplay and Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.

Alongside Gorley, who had a hand in writing an unprecedented 12 No. 1 hits during 2023 (including "She Had Me At Heads Carolina," recorded by Cole Swindell, "Last Night," recorded by Morgan Wallen, "World on Fire," recorded by Nate Smith and "TRUCK BED," recorded by HARDY), the event also honored Charlie Handsome, Jelly Roll, Chase McGill, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt, and Thomas Rhett.

'Pure, merit-based achievement'

Before first-time Triple Play winner Jelly Roll (his hits "Son Of A Sinner," "Need A Favor" and "Save Me") received his award, his presenter, frequent co-writer and former Triple Play honoree Jesse Frasure noted that the honor was peerless in Music Row circles because it, above all else, honored "pure, merit-based achievement."

To The Tennessean, 2023 and 2024 honoree Hunter Phelps ("Best Thing Since Backroads," recorded by Jake Owen, "New Truck," recorded by Dylan Scott and "wait in the truck," recorded by HARDY featuring Lainey Wilson) cites "working smarter, not harder" and the mentorship of 75-time chart-topper Gorley as being hugely influential to him.

Phelps feels that the idea that, with so few winners, he was responsible for hits that topped the charts for minimally a month of the year is "surreal," but that holding a trophy in his hand for the honor is "appreciated."

In under a decade, he's grown from feeling satisfied with just landing album cuts like "Wish You Were On It" on Florida Georgia Line's 2016 album Dig Your Roots to achieving a single No. 1 via 2019's Chris Lane track "I Don't Know About You," to now achieving back-to-back years with multiple No. 1 singles.

Working with Renee Blair, HARDY and Jordan Schmidt on the double-platinum-selling and award-winning "wait in the truck" represented a career evolution for Phelps.

"I had a lot more feedback on it than any other song I've written," stated Phelps about the honest, vengeful "murder ballad."

"It's a dream to write a story song that also helped many people and meant so much to them, too."

Life-changing success achieved

"No. 1 hits change lives and careers," singer-songwriter Mitchell Tenpenny said before Schmidt accepted his honor.

In his dozen years as a Nashville songwriter, Schmidt has written songs that have achieved 50 times-plus platinum status.

He accepted his award while holding his precocious infant son Fisher and explained to The Tennessean that, amid his success, he still felt "stressed" about maintaining his run of acclaim.

Akin to Gorley and Phelps, Schmidt—now also a consecutive-year Triple Play winner—notes that he's excited to "fill his soul" by "teaching a new generation of songwriters how to achieve (similar success)."

Stars honor career success

The Triple Play Awards also honored Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) Nashville chairman and CEO Troy Tomlinson with the CMA Songwriter Advocate Award.

Alongside Bob DiPiero in 2020 and Jody Williams in 2022, Tomlinson was honored for what the CMA deems as "(dedicating his) life to supporting and advancing the art of songwriting and careers of songwriters" with "an unprecedented historical impact on the songwriting community."

Before Tomlinson accepted his award, a video montage showcased interviews and congratulatory messages from artists, songwriters and industry executives who collaborated closely with Tomlinson and whose careers were touched by his work. Kelsea Ballerini, Dean Dillon, Ronnie Dunn, CMA CEO Sarah Trahern and 2023 CMA Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson were among the artists highlighted.

Emblematic of his four decades of work, Kenny Chesney appeared to perform his 20-year-old classic "Old Blue Chair," while the event closed with Jordan Davis' 2023 hit "Next Thing You Know" performed by its co-writer Chase McGill, Luke Bryan's 2013 hit "Drink A Beer" performed by its co-writer (and 2024 Triple Play Awards event host) Jim Beavers, while legendary writer Tom Douglas closed out the evening with a take on Miranda Lambert's "The House That Built Me."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: CMA Triple Play Awards honor elite songwriters in country's mainstream