Hit-maker Extraordinaire Max Martin was selected as this year’s songwriter of the year at the 32nd ASCAP Pop Music Awards. This marks the eighth time that Martin has received the award, an honor that has only been achieved by producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in the past. This also marks the fifth year in a row that the songwriter has received the award.
Martin’s most streamed hits of 2014 were Jessie J, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj’s “Bang Bang,” Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse,” Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea’s “Problem, and Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off.” “Dark Horse” and “Shake It Off” as well as “Blank Space” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for several weeks over the course of 2014.
The iconic songwriter also received a Grammy Award in the Producer of the Year, Non-Classical category earlier in 2015. He and Taylor Swift were also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year of “Shake It Off,” though they failed to secure an award in either category.
Since Britney Spears’s “…Baby One More Time” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999, Max Martin has gone on to achieve 18 additional number one singles on the chart, including projects from N Sync, Katy Perry, P!nk, and Taylor Swift. He first won the ASCAP Songwriter of the Year title in 1999, largely thanks to his work with Britney Spears and N Sync.
Just a few months into 2015, and Max Martin has already released several hugely successful new singles. Ellie Goulding’s Fifty Shades of Grey hit “Love Me Like You Do” has retained a spot in the Billboard Hot 100’s Top 10 for several months since debuting in early January. Martin also wrote on Adam Lambert’s “Ghost Town” and has upcoming projects with Tori Kelly, Usher, and several other artists.
The ASCAP Pop Music Awards gave out several other awards for musical excellence in 2014 last night. John Legend’s Toby Gad penned “All of Me” was selected as Song of the Year while SONY/ATV were selected as Publisher of the Year and Prescription Songs was selected as Independent Publisher of the Year.
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl bestowed the highest ASCAP honor on iconic rockers KISS when he presented them with the Founders Award. Boobie Brothers were selected for the Voice of Music Award, and St. Vincent took home this year’s Vanguard Award.
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