Sony Music Publishing has been named Publisher of the Year at the 2026 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards.
The ceremony, which took place on Thursday (June 25) on the rooftop of The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills, honored the writers and publishers of the year’s most-performed songs, based on Luminate radio and streaming data.
SMP songwriters were recognized across 27 of ASCAP’s top-performing R&B, hip-hop and gospel songs of the past year.
Mustard was named ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Songwriter of the Year for his work, including TV Off by Kendrick Lamar and Little Things by Ella Mai.
He also produced Kendrick Lamar‘s Grammy-winning Not Like Us and and joined him to perform TV Off during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show.
Leon Thomas received the ASCAP Vanguard Award, which recognizes members whose work is helping to shape the future of music.
Previous recipients of the award include Victoria Monét, Migos, Janelle Monáe and the Beastie Boys, according to ASCAP.
Thomas won two Grammys at the 2026 ceremony, including Best R&B Album for Mutt.
He also won an ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Award for his single Mutt.
luther by Kendrick Lamar and SZA was named ASCAP’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap Song of the Year.
The single’s ASCAP-credited writers include Marvin Gaye, Kamasi Washington, Scott Bridgeway and Jack Antonoff, with SMP among the publishers.
luther incorporates Gaye‘s composition If This World Were Mine.
ASCAP said luther spent 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and set the record for the longest-running No. 1 in the history of Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
ASCAP’s Rhythm & Soul Gospel Song of the Year went to Rest On Us by Maverick City and UPPEROOM.
“This achievement reflects the extraordinary impact of SMP‘s songwriters, whose work continues to inspire audiences around the world.”
Ari Gelaw, Sony Music Publishing
Upon receiving the award, Sony Music Publishing‘s VP, Creative A&R, Ari Gelaw, said: “We are incredibly honored to be recognized by ASCAP as Rhythm & Soul Publisher of the Year.”
“This achievement reflects the extraordinary impact of SMP‘s songwriters, whose work continues to inspire audiences around the world.”
“Thank you to ASCAP for this honor and to our team for their unwavering commitment to supporting songwriters every day.”
SMP‘s winning songs included Push 2 Start (Tyla), Went Legit (G Herbo), Folded (Kehlani), Man I Need (Olivia Dean), WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME (Glorilla and Sexyy Red), Mutt (Leon Thomas), Shake It To The Max (Fly) Remix (MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea) and Rather Lie (The Weeknd and Playboi Carti)
SMP-published writers on those songs included Don Mills (Folded), Paul “Nineteen85” Jeffries (Burning Blue) and GuiltyBeatz (25).
The publisher said its honored writers also included Usher, Jermaine Dupri, Brian Casey, Sounwave, Playboi Carti, Ashley Gorley, Ian James, Spades, Prince Charles, Skillibeng, G Herbo, London Cyr, Gregory Williams, Bobby DeBarge, Michel Jean Legrand, The Notorious B.I.G., Evan Gregory McCoy, DJ Champ, Gangstarr, and Courtlin Jabrae.
Additional songwriters honored at the ceremony included Cardi B, Justin Bieber, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Kali Uchis and Summer Walker.
In April, SMP won Pop Publisher of the Year at the 2026 ASCAP Pop Music Awards for the 10th time.
SMP also took Publisher of the Year at the 2025 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA‘s luther was also named Song of the Year at the 2026 BMI Pop Music Awards in May.
Sony Music Publishing is led by Chairman and CEO Jon Platt.Music Business Worldwide
Sony Music Publishing (SMP) has been honored as Publisher of the Year at the 2026 ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, a prestigious event that recognizes outstanding achievements in the music industry. The awards ceremony took place on June 25, 2026, atop The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills, where it celebrated the year’s most-performed songs based on data from Luminate, which tracks radio and streaming performance.
SMP’s songwriters received accolades for their contributions to 27 of ASCAP’s top-performing songs in the R&B, hip-hop, and gospel genres over the past year. The notable recognition underscores SMP’s influence and commitment to fostering songwriting talent in these vibrant musical styles.
Among the individual accolades, Mustard was named ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Songwriter of the Year. His impressive body of work includes hits like « TV Off » by Kendrick Lamar and « Little Things » by Ella Mai. Additionally, Mustard produced Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy-winning track « Not Like Us » and performed « TV Off » during the Super Bowl LIX halftime show, further solidifying his status in the industry.
Leon Thomas was honored with the ASCAP Vanguard Award, which celebrates artists whose work is shaping the future of music. Previous awardees include notable figures like Victoria Monét and Janelle Monáe. At the same ceremony, Thomas won two Grammy Awards, including Best R&B Album for his project « Mutt, » and also took home an ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Award for his single « Mutt. »
The single « luther, » performed by Kendrick Lamar and SZA, received the title of ASCAP’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop and Rap Song of the Year. The song, co-written by prominent artists such as Marvin Gaye, Kamasi Washington, and Jack Antonoff, features elements of Gaye’s classic composition « If This World Were Mine. » « luther » made waves on the charts, spending 13 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and setting a record for the longest-running No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
In the gospel category, the award for Rhythm & Soul Gospel Song of the Year went to “Rest On Us,” a collaborative effort between Maverick City and UPPEROOM, reflecting the diverse talent celebrated at the awards.
Ari Gelaw, Sony Music Publishing’s VP of Creative A&R, expressed gratitude upon receiving the Publisher of the Year award, stating that it was an honor to be recognized by ASCAP. He emphasized the extraordinary impact of SMP’s songwriters, whose work continues to resonate with audiences around the globe. Gelaw thanked ASCAP for the recognition and acknowledged his team’s dedication to supporting songwriters consistently.
The winning songs from SMP included a wide range of hits such as « Push 2 Start » (Tyla), « Went Legit » (G Herbo), « Folded » (Kehlani), « Man I Need » (Olivia Dean), « WHATCHU KNO ABOUT ME » (Glorilla and Sexyy Red), « Mutt » (Leon Thomas), and the remix of « Shake It To The Max » (MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng & Shenseea), along with « Rather Lie » (The Weeknd and Playboi Carti). Notable songwriters affiliated with SMP for these tracks included Don Mills and Paul “Nineteen85” Jeffries.
The event also recognized other prominent songwriters, such as Cardi B, Justin Bieber, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Kali Uchis, and Summer Walker, showcasing the breadth of talent within the music industry.
Earlier in April, Sony Music Publishing celebrated another significant achievement by winning the Pop Publisher of the Year award at the 2026 ASCAP Pop Music Awards for the tenth time. Additionally, they were awarded Publisher of the Year at the 2025 BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards, further underlining their dominance in the publishing sector.
Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s « luther » also garnered attention by winning Song of the Year at the 2026 BMI Pop Music Awards held in May, highlighting the song’s widespread acclaim and success.
Under the leadership of Chairman and CEO Jon Platt, Sony Music Publishing continues to showcase its strong commitment to nurturing talent and producing influential music across various genres. The recognition from ASCAP at the Rhythm & Soul Music Awards serves as a testament to the publisher’s impact on the music industry, validating the creativity and hard work of its songwriters and reinforcing its position as a leader in the publishing space.
