Craig Wiseman and his song, "Live Like You Were Dying," took top honors Monday night (Oct. 17) at ASCAP's 43rd annual country awards. The performing rights organization also named John Rich its songwriter-artist of the year and presented Kenny Chesney with the ASCAP Voice of Music award during an awards show at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium.

The Voice of Music award is given to "songwriters whose music gives people's lives a voice through song." Only four others have received the honor -- Garth Brooks, Amy Grant, Diane Warren and George Strait.

In accepting the award, Chesney stressed the power of the music created by Nashville songwriters. "I have seen firsthand, by playing to a whole lot of people for 12 years, how music can change lives and touch lives," he said. "Songs that a lot of you in this room have written have done that. I've been really lucky to have been the messenger for a lot of those songs."
Pictured: Kenny's mom, Gretchen Wilson, Kenny, ASCAP's Connie Bradley

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