Photo Credit: Usher and Ashley Gorley for NMPA
The National Music Publishers’ Association announces the top gold and platinum songwriters and certifications for Q1 2024, with Usher racking up 20 certifications after his Super Bowl spot.
The National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) Gold & Platinum Program has announced the top songwriters for the first quarter of 2024, including the top artist-songwriter and top non-performing songwriter for the period. Across January, February, and March, 1,161 Gold, Platinum, and Multi-Platinum certifications were awarded.
Usher, published by Sony Music Publishing, was the top artist-songwriter overall, with 20 certifications, including the 5X Platinum “U Got It Bad,” the 4X Platinum “I Don’t Mind,” and the 3X Platinum “Confessions Part II.”
Streams for Usher’s catalog saw a massive surge following his stellar Super Bowl Halftime Show performance back in February. The set made a lot of his existing fans nostalgic for his numerous hits, while new fans were discovering the jams that made Usher a household name during the late ‘90s and early aughts.
The top non-performing songwriter was Ashley Gorley, with eight certifications for songs including the 7X Platinum “Last Night,” the 5X Platinum “Crash My Party,” and the 2X Platinum “Aw Naw.” Gorley is also published by Sony Music Publishing.
“Q1 was huge for Sony Music Publishing,” said NMPA President & CEO David Israelite. “Usher’s hits have lasting power and this proves the enduring popularity of his music. Once again, Ashley Gorley reigns supreme due to his phenomenal country crossover success. We congratulate both of these exceptional songwriters.”
NMPA’s Gold & Platinum Program, in partnership with RIAA’s Gold & Platinum Program, identifies and honors the songwriters behind today’s biggest hits. NMPA confirms songwriters with their music publishers to ensure all appropriate songwriters are recognized for their contribution to an RIAA certified single. Certifications count both sales and on-demand streams towards Gold (500k), Platinum (1k), and Multi-Platinum (2m+) thresholds. Thousands of songwriters have been certified since NMPA’s program began in 2007.
