ASCAP awards Crystal Nicole with 2012 Pop Award for penning Rihanna's 'Only Girl'

Atlanta, GA - April 14, 2012 - On Wednesday, April 18th, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) presented Grammy-Award winning singer/songwriter Crystal Nicole with a Pop Award during the 29th Annual Pop Music Awards gala at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angles, CA. The invitation-only event recognized outstanding ASCAP songwriters and publishers of 2011.

Crystal Nicole is known for her chart-topping singles, which include number one singles with Rhianna, Mariah Carey, Natasha Bedingfield and Monica. After the success of Mariah Carrey's album E=MC2 (Crystal Nicole wrote six singles on the album), she began to be in high demand for other artist such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and many more.

Crystal Nicole is known for her chart-topping singles, which include number one singles with Rhianna, Mariah Carey, Natasha Bedingfield and Monica. After the success of Mariah Carrey's album E=MC2, namely the debut single "Touch My Body" her stock as a songwriter took off and soon she was requested to work with music royalty such as Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Brandy, Jennifer Lopez and many more.

In the midst of tremendous success as a songwriter, Blackground/Interscope offered Crystal Nicole a recording deal of her own. Currently she splits her time working on several diverse A-list projects while finishing up her album in LA. The first single off her new project is set to be released in the summer of 2012. In addition to music, Crystal Nicole has acted as a spokesperson for the Georgia Coalition against Domestic Violence since 2010.

The pop award for Rihanna's "Only Girl" marked Crystal Nicole's fifth award from the performing rights organization. "The night was amazing, God is so good," Crystal Nicole said after receiving the award. "From the moment I heard the track, I knew "Only Girl" was a big song. Having Rihanna record it of course made it even bigger. The song marked a turning point in my career as a songwriter. "

The 29th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards gala was a part of the Annual ASCAP "I Create Music" Expo. The weeklong conference presents an opportunity for songwriters, producers and composers to share their knowledge and experience. The ASCAP "I Create Music" Expo dates are April 19-21 2012. For more information, please visit:

http://www.ascap.com/eventsawards/events/expo/.

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