© 2026 ASCAP
Abe Olman, for whom this program is named, was both a major figure in the music publishing community and an ASCAP songwriter himself, in addition to being one of the founders of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1969. Given out annually since 1990, the Abe Olman Scholarships have been made possible by his family in the interest of encouraging and supporting the careers of young songwriters.
AGUA TINTA
Daniela García, known artistically as Agua Tinta, is a rising songwriter and producer from Mexico City. She’s known for her powerful melodies and distinctive lyrics, featured in tracks like “Si No Eres Tú” by La Alianza Norteña and Los Pescadores del Río. Agua has collaborated with a range of notable artists & songwriters, including Chiquis, Lupita Infante, and ERRE, which demonstrates her growing influence and industry respect.
A Berklee College of Music alumna, she earned multiple scholarships and the Perricone Award for songwriting. In 2024, she signed with Warner Chappell, in partnership with Cha Cha Cha Music, straight out of college, working closely with her mentor @claudiabrantoficial. Agua is recognized for consistently delivering standout songs through her emotive lyricism and melodic talent.
YouTube // Instagram // Facebook // Spotify
JASTIN MARTIN
Jastin Martin is an R&B singer-songwriter, producer, and guitarist whose minimalist, emotionally raw sound feels like stepping directly into her Houston bedroom—the same intimate space where she writes and records her most revealing work. Entirely self-taught, she moves seamlessly between crafting silvery guitar lines, building stripped-back yet textured production, and delivering hushed, confessional vocals that cut with precision.
Recently named a 2026 Billboard Artist to Watch, Jastin has built her career on consistency and instinct. Writing songs since the age of nine, she evolved from the dorm rooms of Grambling State University to Houston’s open mic circuit, and ultimately onto the roster of Def Jam Recordings—before returning to independence to fully own and shape her creative path.
Now operating as an independent artist, Jastin writes, produces, and releases her music on her own terms, cultivating a direct relationship with her audience. Her breakout records “Again” and “Reassurance” sparked organic momentum online—driven not by heavy marketing, but by genuine listener connection, with fans drawn to her soft-spoken delivery and unfiltered honesty.
Her debut project Miss Me Yet? introduced a fuller scope of her artistry—balancing vulnerability with control, intimacy with intention—and was embraced as a refreshing entry into modern R&B. Since then, she has continued to grow a loyal and highly engaged audience through consistent releases and direct fan interaction, with her music spreading through shares, user-generated content, and word-of-mouth discovery.
While she collaborates selectively with top-tier producers, Jastin remains deeply hands-on in every aspect of her work—from songwriting and production to visual and creative direction. Whether she’s recording at home, writing in a quiet corner of the city, or refining a melody over guitar, her process stays rooted in authenticity.
As an independent artist with a fully realized body of work and growing cultural momentum, Jastin Martin represents a new model of creative ownership—where artistry and autonomy move in lockstep.
“If I’m going to give something of myself,” she says, “I might as well give all of it.”
Instagram // SoundCloud // TikTok // YouTube // X
nobigdyl.
nobigdyl. is most known for combining concept-driven lyricism with eclectic production. Musically, he bounces from hard-hitting to ethereal—pulling from trap, jazz, golden era hip hop, underground, and beyond to create his own sound. The Dove-Award-winning, President Obama Playlisted, NPR Tiny Desk Contest Fan Favorite rapper is a storyteller at heart. His lyrics are part memoir, part stream of consciousness, as he wrestles with concepts such as faith, ego, love and loss.
AUGUST PONTHIER
The Texas-raised August Ponthier creates soul-searching songs with all the intimacy of a journal entry and unbridled imagination of a movie. Praised by Billboard as “an artist with seemingly unlimited potential,” Ponthier is known for their deeply personal and evocative music that blends alternative, indie and pop influences.
Ponthier first broke through with the 2021 EP Faking My Own Death – a collection that documented their coming-out story and delivered a dreamy fusion of indie-folk, alt-rock and left-of-center country-pop. That same year, the Brooklyn-based artist teamed up with Lord Huron for the hit single “I Lied,” then joined the band on the road and made their late-night TV debut on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon. 2022 saw Ponthier’s sophomore EP Shaking Hands with Elvis earn raves from the likes of Consequence, who compared the project to “the dynamic folk-tinged stoicism of Kacey Musgraves and Orville Peck.
They’ve toured with Bleachers, Holly Humberstone, The Japanese House, and been championed by the likes of Elton John and Brandi Carlile. Ponthier was recently featured in John’s Oscar-nominated documentary, Elton John: Never Too Late. The likes of Vogue, Rolling Stone, NPR, Vulture, NME, The FADER, V Magazine and many more have touted their music and whimsical creative vision. Ponthier recently completed their first headline tour, and their debut album, Everywhere Isn’t Texas, is out now.
The John Titta Scholarship recognizes a songwriter who shows exceptional potential through their art and craft and whose personal and professional character mirrors that of longtime respected musician, songwriter and ASCAP executive, John Titta.
MARIS
MARIS is a Los Angeles–based, Montana-born singer-songwriter, emerging as “pop music’s next Mega Star” (Los Angeles Times). A playful DIY ethos animates her songs, social content and live shows. Blending heartland rock with glam-pop bombast, MARIS crafts arena-sized, sugar-rush choruses built around elastic vocals and diaristic songwriting.
Her breakout collaboration with Caroline Kingsbury, “Give Me a Sign,” earned praise from PAPER as “anxious and electric,” landed on Spotify’s Best Pop Songs of 2025, and helped fuel her first sold-out headline show at DC9. FLOOD calls “Body Is on Fire” a “cathartic” kickoff to her “vibrant” new phase.
MARIS has performed at Boston Calling alongside Ed Sheeran, Chappell Roan and Reneé Rapp; placed #4 on Stereogum’s Top Pop Songs of 2025 with “SUPER F★CKING MEGAST★R;” and been included in Spotify’s Fresh Finds Class three times. Elton John featured “Mary + I” on his Rocket Hour radio show, comparing MARIS to both Lady Gaga and Freddie Mercury.
Best experienced live, MARIS ensures audiences feel free to be their happiest, truest selves. She told the Los Angeles Times, “At my show, you’re gonna jump. You’re gonna dance. You’re gonna be involved, whether or not you want to.” She has toured nationally with The Wrecks, Maude Latour, A R I Z O N A, Anna of the North and Caroline Kingsbury.
She has also been featured in Rolling Stone, LADYGUNN, Ones to Watch, Under the Radar and Wonderland, and launched her latest single, “Missing Me,” with a Vevo DSCVR performance.
Website // Instagram // Spotify
Awarded to Belmont University Songwriting majors who possess tangible exceptional songwriting potential and the intangible qualities of bringing out the best of their collaborators and contributing to the larger community of songwriters.
REAGAN SHEEDY
Reagan Sheedy is singer-songwriter from Kansas City, MO and a Sophomore Songwriting major at Belmont University. She taught herself to play the guitar, ukulele and keyboard during COVID, and started writing music around that time. She has played a variety of Kansas City and Nashville venues and was recently named a State Qualifier in the 2026 NSAI Tennessee State Songwriter’s Week Contest for her song, "Love Note to Nashville." Her edgy-sweet sound combines elements of R&B, jazz, pop-rock and Spanish lyrics, drawing inspiration from greats such as Alice Smith, Hayley Williams and Joan Baez. Reagan will be releasing her fourth single project early this year.
Awarded to songwriting students at Belmont University and USC Thornton School of Music for work that reflects the authenticity, emotional clarity and storytelling excellence that defined songwriter Mac Davis’s legacy — marked by the rare ability to not only make a listener feel, but to vividly see the world of a song, as mastered by “The Song Painter.”
DAIRE McLEOD
Eighteen-year-old singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Daire is carving out her own lane in modern music with a genre she calls RiotGrrl Pop. A lightning bolt on stage and on the page, she is a fearless songwriter whose glitter-grunge anthems turn chaos into catharsis and rebellion into confession — bringing butterflies to the mosh pit with every hook. Guided by her motto, “Daire to be different,” she has rocked iconic venues from the Los Angeles Sunset Strip to Nashville’s most iconic writers rounds and many more nationwide. She has starred in a lead role on Apple TV+, with additional appearances across Nickelodeon and Disney. Whether on stage or on camera, she creates space for others to embrace their own perfectly imperfect authenticity. Daire represents a new generation of bold, self-defined artist-writers — building a world as intentional as it is explosive, and redefining what RiotGrrl Pop looks and feels like today. Daire is currently attending Belmont University as a Songwriting major, where she continues to refine her multi-genre voice and push beyond the limits of traditional songwriting — shaping a sound and perspective that is entirely her own.
GRAYSON POLLARD
For a long time, Grayson never believed in himself as a songwriter. He spent most of his youth playing piano, but being afraid to use his voice and put words to his music. Then, there came a day in high school when he decided to force himself to write lyrics to an idea he had on guitar, and no matter how bad he thought it was, he had to finish the song. It was that day that he started believing in himself as a songwriter.
After meeting a mentor and making songwriting a daily practice, he found himself enjoying the process more & more. He discovered what he liked in a song, and what he didn’t; what came easy, and what wasn’t as natural. After getting into USC’s music production program, with his peers in the program, Grayson discovered co-writing. This is something that came naturally, and felt very special to him, and he was able to further develop his songwriting process through practice, and learn how to collaborate with others on a creative level.
Grayson has taken multiple songwriting classes, as well as 2 semesters of lessons, where he’s been able to push himself by experimenting in many different styles, but also really find his own voice. He continues to co-write consistently with trusted friends as well as new ones, and strengthen his skill of writing in a session scenario. Grayson’s aspirations in the music industry are to create music that represents who he is as a producer and songwriter by collaborating with talented and like-minded peers who inspire him. Lately, his work has been centered around popular music songwriting and production, drawing a wild range of influences from Americana to electronic pop.
Given annually to student songwriters who demonstrates exceptional professional potential through their art, craft and personal character as determined by the faculty of the Popular Music Program and Division of Contemporary Music.
MEGHAN CHEN
Meghan Chen is a songwriter/producer who fuses cinematic, electronic, and folk elements in the process of creating for herself and others. Her goal is to draw listeners into a colorful soundscape, while simultaneously achieving brutal vulnerability through her lyricism. Meghan has the sonic qualities of artists such as AURORA, Kate Bush, and Stevie Nicks, but she also draws from her orchestral background and Asian heritage. Since moving to L.A. from Fishers, Indiana, she has released her debut EP, produced for others, scored to picture, toured as a keyboardist, and written countless songs for emerging artists. In 2026, she hopes to dive headfirst into her own artist project, while continuing to help artists around her find their voices.
Website // Instagram // Spotify