"When I started in this business, this is how we did staff cuts," chortles Warner Chappell Music Nashville boss Ben Vaughn during a SESAC-presented company party to celebrate a momentous week. In addition to taking BMI and SESAC Pubbery of the Year, Team WCM cheered the CMA rampage of writer Chris Stapleton, who took Song, Single, Male Vocalist and Album; CMA wins by Brothers Osborne and Old Dominion; a BMI Songwriter of the Year win for Jesse Frasure; a SESAC Songwriter of the Year trophy for Niko Moon; and no fewer than 52 performance awards overall, 10 of which went to first-time writer winners. Seen just before Ben hurled his axe and split a shot of Pappy precisely in half are (front row, l-r) SESAC's Abbey Watson, Diana Scarfo and Shannon Hatch; Vaughn; WCM's Phil May and Katie Jelen; SESAC's Lydia Schultz; and WCM's Jessi Stevenson, Kayce Russell and Christina Wiltshire; and (back row, l-r) WCM's Bethany Mako and BJ Hill; SESAC's ET Brown; WCM's Bryce Sherlow, SESAC's Scott Jungmichel; and WCM's Will Overton and Spencer Nohe.