Two long-serving ASCAP Nashville executives exit after 39 combined years

Mike Sistad and Evyn Mustoe Johnston have left ASCAP after a combined 39 years with the organisation.

The exits from the performing rights group's Nashville office were reported on Oct. 15, 2026, by MusicRow. Both executives then spoke to Billboard about the departures. They said the exits were unexpected.

ASCAP is the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. It is a United States performing rights organisation that collects royalties for songwriters and music publishers when their songs are played in public. That includes radio, television, concerts, bars, restaurants and many online uses. Writers choose a performing rights organisation to join, and that organisation tracks performances and pays royalties through to them.

Its Nashville office serves writers and publishers working in and around country music. Membership staff are often the first point of contact. They help new writers join, register songs and understand royalty statements. They also maintain day-to-day relationships across the local songwriting community.

Sistad was the longer-serving of the two departures. He joined ASCAP in 2001 as a creative director on the Nashville Membership team, according to Billboard. He rose through that team over the following years. He was promoted to vice president of Nashville membership in 2019. His tenure lasted 25 years.

That is a long run in one city and one department. Nashville membership leadership involves recruiting writers, keeping existing members informed and representing the organisation at industry events. Continuity matters because writers often stay with one performing rights organisation for much of their careers.

Johnston most recently served as assistant vice president in the Nashville office. She worked at ASCAP for 14 years. She joined the company in 2012. Assistant vice presidents typically support the membership operation, working directly with writers, managers and publishers on signings and account issues.

Together, their tenures covered a period of sharp change in music income. Streaming replaced CDs and downloads as the main way recorded music reaches listeners. For songwriters, public performance royalties remained a central income stream. That kept the role of membership teams in focus.

ASCAP has not publicly set out who will lead Nashville membership next. Sistad and Johnston have not announced new roles. Any appointments or next moves would come from the organisation or the executives themselves.