Annie Lennox Receives Founders Award; Green Day Presented with Creative Voice Award; 50 Cent Named Songwriter of the Year; and EMI Takes Publisher of the Year Title
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(l-r): ASCAP Creative Voice Award honoree Tre Cool, ASCAP Founders Award honoree Annie Lennox, ASCAP President & Chairman Marilyn Bergman, ASCAP Creative Voice Award honorees Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt. |
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EMI Music Publishing picked up ASCAP Publisher of the Year honors for the twelfth time. Pictured (l-r) are ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento, EMI Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier, EMI President Bob Flax and ASCAP Executive VP/Director of Membership Todd Brabec. |
Annie Lennox and Green Day were among the top honorees at ASCAP�s 23rd Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards celebration on May 22 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. Hosted by ASCAP President & Chairman Marilyn Bergman, the event drew over 700 leading songwriters, recording artists and music industry leaders to salute the songwriters behind some of today's most popular music. Lennox (PRS) was presented with ASCAP�s prestigious Founders Award and Green Day received the Creative Voice Award, both for outstanding contributions to music. 50 Cent was named Songwriter of the Year; Song of the Year honors resulted in a tie between "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "We Belong Together"; and EMI Music Publishing picked up the Publisher of the Year title. In addition, awards were presented to the songwriters and publishers of the Most Performed Songs in the ASCAP repertory for the 2005 survey year.
Joining Annie Lennox and Green Day at the event were top honorees, performers and luminaries, including Alan Bergman, Dave Stewart, Walter Afanasieff, Joseph Arthur, Peter Asher, Johnta Austin, Glen Ballard, Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, Bruce Broughton, Blondie drummer Clem Burke, Ryan Cabrera, Andreas Carlsson, Desmond Child, Ciara, Hal David, Vidal Davis, The Game, Sean Garrett, American Idol's Tamyra Gray, Andre Harris, Dean Kay, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, Maroon 5's James Valentine, Antonio "L.A." Reid, Papa Roach, Tony-nominated songwriter Brenda Russell (The Color Purple), Switchfoot and Tom Whalley (Warner Bros. Records), among others.
50 Cent was named Songwriter of the Year for his contributions to five award-winning songs: "Candy Shop," "Disco Inferno," "Hate It Or Love it," "How We Do" and "Just A Lil Bit." This is the second time that 50 Cent has received ASCAP Pop Songwriter of the Year honors. Addressing the audience of songwriters via a video message, the multi-platinum selling artist said: "I want to tell you that I use you for energy. I listen to the material that you create�it helps me move to the next level�it inspires me to write even more exciting material."
"Boulevard of Broken Dreams," written by Green Day, and "We Belong Together," cowritten by Johnta Austin, Jermaine Dupri and Manuel Seal, tied for the Song of the Year title. Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway," written by Bridget Benenate, Matthew Gerrard and Avril Lavigne (SOCAN) and "Since U Been Gone," written by Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald and Max Martin (STIM), and Maroon 5's "She Will Be Loved," written by James Valentine, rounded out the list of the Top 5 Most Performed Songs.
EMI Music Publishing was named Publisher of the Year for their 17 award-winning songs: "1985," "Behind These Hazel Eyes," "Caught Up," "Don't Phunk With My Heart," "Karma," "Let Me Hold You," "Let Me Love You," "Lonely No More," "Lose My Breath," "My Boo," "My Place (Come On Over)," "On The Way Down," "Shake It Off," "True," "Turn Me On," "We Belong Together," and "Yeah." ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento presented the award to EMI Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier. This is the fourth consecutive win for EMI and the 12th time in the 23-year history of the awards show that they have received this honor.
Following a video presentation illustrating her extraordinary career, Annie Lennox sat at the piano and performed "A Thousand Beautiful Things" from her solo album Bare, and "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves," from the Eurythmics fourth album Be Yourself Tonight. Then, as a special surprise, she invited Eurythmics partner, Dave Stewart, on stage to accompany her on guitar for a stunning performance of "Why."
ASCAP Executive VP Todd Brabec, and Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Records Tom Whalley joined Marilyn Bergman to present the ASCAP Creative Voice Award to Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool.
Joseph Arthur, who picked up the 2006 ASCAP College Vanguard Award, moved the audience with a wonderful performance of his song "In the Sun." The evening also featured performances by Papa Roach, who opened the show with "Scars" from their 2004 album Getting Away With Murder, and Switchfoot, who performed "Dare You To Move" from their debut album Beautiful Letdown.
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