Iconic Music Publisher Martin Bandier To Be Honored with Visionary Leadership Award at Songwriters Hall of Fame

Martin Bandier, Chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, will be awarded the Visionary Leadership Award at the 50th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 13th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

The Visionary Leadership Award acknowledges a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame Board of Directors who has made a significant contribution in furthering the ongoing mission of the organization and in elevating the Songwriters Hall of Fame to a level of prominence and distinction. Only three other individuals have received this award including, SHOF Chairman Emeritus, Hal David, Del Bryant and John A. Lofrumento.

Inductees at this year's event include Dallas Austin, Missy Elliott, Tom T. Hall, John Prine, Jack Tempchin & Yusuf / Cat Stevens.

"The SHOF has long benefitted from Marty's advice, guidance, wisdom and constant support," said SHOF President & CEO Linda Moran. "Always the consummate professional and avid songwriters' champion, he has consistently encouraged us to raise the bar toward achieving our early goals and fulfilling our ongoing mission. It goes without saying that Marty has played a considerable role in the Songwriters Hall of Fame's becoming one of the music industry's most prestigious organizations. We are very pleased to acknowledge his contributions with the Visionary Leadership Award."

Martin N. Bandier is one of the most renowned music-publishing executives in the industry. As Chairman and CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Mr. Bandier oversees some of the most valuable catalogue assets and popular current artists and writers. The Sony/ATV catalogues include some of the biggest names in music, including The Beatles, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Carole King, Kraftwerk, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Richie Sambora, Sting, Hank Williams and Stevie Wonder, among others. Its ever-growing list of chart-topping artists, writers and producers includes Cardi B, Drake, Calvin Harris, Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, P!nk, Travis Scott, Shakira, Ed SHeeran, Sia, Sam Smith, Stargate, Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.

Prior to joining Sony/ATV, Mr. Bandier ran EMI Music Publishing for over 17 years. Under his leadership, it became the world's largest and most successful music publishing company, as he acquired the rights to some of the most famous songs ever written and signed many top songwriters and artists. EMI Music Publishing became a wholly owned Sony company in November 2018.

Mr. Bandier's involvement in the music industry dates to 1975, when he, Sam LeFrak and Charles Koppelman formed The Entertainment Company, where he achieved hits with a number of best-selling songs. He went on to co-found the Entertainment Music Company and SBK Entertainment World, where he modernized music publishing by expanding the use of the catalogue in commercials, films, sound recordings and stage productions. He also set up an advanced collection system for SBK's vast copyright holdings. SBK sold its music publishing interests to Thorn EMI in 1989, and Mr. Bandier was appointed head of the combined music publishing division, EMI Music Publishing. He catapulted the company to new heights with a number of major catalogue acquisitions, taking it from the fourth largest music publishing business to the number one ranking.

Mr. Bandier's many civic and industry commitments include membership on the boards of the City of Hope, the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the NMPA, where he is Vice President of the Board of Directors. He also serves as a trustee of the T.J. Martell Foundation. The GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares Foundation, the affiliated charities of The Recording Academy, announced that their respective Boards had elected Bandier to be a MusiCares Director. His many industry achievements include numerous and consecutive years as Publisher of the Year by performing rights organizations ASCAP and BMI. In 2007, Sony/ATV won Nashville's "Triple Crown," an unprecedented and historic achievement in music publishing with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC each naming Sony/ATV its Publisher of the Year. Since Bandier joined in 2007, Sony/ATV has won both of the industry's top awards, the ASCAP Pop Publisher of the Year and BMI Pop Publisher of the Year, on a number of occasions, among countless other honors.

In 2006, Bandier founded a music and entertainment industry degree program at Syracuse University, appropriately named The Bandier Program for Music and Entertainment Industries; its first class graduated in 2011 and it has become the leading music business program.

The Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates songwriters, educates the public with regard to their achievements, and produces a spectrum of professional programs devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases, scholarships and Master Sessions at NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, University of North Carolina and at Stuyvesant High School. West Coast educational activities are held at The GRAMMY Museum, which hosts the permanent Songwriters Hall of Fame Gallery, and at the University of Southern California. Out of the tens of thousands of songwriters of our era, there are approximately 400 inductees who make up the impressive roster enshrined in the Hall of Fame. A songwriter with a notable catalog of songs qualifies for induction 20 years after the first commercial release of a song. The list of inductees include Kenneth Gamble & Leon Huff, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier & Brian Holland, Smokey Robinson, Paul Williams, Hal David & Burt Bacharach, Billy Steinberg & Tom Kelly, Bob Dylan, Isaac Hayes & David Porter, Carole King, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora, Elton John & Bernie Taupin, Brian Wilson, James Taylor, Don Schlitz, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Webb, Van Morrison, Kris Kristofferson, Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Diane Warren, Carole Bayer Sager, Stevie Wonder, Steven Tyler & Joe Perry, Mac Davis, Leonard Cohen, Ray Davies, Cyndi Lauper, Desmond Child, Mick Jones & Lou Gramm, Elvis Costello, Marvin Gaye, Nile Rodgers & Bernard Edwards, Lionel Richie, Bill Withers, Neil Diamond, Jay Z, Tom Petty, Toby Keith, Max Martin, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Berry Gordy, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Robert Lamm & James Pankow, Bill Anderson, Steve Dorff, Jermaine Dupri, Alan Jackson, Kool & The Gang, John Mellencamp and Allee Willis, among many others.

Full biographies and a complete list of inductees are available on the Songwriters Hall of Fame website at https://www.songhall.org. Joining online is quick and easy:https://www.songhall.org/join.

Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1,500 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, 914-579-1000. Net proceeds from the event will go toward the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs. Songwriters Hall of Fame is a 501(c)3 organization. The non-deductible portion of each ticket is $170. Contributions, for which no goods or services are received in exchange, are fully tax-deductible as provided by law.

Photo credit: SONY-ATV