Stephen Sondheim, Billy Joel & More Receive ASCAP Centennial Award

Last night, ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) conferred its singular, once-in-a-century ASCAP Centennial Awards, to a select group of American music icons in recognition of their incomparable accomplishments in their respective music genres and beyond. Those who received the prestigious accolade are ASCAP members Joan Baez, Garth Brooks, Billy Joel, Stephen Sondheim and Stevie Wonder.

The unique presentations took place on Monday evening, November 17th, at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, in New York, at a gala party celebrating ASCAP's historic 100th anniversary. The event was hosted by Williams and featured the Centennial Award recipients as well as the special guest artists who performed in tribute to the honorees. In addition, several young ASCAP Foundation award recipients were on hand to showcase their talent.

The event also marked the first-ever fundraiser benefiting The ASCAP Foundation and its music education, talent development and humanitarian activities. The ASCAP Foundation, which Paul Williams also serves as President, was established in 1975 and is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose programs impact countless deserving composers, songwriters, lyricists and music education organizations nationwide. Funds raised from this evening will help sustain the Foundation's significant efforts in safeguarding the future of music and affording opportunities for memorable music experiences to the disadvantaged.

"Each of our ASCAP Centennial Award recipients is in a class of his or her own, as the creator and performer of songs that have touched the lives of people across the globe. It's wonderful to be able to salute them on the occasion of ASCAP's Centennial year and, as important, to raise funds to perpetuate the important work being done by The ASCAP Foundation," said Paul Williams.

About Billy Joel
Billy Joel is one of most popular recording artists and respected entertainers in the world. Throughout his career, Joel's songs have acted as personal and cultural touchstones for millions of people, mirroring his own goal of writing songs that "meant something during the time in which I lived ... and transcended that time." In 2013, Madison Square Garden announced Billy Joel as the first-ever music franchise of "The World's Most Famous Arena." Also, in 2013, Billy Joel received the 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honor, one of the United States' top cultural awards. The singer-songwriter, known for piano-fueled narratives that take listeners into the relatable and deeply personal crevices of life, has generated 33 Top 40 hits spanning five decades, won six Grammy Awards and sold 150 million albums. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992 and presented with the Johnny Mercer Award, the organization's highest honor, in 2001. In 1999 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and has received the Recording Industry Association of America Diamond Award. In 2004, Movin' Out, a Broadway musical based on Joel's music took home two including Best Orchestrations-Billy's first Tony Award win. He will also be presented with the 2014 Library Congress Gershwin Prize later this year.

About Stephen Sondheim
Widely acknowledged as one of the musical theater's greatest creative forces of the past five decades, composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim is the winner of eight Tony Awards, an Academy Award, eight Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and a Kennedy Center Honor. He has also been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, the American Theater Hall of Fame and the American Academy of Arts & Letters. The prolific New York native was a protégé of Oscar Hammerstein II. Early in his career, Sondheim wrote lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy. Since then, he has composed both music and lyrics for a long list of Broadway classics, including A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Sunday in the Park with George and Into the Woods.

For bios on additional award recipients, click here

Source: ASCAPfoundation.org