LOS ANGELES, CA and NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - March 17, 2010) - ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) will honor rock icon Patti Smith at its 27th annual Pop Music Awards, taking place April 21, 2010 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Smith will be presented with the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award and will perform with her band at the event. The invitation-only gala will also honor the top songwriters and publishers of ASCAP's most performed pop songs of 2009.
The ASCAP Founders Award is among the most prestigious honors that ASCAP gives to songwriters and composers who have made pioneering contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators. Each recipient is a musical innovator who possesses a unique style of creative genius that will enrich generations to come. Past recipients include Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Heart's Ann & Nancy Wilson, Billy Joel, Annie Lennox, Sir Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Smokey Robinson, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young.
Commenting on the award to Smith, ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams said: "Patti fused raw rock energy with the heart of a poet and ignited the 1970s New York punk scene. She expanded the boundaries of artistic expression, musically and otherwise, inspiring generations of rockers worldwide. She continues to be a vibrant, prolific artist, working in a wide variety of media. We are very proud to honor Patti Smith with ASCAP's Founders Award."
Patti Smith emerged in the 1970s, galvanizing the music scene with her revolutionary mergence of poetry and rock and roll. In 1975 the album Horses established Smith as one of the most original and influential artists of her generation. It was followed by eleven more releases, featuring songs such as "Gloria," "Free Money," "Ask the Angels," "Ghost Dance," "Because the Night," "Dancing Barefoot," "People Have the Power," and "1959." Smith was awarded the title of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres by the French Republic in 2005 and in 2007 inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2008 Dream of Life, Steven Sebring's documentary film examining her life and work, was honored at Sundance. Recently she has released Just Kids, a memoir of her relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, who captured her trademark swagger for the cover of Horses. She is currently recording an album for Columbia Records with longtime collaborators Lenny Kaye, Jay Dee Daugherty and Tony Shanahan.
In addition to the Founders Award, the songwriters and publishers of ASCAP's most performed pop songs of 2009 will be honored at the awards ceremony. Top awards will be given to Songwriter of the Year, Song of the Year and Publisher of the Year, in addition to the presentation of the ASCAP Vanguard Award, which recognizes the impact of musical genres that help shape the future of American music.
Members of the press may apply for credentials at http://www.ascap.com/press/pressroom/popawards/.
The 27th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards will kick-off the ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, a three-day conference dedicated to songwriting and composing. This year's EXPO features Quincy Jones being interviewed by Ludacris, a conversation with Bill Withers, an interview with John Mayer, and numerous panels, workshops, master classes, One-on-One sessions, song critiquing, networking events, product displays, state-of-the-art technology demonstrations, performances, and more. The EXPO will take place April 22-24, 2010 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, in Los Angeles, CA. For more details, please visit www.ascap.com/expo.
About ASCAP
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization (PRO) representing the world's largest repertory totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 370,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has representation arrangements with similar foreign organizations so that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world where copyright law exists. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only American PRO owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com