NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - March 3, 2011) - ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) will honor rock icon Rod Stewart at its 28th Annual Pop Music Awards, taking place April 27, 2011 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. Stewart will be presented with the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award. The invitation-only gala will also honor the top songwriters and publishers of ASCAP's most performed pop songs of 2010.
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 Jackson Browne, Elvis Costello, Heart's Ann & Nancy Wilson, Billy Joel, Annie Lennox, Sir Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Smokey Robinson, Patti Smith, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Tom Waits, Stevie Wonder and Neil Young.
Commenting on the award to Stewart, ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams said:
"Throughout his career, Rod has touched on many different genres of music, delivering his prolific songwriting talents, unique sound, and energetic performances to audiences around the world. He continues to be a major voice in music today, and we are very proud to honor him with ASCAP's Founders Award."
In a career spanning five decades, with an estimated 250 million album and single sales, Rod Stewart is indisputably one of the most successful performers of all time. Stewart's soulful and unmistakable vocal style, his synthesis of Rock, Folk and R&B, and his warm and accessible songwriting all contributed to making him an international superstar. Successful stints with the Jeff Beck Group and Faces paved the way for his brilliant solo career that has been marked by such original hits as "Maggie May," "Mandolin Wind," "You Wear It Well," "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)," "Young Turks," "You're in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)," "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" and "Passion."
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy-winning living legend Rod Stewart is widely regarded as having one of the most interpretive voices in music, lending his voice to songs written by Sam Cooke, Bob Dylan, Cat Stevens, Van Morrison, Tom Waits and most recently material known as The Great American Songbook. Stewart's five volume series of The Great American Songbook (J Records) has enjoyed unprecedented success as the biggest-selling ongoing series of new music recordings in history with over 18 million copies sold worldwide. Stewart was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2007.
Rod Stewart is about to embark on a joint arena tour with Stevie Nicks, entitled The Heart & Soul Tour, kicking off March 20th in Ft. Lauderdale, with performances in New York, Toronto, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, Tampa, Montreal and more. Please visit www.rodstewart.com for more information.
In addition to the Founders Award, the songwriters and publishers of ASCAP's most performed pop songs of 2010 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 28th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards will kick-off the 6th Annual ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, a three-day conference dedicated to songwriting and composing. The EXPO covers all genres of music and includes panels, workshops, master classes, keynotes, 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 28-30, 2011 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 400,000 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