The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) will host its 30th annual Film & Television Music Awards on Monday, March 9th, 2015 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA. The invitation-only dinner and awards ceremony will honor the composers and songwriters of the top box office film music, the most performed television music and the top video game music of 2014.
ASCAP will present its prestigious Founders Award to Oscar-winning film, theater and classical music composer Elliot Goldenthal. In addition, the ASCAP Shirley Walker Award will be given to composer/arranger and producer Deborah Lurie.
ASCAP will once again bestow its Composers' Choice Awards at the ceremony, which are open to voting by all ASCAP writer members. This year ASCAP has expanded the Composers' Choice Awards to include three categories: Film Score of the Year, TV Composer of the Year and Video Game Score of the Year. Voting for all three categories opens in mid-February on ASCAP.com.
The ASCAP Founders Award is given 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, which will enrich generations to come. Previous recipients include Quincy Jones, Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Elmer Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
“Elliot's staggering body of work has earned him admiration from film, classical music and theater audiences,” said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams, an award-winning songwriter. “His distinctive style has created engrossing moments for listeners across all of these mediums. We're proud to recognize Elliot with the ASCAP Founders Award and look forward to his continued innovation.”
Lurie, who began her career scoring short films and went on to compose for films including An Unfinished Life starring Robert Redford and Morgan Freeman and the box office hit Dear John, will be presented with the ASCAP Shirley Walker Award. The award was established last year to honor those whose achievements have contributed to the diversity of film and television music. Shirley Walker, an ASCAP member, was one of the first prominent female composers working in film and television. She is remembered as a pioneer for women in the film industry.
“Debbie's star has continued to climb as she's gone from composing for feature films to writing for recording artists like Katy Perry and Justin Bieber,” said Vice President of Film & TV/Visual Media Shawn LeMone. “It's been fascinating to watch her trajectory and we at ASCAP have no doubt she'll continue to add her singular voice to the spectrum of today's composers. Through her incredible work, Debbie continues the legacy of Shirley Walker. She is the perfect person to receive this award.”