NMPA ANNOUNCES ANNUAL MEETING HONOREES: Pharrell Williams to Receive Centennial Songwriter Icon Award
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: May 17, 2017
Media Contact: Charlotte Sellmyer
NMPA TO HONOR PHARRELL WILLIAMS WITH CENTENNIAL SONGWRITER ICON AWARD
Annual Meeting Keynote Presented by Amazon Music Head Steve Boom
Martin Bandier, Paul Williams, Congressman Marsha Blackburn to Receive NMPA Honors
Washington, D.C. – The National Music Publishers’ Association today announced its honorees for this June’s Centennial Annual Meeting in New York. The NMPA will honor Grammy-winning, Academy Award-nominated and 18-time NMPA Gold & Platinum certified songwriter, producer, artist and designer Pharrell Williams with its Centennial Songwriter Icon Award.
Pharrell will be feted along with Sony/ATV Chairman & CEO Martin Bandier who will receive the NMPA Lifetime Service Award and will be introduced by Smokey Robinson.
Legendary songwriter and ASCAP President & Board Chairman Paul Williams will receive the NMPA Industry Service Award and Congressman Marsha Blackburn, representing Nashville, will be presented with the NMPA President’s Award. The keynote will be given by Amazon’s Vice President of Music, Steve Boom.
NMPA President & CEO David Israelite praised the lineup saying, “This year’s Centennial Annual Meeting is our biggest event ever and we are thrilled to honor industry legends and innovators whose vision will define the future of music.
“Pharrell has had unprecedented success as a songwriter, designer, artist and producer shaping the biggest songs of the past two decades. From N*E*R*D to The Neptunes, his creativity cannot be contained. The global and multi-genre influences in his music have created a uniquely modern sound sought-after by today’s top hit-makers, however his beats, lyrics and energy are unmistakable. He recently was the writer and performer of the number-one best-selling song of 2014 in the U.S., which became a test-case for the tribulations of songwriters in the streaming age. Pharrell deserves our Centennial honor because he is a musical genius and an industry visionary, and his songwriting and style continue to make us Happy.
“Honoring Paul Williams is a great privilege and no one has done more to advocate for songwriters than he has,” said Israelite. “Paul’s music has spanned decades and he continues to write the soundtrack to our lives with his profound grasp of the human experience. His songs resonate because he cares deeply about people – and all songwriters have benefitted from the depth of his passion for protecting what they do.
“Additionally, it is with great pleasure we honor the work of Sony/ATV Chairman & CEO Martin Bandier who has served as a leader in our industry and a mentor to many, including me, who have been inspired by his strong vision for the future of publishing and songwriting. Marty has led the way for countless writers and executives in our business and arguably no one has touched more lives and affected more change.
“As we all know, songwriters are under attack, and one of our staunchest defenders has been Congressman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee. She has watched the industry change and has stood at the forefront of trying to make sure that creators are not left behind.”
Israelite added: “We are also excited to hear from the man at the helm of Amazon Music’s expansion – Steve Boom – who is leading Amazon’s streaming platform and who will present the tech-perspective in the rapidly evolving digital space.”
Each year NMPA holds its Annual Meeting the evening before the Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala in Manhattan. This year’s Centennial event will be held at Cipriani on 42nd Street. In addition to these honorees, up-and-coming singer-songwriter Logan Brill from Nashville will perform.
Media requests may be sent to Charlotte Sellmyer at CSellmyer@nmpa.org.
About the NMPA: Founded in 1917, the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) is the trade association representing all American music publishers and their songwriting partners. The NMPA’s mandate is to protect and advance the interests of music publishers and songwriters in matters relating to the domestic and global protection of music copyrights. Learn more at www.nmpa.org.