Desmond Child to Receive ASCAP Founders Award; Honors for Lana Del Rey, Portugal. The Man at Pop Music Awards
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Grammy-winning songwriter Desmond Child will be presented ASCAP’s Founders Award at the 35th annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards on April 23 in Los Angeles.
The Founders Award, the highest honor given to songwriters by the performing rights organization, goes to a pioneering ASCAP songwriter to commemorate their contributions to the music community. Past recipients include Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, James Taylor, Stevie Wonder, Carly Simon and Tom Petty.
In addition to Child, ASCAP will present Lana Del Rey with the Global Impact Award and Portugal. The Man with the Vanguard Award at the Beverly Hilton event. The latter award recognizes the impact of new and developing musical genres.
Child, who is celebrating his 40th anniversary as an ASCAP member, has written more than 80 Top 40 hits, including Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “You Give Love A Bad Name,” Ricky Martin’s “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” Kiss’s “I Was Made For Lovin’ You,” and Aerosmith’s “Dude (Looks Like A Lady)” and “Angel.” Child’s songwriting and/or production credits have also appeared on projects by artists including Cher, Katy Perry, Kelly Clarkson, Garth Brooks, Sia, Selena Gomez, Michael Bolton, Joan Jett and several others.
“Desmond is one of the most respected and successful songwriters in the world,” said ASCAP president Paul Williams in a statement. “His unique ability to capture the essence of our lives through song—whether we’re livin’ la vida loca or livin’ on a prayer are unequaled.”
Child was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2008 and became chairman/CEO of the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2012. Child’s autobiography, Livin’ On A Prayer: Big Songs Big Life, cowritten with David Ritz, will come out this fall.
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