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The ASCAP Foundation provides Awards to emerging composers and songwriters and Recognition to honor the achievements of established composers and
songwriters.
 THE ASCAP FOUNDATION YOUNG JAZZ COMPOSER AWARDS
SPONSORED BY THE GIBSON FOUNDATION
The ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards are granted annually to encourage talented young jazz composers.
Click Here for details on eligibility and to download an application. Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States who have not reached their 30th birthday by December 31st 2011. Applicants must submit a completed application form*; the notated score of one composition; biographical information listing prior music studies, background and experience. Applicants must also submit a CD of the composition. This program was initiated in 2002 with support from the Joseph and Rosalie Meyer Fund and is also supported by the Gibson Foundation and The ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund.
Deadline: December 1, 2011
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THE ASCAP FOUNDATION MORTON GOULD YOUNG COMPOSER AWARDS
Open to all composers of Original Concert Music (classical), The ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards encourage developing music creators during the earliest stages of their careers. This program selects several young composer recipients each year to receive the cash awards. It is named in memory of eminent composer and conductor Morton Gould who was ASCAP's President from 1986 to 1994, as well as The ASCAP Foundation's President. He was also the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize and had a lifelong commitment to nurturing young creators. Established in 1979, this program is funded through the Jack and Amy Norworth Memorial Fund and by The Morton Gould Fund. Jack Norworth wrote such standards as "Shine On Harvest Moon" and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." The ASCAP Foundation Charlotte V. Bergen Scholarship is made possible by The Frank & Lydia Bergen Foundation for a composer 18 years of age or younger.
Each year the top award winner receives an additional cash prize, The ASCAP Foundation Leo Kaplan Award, named in memory of the distinguished jurist and music lover who served from 1967-1995 as ASCAP's Special Distribution Advisor. This award is funded through gifts from the Kaplan family.
Those wishing to apply must be composers who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States or enrolled students with student visas, who have not reached their 30th birthday by January 1, 2012. A panel of ASCAP composers selects the winners. Each applicant must submit a completed application form* -- due by February 15th, 2012, one reproduction of an original score, biographical and educational information, and a list of compositions to date.
Deadline: All materials must be postmarked no later than February 15th each year.
*Application materials are in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your computer, you may download Adobe Acrobat Reader for free (all versions are available through this link). For information or an application write to: Frances Richard, c/o ASCAP
One Lincoln Plaza
New York, NY 10023
Email: concertmusic@ascap.com
 Download Application Materials in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format*.
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THE ASCAP FOUNDATION RUDOLF NISSIM PRIZE
This $5000 cash prize is presented annually to an ASCAP concert composer for a work requiring a conductor that has not been performed professionally. A jury of conductors selects the winning score. Dr. Rudolf Nissim, former head of ASCAP's Foreign Department and a devoted friend of contemporary composers, established this annual prize through a bequest. Support for the world premiere of the selected work will be provided. Previous recipients are ineligible.
ASCAP members wishing to participate must submit a completed application form* and the score of one published or unpublished concert work requiring a conductor scored full orchestra, chamber orchestra, or large wind/brass ensemble (with or without soloists and/or chorus) not previously performed professionally. A work with a performance history will be eligible if earlier performances were, in the judgment of the Committee, clearly non-professional. For this exception to be granted, information regarding previous performances (including programs and announcements) must be submitted with the score, in a separate envelope. Works which set a text protected by copyright must include permission of the author or the author's representative.
For more details and submission deadlines click here.
*Application materials are in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your computer, you may download Adobe Acrobat Reader for free (all versions are available through this link).
For information or an application write to:
Frances Richard, c/o ASCAP
One Lincoln Plaza
New York, NY 10023
Email: concertmusic@ascap.com
*Application materials are in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format.
• View Past Recipients
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| Nick Ashford |
THE ASCAP FOUNDATION "REACH OUT AND TOUCH" AWARD IN HONOR OF NICK ASHFORD
Valerie Simpson, pop and soul songwriting legend and ASCAP and ASCAP Foundation Board member, has established The ASCAP Foundation " Reach Out and Touch" Award in honor of Nick Ashford. Ashford & Simpson collaborated on such iconic R&B songs like" Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing," "You're All I Need to Get By," "Gimme Something Real" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)," They began writing songs together in 1964. Their songs have been recorded by such musical giants as Diana Ross, Gladys Knight and the Pips and Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell. The Award, named after one of their great hit songs, was established to advance the careers of promising songwriters by providing financial assistance for professional recordings of their work.
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THE ASCAP FOUNDATION LEONARD BERNSTEIN AWARD
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| Leonard Bernstein |
This award was created on the occasion of Leonard Bernstein's 70th Birthday and provides support to aspiring composers for career-related expenses such as travel to important performances or copying music. Both the Bernstein family and The ASCAP Foundation provide funding for the award.
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| Sammy Cahn |
THE SAMMY CAHN AWARD
This award was created to commemorate the life and career of the late lyricist and ASCAP Board Member, Sammy Cahn. Supported by a grant from Tita Cahn, the cash award is given each year to a promising lyricist from The ASCAP Foundation Songwriter Workshop Series who is selected by a distinguished group of songwriters. Sammy Cahn's many hit songs include "High Hopes," "Call Me Irresponsible," and "My Kind of Town."
No applications accepted. By nomination only.
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THE ASCAP FOUNDATION LIFE IN MUSIC AWARD
In continuing the ASCAP Foundation tradition of recognizing the efforts of music creators who have made a significant contribution to our nation's culture, The ASCAP Foundation Life in Music Award is presented to a writer member from a wide variety of musical genres. This award is supported by funding from a bequest under the will of Rosalie Meyer, the widow of Joseph Meyer.
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| Harold Adamson |
THE ASCAP FOUNDATION HAROLD ADAMSON LYRIC AWARD
This award, named in honor of the lyrist Harold Adamson writer of "Time on My Hands' and "An Affair to Remember" is presented annually to aspiring lyricists who participate in an ASCAP or ASCAP Foundation workshop in the musical theater, pop and/or country genres. Recipients must demonstrate talent and an intelligent and sensitive use of language, a talent and ability that the heirs of the late lyricist Harold Adamson, seek to recognize and foster in future generations. This award is funded by Harold Adamson's royalties.
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| Jamie deRoy |
ASCAP FOUNDATION JAMIE DEROY & FRIENDS AWARD
This award is presented to an ASCAP songwriter (either composer, lyricist or team of writers) whose work has been of a high and consistent level of professionalism. The ASCAP Foundation Jamie deRoy & friends Award recognizes outstanding work, dedication and craftsmanship. This award is funded by the Jamie deRoy Charitable Trust.
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THE ASCAP FOUNDATION CHAMPION AWARD
The ASCAP Foundation Champion Award is presented to an ASCAP member who is "making a difference" through social action on behalf of worthwhile causes or who has demonstrated exceptional efforts in humanitarianism.
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| Lorenz Hart |
THE ASCAP FOUNDATION MARY RODGERS/LORENZ HART AWARD
Mary Rodgers established this award to honor the legacy of Lorenz “Larry” Hart who together with composer Richard Rodgers produced a roster of hit shows including Jumbo, On Your Toes, Babes in Arms, I Married an Angel, The Boys from Syracuse, Pal Joey, and A Connecticut Yankee. Rogers and Hart made a significant contribution to the Great American Songbook with an outpouring of songs that includes “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” “Blue Moon,” “Falling In Love With Love,” “Glad to Be Unhappy,” “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was,” It Never Entered My Mind,” “The Lady Is a Tramp,” “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” “My Funny Valentine,” “My Heart Stood Still,” “Spring Is Here,” “This Can’t Be Love,” “Where or When” and “With a Song in My Heart.” The Mary Rodgers/Lorenz Hart Award is presented annually to an ASCAP member who is a promising musical theater lyricist. A composer/lyricist team is also eligible.
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| Richard Rodgers |
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The two awards listed below honor ASCAP member and legendary composer Richard Rodgers. One of America's greatest musical theater composers, Mr. Rodgers, together with his main collaborators, Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II, wrote such Broadway classics as Pal Joey, Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I and The Sound of Music.
THE ASCAP FOUNDATION RICHARD RODGERS AWARD
This annual award, established by Dorothy Rodgers, widow of Richard, recognizes a veteran composer or lyricist of musical theater for a lifetime of achievement in this great American art form.
No applications accepted. By nomination only.
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THE ASCAP FOUNDATION RICHARD RODGERS NEW HORIZONS AWARD
This annual award, conceived of by Mary Rodgers, daughter of Richard Rodgers, was established by Mary to encourage promising young composers of musical theater and is funded by Mary Rodgers and the Rodgers Family Foundation.
No applications accepted. By nomination only.
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THE ASCAP FOUNDATION DAVID ROSE AWARD
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| David Rose |
The ASCAP Foundation David Rose Award was established with a gift from The Rose Family Trust to honor television and film-scoring great David Rose. David Rose's best-known works include the instrumental standards, "Holiday for Strings" and "The Stripper," music for Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie and decades of work with radio and television star Red Skelton. The Award is presented annually to a participant in ASCAP's Television & Film Scoring Workshop who is working toward a career in scoring for film and/or television. In honor of David Rose's centennial, one year ago, the family of the television and film scoring great created two special awards in 2011. The ASCAP Foundation David Rose Centennial Award will be presented - one on the east coast and one on the west coast - to participants in ASCAP's Television & Film Scoring workshops.
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THE ASCAP FOUNDATION LIVING ARCHIVE PROJECT
The ASCAP Foundation videotapes prominent ASCAP songwriter and composer members to document their place in music history. Recent interviews were conducted with composer, producer, arranger and recording artist Van Dyke Parks and composer, performer, musical comedian (as PDQ Bach) and broadcast personality Peter Schickele.
Some of the other ASCAP members interviewed since the inception of the program in 2002 include Broadway composer and lyricist Richard Adler, musical theater great Cy Coleman, Broadway lyric-writing great Betty Comden, lyricist Hal David, songwriter Ervin Drake, composer/pianist Dick Hyman and jazz pianist and broadcast personality Marian McPartland.
Additional interviews have been conducted for this project with producer/arranger, songwriter and film composer Johnny Mandel, folk legends Jean Ritchie and Tom Paxton, jazz pianist and broadcast personality Billy Taylor, lyricist Hy Zaret, keyboard player, vocalist and pop songwriter, Felix Cavaliere, major southern songwriters Guy Clark and Billy Edd Wheeler, and songwriting/production team Ralph MacDonald, Bill Eaton and Bill Salter. Also interviewed were television composer Vic Mizzy, 1940s - 50s pop star and songwriter Frankie Laine, musical theatre and film composer Hugh Martin, pop songwriter Paul Vance, rock & roll songwriter Dave Appell, R&B writer/producer Jerry Ragovoy, songwriter Irving Burgie and folk/pop star and songwriter Judy Collins. Interviews were conducted with pop/country songwriters Randy Goodrum and Roger Cook, country writers Wayland Holyfield, Bob McDill, and songwriter/publisher Buddy Killen. The ASCAP Foundation Living Archive Project is funded through a gift from The Cain Foundation, directed by Wofford Denius.
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| Robert Allen |
THE ASCAP FOUNDATION ROBERT ALLEN AWARD
The ASCAP Foundation Robert Allen Award is named in honor of Robert Allen, composer of many classic pop songs, including "It's Not For Me To Say," "Chances Are" and the seasonal favorite, "Home for the Holidays." Funded by a gift from Patty Allen in memory of her husband, this award is presented annually to an aspiring ASCAP songwriter participating in ASCAP's New York Paul Cunningham Songwriting Workshop. The recipient will be nominated by ASCAP membership staff and workshop guests, including music publishers, artist managers, A&R representatives, and entertainment lawyers. In the spirit of Mr. Allen's work, this prestigious award will be made to writers of songs in the pop and/or jazz musical genres.
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| Harold Arlen and Schmutz |
THE ASCAP FOUNDATON HAROLD ARLEN FILM & TV AWARD
This award recognizes writers who participate in the ASCAP Film Scoring Workshop in Los Angeles. The award was established through a gift from Sam and Joan Arlen, honoring Harold Arlen, composer of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Stormy Weather."
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THE ASCAP FOUNDATON HAROLD ARLEN MUSICAL THEATER AWARD
This award recognizes writers who have emerged from The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theater Workshops in Los Angeles and New York. The award was established through a gift from Sam and Joan Arlen, honoring Harold Arlen, composer of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Stormy Weather."
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| Leon Brettler |
THE ASCAP FOUNDATION LEON BRETTLER AWARD
This award is presented annually to an outstanding songwriter-performer participating in an ASCAP Foundation Nashville Songwriter Workshop. It is funded through a gift from the Brettler family and Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., in memory of Leon Brettler who helmed Shapiro, Berstein & Co. for many years and served on the ASCAP Board of Directors for nearly 40 years. Nashville Songwriter Workshop leaders and ASCAP staff will select the recipient of this award.
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| Cy Coleman |
The ASCAP Foundation Cy Coleman Award
This Award was established by Shelby Coleman in memory of her husband. Cy Coleman was a long time member of the ASCAP Board of Directors and a member of The ASCAP Foundation Board. Coleman wrote many pop standards including "Witchcraft," and "The Best Is Yet To Come," as well as hit Broadway scores such as Wildcat ("Hey Look Me Over"), LittleMe ("Real Live Girl"), Sweet Charity ("Big Spender"), Seesaw ("It's Not Where You Start"), I Love My Wife, The Will Rogers Follies, and The Life. Mr. Coleman was honored with 13 Grammy Nominations (2 wins), 12 Tony Nominations (3 wins), 5 Emmy Nominations (3 wins), an Academy Award Nomination; is a member of the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. The award is presented presented annually to support a student enrolled in a music business course and rotates between New York University, Berklee College of Music in Boston and the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California
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| Eunice and Hal David |
The ASCAP Foundation Eunice & Hal David Instructor-In-Residence Award
Established in 2003, The ASCAP Foundation Eunice and Hal David Instructor-In-Residence Award provides funding to support the work of Pat Bass, an outstanding music instructor at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. Beginning in 2010 an alumnus from LACHSA will be selected by Pat Bass, based on merit, to accept the Eunice and Hal David Merit Award at The ASCAP Foundation Awards Ceremony. Hal David, ASCAP and ASCAP Foundation board member and lyricist for such great standards as "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" and "Alfie," together with his wife Eunice, funds this program.
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| Cole Porter |
The ASCAP Foundation Cole Porter Award
Established in 2009 with a gift from the Cole Porter Musical and Literary Trusts, The ASCAP Foundation Cole Porter Award will be presented annually to an ASCAP or unaffiliated member who writes music and lyrics, whose work shows promise, and who has participated in the ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Workshop. The Award honors the memory of Porter, writer of such classics as "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "Night and Day."
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| Desmond Child |
The ASCAP Foundation Desmond Child Anthem Award
The ASCAP Foundation Desmond Child Anthem Award was established by Grammy awarding-winning ASCAP songwriter/producer Desmond Child who was inducted into The Songwriter's Hall of Fame in 2008 and is known for his collabarations with many big-name pop artists such as KISS, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Cher, Michael Bolton and Ricky Martin during his 30-year tenure at ASCAP. The award was established in 2009 as part of his ManUp4Kids program which provides low-income families the opportunity to attend music, theatre, and cultural events within their community that would otherwise be unattainable, as well as sponsoring instrument rentals, lessons and scholarships to music summer camps. ManUp4Kids helps to give struggling parents the possibility of sharing life changing musical moments and unforgettable memories with their children.
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| Michelle & Dean Kay |
The ASCAP Foundation Michelle and Dean Kay Award
This award was established to support careers in music, particularly for those who concentrate their efforts in the Los Angeles area. The award is given to an aspiring ASCAP songwriter participating in either the pop or musical theater ASCAP workshops in Los Angeles. Dean Kay has been at the helm of some of the most highly respected publishing companies in the world, and is currently President/CEO of his own Demi Music Corp. and its affiliates, Lichelle Music Company and Yak Yak Music. Michelle Kay is Vice President and CFO of the Company. Prior to his involvement in publishing, Dean was a successful songwriter, having had hundreds of his compositions recorded, including "That's Life" by Frank Sinatra.
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| Jay Gorney |
The ASCAP Foundation Jay Gorney Award
The ASCAP Foundation Jay Gorney Award was established by his wife, Sondra and son, Dr. Roderic Gorney, to commemorate Jay's career and legacy. Jay Gorney, a long-time ASCAP member and composer, along with lyricist E. Y. "Yip" Harburg, wrote, the 1930s classic, "Brother Can You Spare a Dime?," which became the anthem of the Great Depression. The ASCAP Foundation Jay Gorney Award, is awarded annually to an ASCAP member or unaffiliated songwriter who graduated from either an ASCAP, ASCAP Foundation or Songwriters Hall of Fame workshop/showcase. The song is judged on its message of social conscience/social significance as well as overall craft, artistry, and compositional elements.
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| Barbara & John LoFrumento |
The ASCAP Foundation Barbara & John Lofrumento Award
ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento and his wife Barbara, have established The ASCAP Foundation Barbara and John LoFrumento Award to support music and music therapy programs for autistic learners. This award, which was recently presented to the Music Conservatory of Westchester Music Therapy Institute, will enable the Institute to expand its music therapy program and provide weekly music therapy sessions to special needs students in the Eastchester, NY school district. Students will have the opportunity to work with music educators on songwriting and instrumental instruction.
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| Louis Prima |
THE ASCAP FOUNDATION LOUIS PRIMA AWARD
Gia Prima, wife of Louis, and her friends and long-time Counsel at Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti LLP established The ASCAP Foundation Louis Prima Award to be presented to a talented vocalist or musician attending the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. One of the founding fathers of the Las Vegas entertainment scene,his group The Witnesses was a precursor to the Rock & Roll sound of the 50's. Many of the popular favorites Louis recorded included his own compositions such as "Jump, Jive, 'An Wail," "Banana Split For My Baby," and "Oh, Marie." Louis was awarded the first Grammy award in the Vocal Group category for his rendition of "That Old Black Magic" in 1958. Artists as diverse as David Lee Roth and Brian Setzer brought Prima's music to the top of the charts in the 80's and 90's and his music was at the center of ad campaigns through the 2000's. Louis Prima passed away on August 24, 1978.
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| Joe Raposo |
The ASCAP Foundation Joe Raposo Children's Music Award
To honor his legacy, the family of Joe Raposo established The ASCAP Foundation Joe Raposo Children's Music Award, which supports emerging talent in the area of children's music. Raposo, one of the creators of Sesame Street and its first and longtime musical director, wrote music for such diverse talents as Kermit The Frog, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Dr. Seuss, Barbra Streisand and Cookie Monster. "Sing," "It's Not Easy Bein' Green" and the "Sesame Street Theme" are among the songs to earn Joe five Grammys and multiple Gold and Platinum albums.
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 *Application materials are in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. To print a form you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader
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