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The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) honored the top British writer and publisher members of the PRS at a special ceremony held at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London on Wednesday, October 19, 2005. Hosted by ASCAP Senior Vice President, International Roger Greenaway, the gala dinner and awards presentation honored those PRS writer and publisher members whose repertory is licensed by ASCAP and among its most performed works in the U.S. during 2004.
Yusuf Islam was named Songwriter of the Year and also received Song of the Year honors for "First Cut Is The Deepest." Originally released in 1967, the song has been recorded by numerous artists including Rod Stewart, whose 1977 version topped the U.K. charts and reached the U.S. Top 20. The song was most recently a massive hit for Sheryl Crow.
Publisher of the Year honors went to BMG Music Publishing Ltd. Group Managing Director Paul Curran was on hand to accept the award, which is given to the music publisher with the most award-winning songs. Keane was named the recipient of the ASCAP College Award for their album Hope and Fears. The band recently opened for U2 on seven U.S. dates including five nights at New York's Madison Square Garden.
A special highlight of the evening was a tribute to ASCAP President and Chairman Marilyn Bergman and her husband Alan. As two of the most respected lyricists in the music business, they have been nominated for 16 Academy Awards, have won Oscars for "The Windmills of Your Mind," "The Way We Were," and the score of Yentl, and have earned Golden Globe, Grammy, and Emmy Awards. As part of the tribute, Jazz singer Jacqui Dankworth performed "The Summer Knows," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," and "You Must Believe in Spring," and was joined by Alan to perform the Oscar nominated song "How Do You Keep The Music Playing?" from Best Friends. Alan performed a medley of songs including "The Windmills of Your Mind," "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" and "The Way We Were." Brian Byrne accompanied them on piano. |
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