Songwriter of the Year

In a music landscape full of flash in the pan artists and trends, Timbaland is that rare talent whose creative brilliance is matched by his longevity. His innovative production work has defined the cutting edge for over a decade, transcending genre and cultural boundaries and consistently yielding commercial and critical mega-success.

Born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia, Timbaland quickly ascended to music’s highest echelons in the late 90s, starting with a string of high-profile productions for Ginuwine and Aaliyah. Mega-hits for artists like Jay-Z and Missy Elliott showcased Timbaland’s signature production style, built of stuttering beats and minimalist soundscapes and often underpinned by exotic Asian influences – it was a sound that all but defined modern Hip-Hop and R&B, inspiring a host of imitators and bringing Timbaland universal critical success. Amidst his busy production schedule, Timbaland found time to record three albums under his own name (two co-credited to creative partner Magoo) between 1997 and 2000.

Timbaland’s star continued to rise in the new millennium, as he pumped out hits with some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop & R&B, including Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, LL Cool J, Lil’ Kim and The Game. Not content to repeat himself, Timbaland next turned his sights on the pop market, producing a track for Jennifer Lopez’s platinum-selling Rebirth and the mammoth single "Cry Me a River" from Justin Timberlake’s multi-platinum debut, Justified.

It’s a sign of Timbaland’s greatness that some of his most successful and daring work was created more than a decade after he produced his first hit. The Nelly Furtado co-write "Promiscuous" (from Loose, the inaugural release on Timbaland’s Mosley Music Group venture) was a chart-topping hit. He gave Justin Timberlake’s second album Futuresex/LoveSounds its ultra-stylized, futuristic sheen, garnering two Grammys in the process. Collaborations with Björk and M.I.A. in 2007 brought Timbaland’s beats to a whole new audience, and his solo project Shock Value proved one of the biggest of his career. The album’s second single "The Way I Are," featuring vocals from Mosley Music Group/Zone 4 artist Keri Hilson, spent nineteen weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 charts; a later single, the remix "Apologize," stayed in the Billboard top 10 longer than any other song of the 2000s. Timbaland was named Best Producer at the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards.

Timbaland burst into 2008 with a People’s Choice award for the Shock Value single "Give It To Me" and five production/co-writing credits on the new Madonna album Hard Candy, including its blockbuster leadoff single "4 Minutes." New projects with Beyoncé, Chris Cornell and The Pussycat Dolls are in the works, as is a video game for the PlayStation Portable. Timbaland’s spent a long time at the top, and he just keeps on ascending new heights.

As if we needed any more proof that Timbaland’s achievements have affected the entire popular music spectrum, tonight’s Songwriter of the Year honor -- in recognition of the songs "Ice Box" (Omarion), "Make Me Better" (Fabolous featuring Ne-Yo), "My Love" (Justin Timberlake featuring T.I.) and "Until the End of Time" (Justin Timberlake with Beyoncé) -- represents the third time he has won this coveted award, and closely follows his Songwriter of the Year victory at this year’s ASCAP Pop Awards for co-writing nine of the top ASCAP Pop songs of 2007. Timbaland remains one of the music industry’s pre-eminent superproducers, tastemakers and entrepreneurs, and he will surely continue to reap the rewards that he so rightfully deserves.