ENTERTAINMENT

ASCAP Honors Music Biographies and Broadcasts in Annual Awards

Oct 23, 2026, 5:27 AM

Chimamanda Ngozi AdichieOct 23, 2026, 5:27 AM

The ASCAP Foundation recently announced the recipients of its annual Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards, celebrating outstanding contributions to music literature and broadcasting. This year's selections highlight a diverse range of works, including biographies of legendary film composers, a documentary on a unique R&B artist, in-depth liner notes, and popular music-focused podcasts, showcasing the breadth and depth of musical scholarship and storytelling.

Celebrating Excellence in Music Storytelling: A Diverse Roster of Honorees

Recognizing Luminaries in Film Music Biography

Among the distinguished honorees are two significant biographies delving into the lives and careers of iconic film composers. Tim Greiving's "John Williams: A Composer's Life" is the first comprehensive account of Hollywood's most prolific living composer, earning a Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Book Award in the concert music category. Simultaneously, Steven C. Smith's "Hitchcock and Herrmann: The Friendship and Film Scores that Changed Cinema," his second work exploring Herrmann, received a special recognition award. This book uniquely intertwines Herrmann's narrative with that of his celebrated filmmaking collaborator, offering fresh perspectives on their creative partnership.

Exploring Broader Musical Landscapes through Literature

Beyond the realm of film, Lucy Caplan's "Dreaming in Ensemble: How Black Artists Transformed American Opera" was also celebrated with a book award in concert music, highlighting the groundbreaking contributions of Black artists to American opera during the Harlem Renaissance. In the pop music sphere, Gayle Wald's "This Is Rhythm: Ella Jenkins, Children's Music, and the Long Civil Rights Movement" chronicled the life of a pioneering figure in children's music. James O'Leary's "The Middlebrow Musical: Between Broadway and Opera in 1940s America" explored how mid-20th-century musicals dared to address profound narratives, breaking new ground in the genre.

Honoring Influential Articles and Broadcasts

The ASCAP judges also commended several articles for their insightful commentary. Ben Sisario of the New York Times was recognized for his piece on the urgent efforts to preserve deteriorating master tapes of music legends. Esteban Meneses contributed an article on the rising influence of Mexican symphonic composers, while Max Keller, also from the New York Times, explored the enduring debate among cellists regarding instrument posture. Gabriel Kahane received the Virgil Thomson Award for Outstanding Music Criticism for his Atlantic article, "A Love Letter to Music Listings." In the broadcast category, Gail Wein's podcast series "Classical Gas" earned the top award, with Rick Beato's YouTube series "Everything Music" receiving special recognition for its exploration of music, technology, and industry challenges.

Celebrating Unique Archival Insights and Documentaries

Further accolades included a liner notes award for percussionist Ruth Komanoff Underwood. Her personal essay was featured in the boxed set for "Cheaper than Cheep," a 1974 live concert film by Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, providing a unique personal perspective on the archival release. In the pop broadcast/media category, directors Isaac Gale, Ryan Olson, and David McMurry were honored for their documentary "Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted." This film offers an intimate portrayal of cult R&B musician Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams's creative life in Los Angeles, centered around his home and his housemates' musical endeavors.