It was a night of a number of firsts whereas elevating cash for an essential trigger on the 14th annual Songs of Hope. The charity occasion — whose honorees included songwriter/producers Benny Blanco and Mike WILL Made-It, songwriters SZA and Sarah Aarons and composers Stephen Schwartz and James Newton Howard — raised greater than $400,000 final night (Sept. 13) on behalf of most cancers analysis, HIV/AIDS, diabetes and different life-threatening ailments.
For the second consecutive yr, hitmaker Alex da Kid‘s KIDinaKORNER Kampus in Sherman Oaks, Calif. offered the backdrop. Songs of Hope XIV introduced by Spotify was co-chaired by Universal Music Publishing Group president Evan Lamberg, Spirit Music Group chairman/CEO David Renzer, The Davis Firm founder/principal Doug Davis and Electronic Arts president of music Steve Schnur. Lamberg opened the night by studying sobering statistics about most cancers from a World Health Organization report launched earlier that day. Among the report’s chief findings: almost 10 million individuals will die of most cancers this yr whereas one other 18 million new most cancers circumstances will develop.
“This is why we’re right here tonight,” stated Lamberg. “We need these numbers to come back down after which we don’t wish to see most cancers anymore.”
The venerable Clive Davis introduced the night’s first honor, his namesake Legend in Songwriting Award. For the primary time, the award was bestowed on two honorees: Benny Blanco (Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd) and Mike WILL Made-It (Kendrick Lamar, Rae Sremmurd).
Sharing how most cancers has affected his life — a sentiment echoed all through the night by the opposite honorees — Mike WILL Made-It famous, “I’m humbled and blessed to be honored by such a roomful of proficient, revered and hardworking songwriters. I misplaced to most cancers my grandmother and uncle who taught me find out how to do music. Sometimes after 17 hours within the studio engaged on one track, you query if that is ever going to repay. When you get acknowledged on essential nights like this, it does.” Mike Will then introduced that he can be making a donation “to this nice trigger.”
Added Blanco of the award, “To see Clive Davis’ title on right here and mine on the similar time, that is insane. We’re all right here for this trigger, which has affected a few of my family members and pals. This is such a very good factor you are doing right here.”
Universal Music Publishing Group chairman/CEO Jody Gerson subsequent introduced the She Is the Music Award to SZA, the singer/songwriter behind the platinum debut album Ctrl. “I’m presenting the first-ever award in Songs of Hope historical past to be given solely by girls to girls,” stated Gerson to applause. Named for the She Is the Music motion to extend equality and inclusivity within the music enterprise, the award is devoted to feminine luminaries who’re breaking glass ceilings and shaping the way forward for music.
Gerson additionally learn a message from Alicia Keys, one of many founders of She Is the Music: “This is for all the women on the earth which have one thing to say in a manner that’s all their very own. We are pleased with you, SZA, for making your mark; in your uniqueness by way of your perspective of uncooked and sincere songwriting in order that different girls could be inspired and free to precise themselves actually.”
Upon accepting her award, SZA stated, “Honestly, Jody makes me sound manner cooler. I’m only a woman from a small city that had feminine experiences and black experiences that had been simply common human experiences … however perhaps everyone did not know they had been part of that diaspora of feeling. This is all a part of an lively thread and I’m honored to part of this.”
Four extra award shows rounded out the ceremony. Sony/ATV Music Publishing chairman/CEO Martin Bandier introduced his namesake Vanguard Award to songwriter Sarah Aarons. She co-wrote the double-platinum hits “Stay” (Zedd and Alessia Cara) and “The Middle” (Zedd and Maren Morris). Warner/Chappell Music’s COO Carianne Marshall and senior vp, theatrical & catalog growth Kurt Deutsch introduced the publishing agency’s first-ever Icon of Hope Award to lyricist/composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin). Fellow composer James Newton Howard (The Hunger Games movie sequence, Pretty Woman) acquired Electronic Arts’ Composer of the Year Award from Schnur.
Industry veteran Zach Horowitz, former UMPG chairman/CEO, introduced the night’s ultimate award. Named after his dad and mom, the Songs of Hope Beverly and Ben Horowitz Legacy Award went to Stephen J. Forman, M.D. Forman is the Francis & Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in hematology and hematopoietic cell transplantation at City of Hope.
Contributing to the greater than $400,000 raised final night was an onsite silent public sale and CharityBuzz on-line public sale that between the 2 featured gadgets equivalent to two tickets plus meet & greet with Cher in Las Vegas and autographed guitars from Blake Shelton, Slash and David Byrne. Prior to final night time, Songs of Hope had raised greater than $3.5 million for City of Hope.
