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ASCAP Pop Music Awards
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You may wonder why pop music needs another award. The Grammys, Peoples Choice, Billboard, VMAs, Country Music, etc. seem to do a good enough job of recognizing the stars.
The difference is that ASCAP recognizes the songwriters, giving them a chance to feel like celebrities for the night. But a quick look at Wednesday’s winners will show you that most recipients were already celebrities.
Former Black Eyed Pea Stacy Ferguson a.k.a. Fergie picked up several, including Song of the Year for “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” an award she shared with Gwen Stefani for “Sweet Escape.” Timbaland also took home a truckload, including Songwriter of the Year. Justin Timberlake, Lionel Richie, and Steve Miller were also honored.
Why? Where were the unrecognized geniuses who are responsible for writing most pop music? People like Diane Warren, Barry Mann & Cynthia Wile, and Allan Rich. The ones who churned out hit after hit for everyone from Whitney Houston to the Righteous Brothers.
They’re on the way out. Because pop stars have gotten smart. The big royalty money is in the publishing, and that goes to the writer. So while MC Hammer scrambles to make his trailer payment, the guys who actually wrote “Can’t Touch This” are busy trying to figure out where to hang their latest Van Gogh.
Not anymore. Any star with clout will push to have his or her name on the publishing. That’s why the ASCAPs now are every bit as glamorous as Fergie herself.
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