New York, November 16, 2009:  Approximately $2.7 million in cash awards for 2009 - 2010 has been made to writer members of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) by the Society’s ASCAPlus Awards Panels, it was announced today by ASCAP President & Chairman Paul Williams.  The purpose of these special awards, which have been given each year since 1960, is to reward writers whose works have a unique prestige value for which adequate compensation would not otherwise be received, and to compensate those writers whose works are performed substantially in media not surveyed by ASCAP.

Commenting on the awards, Mr. Williams said, “This is the 50th year of the unique ASCAPlus Awards.  The program, established back in 1960, has consistently provided deserving music creators with something meaningful and tangible in the form of recognition and money.  We are greatly indebted to each of our hard-working panelists for giving their time and effort to this important endeavor.”
The members of the ASCAPlus Awards Panel are: Judith Clurman, noted choral conductor and arranger; Peter Filichia, drama critic for the (Newark) Star-Ledger; Brian Mansfield, country music authority and Nashville correspondent for USA Today; Melinda Newman, well-known music journalist; Pat Prescott, veteran radio personality who currently co-hosts the morning show on KTWV (”The Wave”) in Los Angeles; H. Robert Reynolds, Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan; and Steve Smith, Classical Music Editor for Time Out New York.

For more information about the ASCAPlus Awards program, please visit www.ascap.com/ascapplus.

About ASCAP
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization (PRO) representing the world’s largest repertory totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 360,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members.  ASCAP has representation arrangements with similar foreign organizations so that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world where copyright law exists.  ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances.  ASCAP is the only American PRO owned and governed by its writer and publisher members.  www.ascap.com