Jermaine Dupri and Ne-Yo to Receive Special Honors at 27th Annual ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 29, 2014) -  The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) will host its 27th annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards on Thursday, June 26th, 2014 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, CA. The invitation-only event will pay special tribute to Jermaine Dupri and Ne-Yo, and will honor the songwriters and publishers of the most performed ASCAP songs on the 2013 R&B/hip-hop, rap and gospel charts.

During the ceremony, Grammy Award-winning hip-hop artist, songwriter and producer Jermaine Dupri will be presented with prestigious ASCAP Founders Award. The award is among the most prestigious honors that ASCAP gives to songwriters and composers who have made pioneering contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators. Each recipient is a musical innovator who possesses a unique style of creative genius that will enrich generations to come. Past recipients include Ashford & Simpson, Sean "Diddy" Combs, Dr. Dre, Berry Gordy Jr. & Motown Industries, Billy Joel, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Smokey Robinson, Patti Smith, Rod Stewart and Stevie Wonder.

"For over two decades, Jermaine has consistently provided the world with hit after hit after hit, many of which we already know as classics," commented ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams. "Over the years, ASCAP has honored only the cream of the songwriting crop with our Founders Award. And in our 100th year as the leading PRO, we're thrilled to add Jermaine to this impressive list of music creators."

Jermaine Dupri has established a successful career as a hip-hop artist, producer, songwriter, author and CEO of So So Def Recordings, which he founded in 1989. He has collaborated with artists such as Usher, Mariah Carey and Nelly. His career milestones include the release of several platinum recordings as CEO of So So Def and winning a Grammy for Best R&B Song. He is one of only a few producers in music history to garner four positions in the Top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart at one time. He is also the first recipient of the Billboard Otis Redding Excellence Award for his achievements both in and outside the studio. Jermaine Dupri previously won the ASCAP Golden Note Award in 2005.

Prolific songwriter-producer Ne-Yo will receive the ASCAP Golden Note Award, which is presented to songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Previous honorees include Sean "Diddy" Combs, Jermaine Dupri, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Jay-Z, Quincy Jones, Alicia Keys, LL Cool J, Lionel Richie, Usher, Pharrell Williams and Stevie Wonder.

"We are thrilled to present Ne-Yo with the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award this year. We can't think of anyone else more deserving of this award based on the extraordinary career milestones we've seen him achieve through the years. We are excited to honor an artist who continues to push the limits of R&B and popular music with his incredible creativity," commented ASCAP VP of Rhythm & Soul Membership Nicole George-Middleton.

In the nearly ten years since Ne-Yo first broke onto the scene, the Grammy Award winner has racked up an entire career's worth of accomplishments as both a recording artist and songwriter for artists such as Beyoncé, Rihanna, Jay Z, Usher, Pitbull, Jennifer Hudson, Chrisette Michele and many, many more. His 2004 breakout song, Mario's "Let Me Love You," was a #1 Hot 100 hit that Billboard later determined to be the eighth most successful single of the decade. His first three albums -- 2006's In My Own Words, 2007's Because of You and 2008's Year of the Gentleman -- all went platinum in the US, bolstered by hits like "So Sick," "Because of You" and the Grammy Award-winning "Miss Independent." Five solo albums and countless hits later, Ne-Yo is still a major force on the music scene, currently serving as Senior Vice President of A&R at Motown Records.

During the ceremony, other top awards will also be given to the Songwriter of the Year, Publisher of the Year, Top R&B/Hip-Hop Song, Top Rap Song and Top Gospel Song. The evening will feature performances by several award-winning songwriters/performers, and will be attended by some of the top names in the music and entertainment industry.

Members of the press may apply for credentials at www.ascap.com/press/pressroom/rhythmsoulawards.

About ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP's mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world's best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business -- from bars, restaurants and retail, to radio, TV and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With 500,000 members representing more than 9 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com