Pharrell Williams to Receive Golden Note Award at the 25th Annual ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - Jun 13, 2012) - The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) will honor three-time Grammy Award-winner Pharrell Williams with the prestigious ASCAP Golden Note Award during its 25th Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. The invitation-only event will take place on Friday, June 29, 2012 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

ASCAP's Golden Note Award 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, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, Quincy Jones, LL Cool J and Lionel Richie.

"It is an honor to receive The Golden Note Award. ASCAP has celebrated some of the greatest musicians of our time with this distinction, and I am humbled to be in their ranks," said honoree Pharrell Williams. "The work ASCAP has done -- and continues to do -- to protect and serve music creators is truly remarkable and it is a thrill to be recognized by such a respected institution."

Williams exploded onto the music scene in the late 1990s with writing partner Chad Hugo as part of the production duo The Neptunes. Considered one of the most successful production teams in music history, The Neptunes have had a total of 24 Top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 with credits that include everyone from No Doubt, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, *NSYNC, TLC, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Busta Rhymes, Babyface, Mariah Carey and Justin Timberlake. In 2004, they took home the Producer Of The Year Grammy Award and claimed Billboard's Producer of the Decade Award in 2009. As a side project, The Neptunes joined childhood friend Shae Haley in 2001 to form N*E*R*D. Since then, the group has had major success with singles like "Lapdance," "Rock Star" and "She Wants to Move." In 2006, Williams released his debut solo effort In My Mind, which reached #3 on the Billboard 200. Williams continues to work with top acts, recently collaborating on albums with Usher, Mike Posner, Jay-Z, Adam Lambert and the Scissor Sisters.

"Pharrell's contributions to the history of American music are immeasurable. From the pioneering work of The Neptunes, to the success of both N*E*R*D and his own solo projects, Pharrell has proven his versatility time and again," said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams. "Pharrell continues to push boundaries and uphold his status as a music trailblazer. I can't think of a better artist to receive this year's Golden Note Award."

As previously announced, industry legend Quincy Jones will be presented with ASCAP's Founders Award. Additionally, the songwriters and publishers of the most performed ASCAP songs on the 2011 R&B/Hip-Hop, Rap and Gospel charts will be honored at the awards ceremony. Top awards will 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 also feature performances by several award-winning songwriters/performers.

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

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 435,000 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. For more information, please visit http://www.ascap.com.