NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - March 4, 2009) - Marco Antonio Solís and Joan Sebastian were
named Songwriters of the Year at the 17th Annual ASCAP Latin Music Awards
held last night at The Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Ricardo Montaner, Luis Fonsi and Omar Alfanno received special ASCAP honors
for career achievement; "Para Siempre" was named Latin Song of the Year;
and Publisher of the Year honors went to Sony/ATV Music. The songwriters
and publishers of ASCAP's most performed songs in Latin Music in 2008 were
also honored during the awards celebration.
Co-hosted by comedian Luis Raúl and TV personality Desireé Lowry, the
awards ceremony is one of the most attended and celebrated events in the
Latin entertainment community. Among the honorees, performers and
luminaries present were: Adolfo Angel Alba (Temerarios), Omar Alfanno,
Amerika, Wilfran Castillo, Jorge Celedón, Jesai Duarte, El Chaval de la
Bachata, Luis Enrique, Luis Fonsi, Alejandra Guzmán, Juan José Hernández,
Carlos Lara, Toby Love, Ismael Miranda, Ricardo Montaner, Roberto Sueiro
and Wise.
Joan Sebastian and Marco Antonio Solís shared Songwriter of the Year
honors. Both songwriters have received this coveted award multiple times
in the past, and their wins this year are a testament to the enduring and
universal qualities of their musical gifts.
The evening was highlighted with special presentations to three of the
finest and most successful Latin songwriters of our time -- Ricardo
Montaner, Luis Fonsi and Omar Alfanno. Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe
winning Hall of Fame songwriter and Vice Chairman of the ASCAP Board of
Directors Paul Williams presented ASCAP's Latin Heritage Award to Ricardo
Montaner in recognition of his unique and enduring contributions to Latin
music, and ASCAP's Voice of Music Award to Luis Fonsi for illuminating
people's lives through song.
Past recipients of ASCAP's Latin Heritage Award include Antonio Aguilar,
Celia Cruz, Ednita Nazario, Franco de Vita, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Olga Tañón
and Ricardo Arjona. Past recipients of ASCAP's Voice of Music Award
include Mary J. Blige, Jimmy Webb, Kenny Chesney, Amy Grant, George Strait,
Diane Warren and Garth Brooks.
Longtime friend and advisor Roberto Sueiro, Nicaraguan salsa singer Luis
Enrique and ASCAP CEO John LoFrumento presented songwriter/producer Omar
Alfanno with ASCAP's Golden Note Award in recognition of his extraordinary
songs which have enriched Latin music worldwide for three decades. Garth
Brooks, Joan Sebastian, Jose Feliciano, Quincy Jones, Sean "Diddy" Combs,
Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty and Victor Manuelle are among ASCAP's Golden Note
Award winners' circle.
LoFrumento was joined onstage by ASCAP Senior Vice President, Membership
Group - Latin, Alexandra Lioutikoff who presented the Publisher of the Year
award to Sony/ATV Music for their 37 award-winning songs. This is the
tenth time that Sony has received this honor.
"Para Siempre" written by Joan Sebastian and published by Vander Music was
named Latin Song of the Year.
Other top honors included:
-- Tropical Song of the Year: "Conteo Regresivo" written by Juan José
Hernández Doejo, published by Clave Beat Music and Sony/ATV.
-- Rock /Pop Song of the Year: "Si No Te Hubieras Ido" written by Marco
Antonio Solís, published by Crisma.
-- Regional Mexican Song of the Year: "Para Siempre" written by Joan
Sebastian, published by Vander Music.
-- Pop/Ballad Song of the Year: "Dónde Están Corazón" written by Enrique
Iglesias and Coti Sorokin, published by EMI April Music and Enrique
Iglesias Music.
-- Urban Song of the Year: "Perdóname" written by Eddy Lover and Aldo
Ranks, published by Nayo International Publishing and Universal Music-MGB
Songs.
In the Television category, awards were presented as follows:
Top Rated Theme Song for Soap Opera:
-- "Al Diablo Con Los Guapos" (from "Al Diablo Con Los Guapos") written
by Mauricio L. Arriaga and Eduardo Murguía, published by Editora San Angel.
-- "Para Siempre" (from "Fuego En La Sangre"), written by Joan Sebastian,
published by Vander Music.
-- "Sin Senos No Hay Paraíso" (from "Sin Senos No Hay Paraíso") written
by José Miguel De Narváez (SAYCO), published by Telemundo Music Publishing.
-- "Victoria" (from "Victoria") written by José Miguel De Narváez
(SAYCO), published by Telemundo Music Publishing.
Top Rated Original Music for TV/Incidental:
-- "Historias Para Contar" and "Premios Lo Nuestro" written by Carlos
Marmo and published Nuestro Music.
For the complete list of winners, please visit
www.ascap.com.
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 340,000 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