Williams will receive “a special award, bearing his name, in recognition of his incomparable status as one of the greatest film and television composers of…
Composer John Williams will be honored for his 60-year career by Broadcast Music Inc. ( BMI) at its 34th annual Film, TV and Visual Media Awards. The event is scheduled for May 9 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.
Williams will receive “a special award, bearing his name, in recognition of his incomparable status as one of the greatest film and television composers of our time,” the performance rights organization announced.
Said BMI Vice President, Creative Doreen Ringer-Ross: “By continuing to create and add to his prolific body of work, he’s made a lasting impression on music lovers around the world, and an entire community of composers who he continues to inspire. Because of this, and for all that he has given the world of music and beyond, we felt it was appropriate to honor John with this special award.”
Williams, 86, recently received his 51st Oscar nomination, for scoring “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” He has won five Oscars for such films as “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “E. T., the Extra-Terrestrial” and “Schindler’s List.” He also has five Emmy Awards, 24 Grammys, a Kennedy Center Honor, and is the only composer to have received the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Williams received BMI’s Richard Kirk Award (now the BMI Icon Award) in 1999. “Because of his incredible body of work since receiving BMI’s highest honor, the John Williams Award was created to pay tribute to his numerous career achievements, which have made him one of the most recognized and decorated living film composers in modern history,” the announcement added. The John Williams Award will be similar to past BMI honors given to pop superstars Michael Jackson and Taylor Swift, both of whom accepted awards named after them.
Also at the May 9 ceremony, composers Laura Karpman, Miriam Cutler and Lolita Ritmanis will receive the BMI Champion Award “for their commitment to supporting fellow women media composers through the Alliance of Women Film Composers,” which they founded in 2014.
Composer Rick Baitz will also be presented with BMI’s Classic Contribution Award “in appreciation of creating and leading BMI’s successful Composing for the Screen workshop” for the past decade. Baitz joins a prestigious list of honorees including conductor Lucas Richman; composers Mike Post, Terence Blanchard, David Newman and Peter Golub; and executive Chris Montan.
Throughout the evening, composers of the past year’s top-grossing films, top-rated prime-time network TV series, and highest-ranking cable and streamed media programs will also be recognized. Ringer-Ross, and BMI President and CEO Mike O’Neill, will host the private, black-tie event.
