The ASCAP Screen Music Awards has announced several honorees to be feted at a May 15 ceremony in Beverly Hills, with “Captain Marvel” composer Pinar Toprak, “Incredibles 2” scorer Michael Giacchino and the “Greatest Showman” songwriting team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul all slated for special trophies.
Pasek and Paul, who are also best known for the song scores of “La La Land” and the Broadway smash “Dear Evan Hansen,” will be picking up the ASCAP Vanguard Award. The performing rights organization pointed out that this is the first time they’ve given that particular honor out to scoring or soundtrack creators as part of the Screen Music Awards; previously it’s been handed out at ASCAP’s annual pop or country awards shows, to envelope-pushing recipients like Kendrick Lamar and St. Vincent.
Toprak has landed plaudits for her “Captain Marvel” work and is now associated with a higher-grossing film than any other female film composer in history. The emigre from Istanbul will get the ASCAP Shirley Walker Award, an honor associated with diversity in film and TV music.
CREDIT: Courtesy ASCAP
Giacchino is set for the ASCAP Henry Mancini Award, regarded as the Screen Music Awards’ highest career-achievement honor. The composer for “Ratatouille,” “Up,” “Jurassic World,” “Alias,” “Lost,” “Doctor Strange” and many other works for Disney, Pixar and JJ Abrams in particular has “Spider-Man: Far From Home” in the offing. The Mancini-named honor has previously been given out to the likes of Quincy Jones, Hans Zimmer and Randy Newman.
The competitive winners will be announced at the 34th annual ceremony May 15, honoring composers associated with top box office picks or top-rated or most-performed television music. Members will also vote on Composer’s Choice Awards for their favorite film, TV and video game scores. Additionally, ASCAP announced the creation of an honor that hasn’t been given out before, the Harmony Award, which will go to a collaborative music-supervisor/composer pair yet to be named.