Today, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) announced that it will honor the legendary Stevie Wonder with its inaugural “Key of Life Award” at their upcoming “I Create Music” EXPO, set to take place April 13th – 15th in Los Angeles. He will also speak as part of the keynote “I Create Music” session. The “Key of Life” Award celebrates Wonder’s incomparable, peerless contributions to the world through his music. While the award’s inaugural winner is the artist who inspired its name (Wonder’s 1976 album Songs In The Key Of Life is a universally-acclaimed classic), future recipients of the honor will include songwriters and composers who best exemplify his legacy through their commitment to ” the art form he elevated through his talent, dedication and unparalleled heart.”

“Stevie Wonder has deservedly been given every award imaginable,” says ASCAP President Paul Williams, “Yet he continues to innovate and elevate the art of songwriting to the point where no honor can truly capture what he means to his creative kin at ASCAP, and to songwriters and music lovers worldwide. This award has been created as a way to honor his singularly inspirational songwriting career and to recognize his spirit in generations to come.”

The 25-time Grammy winner has been an ASCAP member for most of the last half0centure, amassing more than 60 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during his time with the performing rights organization, including immortal anthems like “Superstition,” “My Cherie Amour,” “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Just Called to Say I Love You.” He received ASCAP’s highest individual prize, the “Founders Award,” in 1984 and was honored during the organization’s 100th birthday celebrations with a once-in-a-lifetime “Centennial Award.” Wonder has maintained a lifelong appreciation for songwriting, penning his first hit at 11 years old and working in Motown’s songwriting department while establishing himself as a performer in the mid-1960s. In recent years, Wonder has mentored a new generation of songwriters, working with fellow hit-making ASCAP members like Ariana Grande and Francis Farewell Starlite on the Golden Globe-nominated 2016 single “Faith” from the hit film Sing.

A diverse group of speakers and panelists from across the music industry will join Wonder at this year’s ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, including platinum-selling recording artist Aloe Blacc, Songwriters Hall of Fame member Desmond Child, four-time ASCAP Country Music Songwriter of the Year Ashley Gorley, Grammy winners Darrell Brown (Keith Urban, LeAnn Rimes), Brian Kennedy (Rihanna) and Malik Yusef (Kanye West, Beyoncé), and the next generation of hit songwriters, including Dave Bassett (Elle King’s “Ex’s and Oh’s”), Bibi Bourelly (Rihanna’s “B***h Better Have My Money”), Deputy (J. Cole’s 4 Your Eyez Only), Captain Cuts (Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance”), Sam Hollander (Fitz and the Tantrums’ “HandClap”) and Matt Jenkins (Kenny Chesney ft. Pink’s “Setting the World on Fire”).

Now in its 12th year, ASCAP’s “I Create Music” EXPO is the U.S.’s largest conference for songwriters, composers, artists and producers across all musical genres. Last year’s conference was the most highly attended in EXPO history, attracting 3,000 participants from rising talents to  multiple-Grammy winners.

For more information on ASCAP and the “I Create Music” EXPO and to register for this year’s conference, visit the event website.

[Cover photo via Jeremy Scott]