Biographies of Film Composers John Williams and Bernard Herrmann Lead 77th ASCAP Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Award Winners

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has announced the winners of its 77th annual ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards, honoring the year’s most outstanding music writing, broadcasting, and media projects. This year’s diverse slate of honorees spans definitive biographies of Hollywood’s greatest film scoring legends, intimate looks at cult R&B artists, deep dives into archival recordings, prominent YouTube and podcast broadcasts, and critical examinations of Broadway musicals and Black opera innovators.

The awards, which celebrate excellence in books, articles, liner notes, and broadcast programs covering all forms of music, were voted on by a select committee consisting of four distinguished ASCAP members: Robbie Fulks, Julie Flanders, Carman Moore, and Betsy Schramm. The resulting list highlights a wide-ranging spectrum of scholarship, journalism, and media production that captures the vibrant history and ongoing evolution of the global music landscape.

Celebrating Film Scoring Legends: John Williams and Bernard Herrmann

Among the most prominent categories are the concert music book awards, which heavily feature the enduring impact of cinematic composition. Tim Greiving earned a Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Book Award in the concert music field for "John Williams: A Composer’s Life." Published by Oxford University Press, the work stands as the first-ever comprehensive biography of Hollywood’s most successful living composer, chronicling a legendary career that defined the sonic landscapes of modern cinema through iconic themes for films like "Star Wars," "Jaws," and "Jurassic Park."

In the same category, a special recognition award was presented to Steven C. Smith for "Hitchcock and Herrmann: The Friendship and Film Scores that Changed Cinema," also published by Oxford University Press. Marking Smith’s second book dedicated to Bernard Herrmann, the volume takes a unique narrative twist by simultaneously exploring the complex, volatile creative partnership between the composer and master filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, whose collaborations reshaped the psychological and emotional vocabulary of the thriller genre. Both Greiving’s and Smith’s books previously earned spots on Variety’s prestigious list of the best music books of the year.

Expanding the Canon: Concert and Pop Music Books

Beyond the silver screen, the book awards recognized groundbreaking scholarship in both concert and popular music fields. In the concert music realm, Lucy Caplan was honored for "Dreaming in Ensemble: How Black Artists Transformed American Opera," published by Harvard University Press. The book provides a meticulous account of Black innovation and artistic achievement within American opera, focusing particularly on the cultural flourishing of the Harlem Renaissance.

Meanwhile, the pop music book awards highlighted foundational figures in grassroots culture and musical theater history. Gayle Wald received recognition for "This Is Rhythm: Ella Jenkins, Children’s Music, and the Long Civil Rights Movement," published by the University of Chicago Press. The biography traces the life and cultural impact of Ella Jenkins, widely celebrated as the first lady of children’s music, detailing her role in bridging education, entertainment, and social activism.

Additionally, James O’Leary was honored for "The Middlebrow Musical: Between Broadway and Opera in 1940s America," published by Oxford University Press. O’Leary’s work explores a pivotal turning point in theatrical history, examining how landmark productions such as "Oklahoma!," "Beggar’s Holiday," and "Street Scene" began incorporating weightier, more dramatic narratives in ways that fundamentally bridged popular entertainment and high art following the watershed year of 1943.

Excellence in Journalism and Music Criticism

The ASCAP judges also recognized outstanding achievement in music journalism, spanning print and digital publications. In the popular music field, Ben Sisario of The New York Times won an award for his feature "The ‘Race Against Time’ to Save Music Legends’ Decaying Tapes." The piece detailed the intricate, high-stakes efforts undertaken by preservationists and archivists to rescue fragile analog tapes containing original, unreleased recordings from legendary artists including Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.

In the concert music field, Esteban Meneses earned recognition for "Revolución: Mexican Composers on the Rise," published in Symphony Magazine. Meneses’s article examined the contemporary generation of Mexican composers whose vibrant works are increasingly being commissioned, performed, and recorded by symphony orchestras across the globe.

A special recognition award in the article category was presented to Max Keller, also of The New York Times, for "Does It Matter How A Cello Is Held? It’s a Centuries-Old Debate," which explored the technical and pedagogical disagreements that have persisted among classical string players for generations.

Furthermore, the Virgil Thomson Award for Outstanding Music Criticism was presented to Gabriel Kahane for his piece "A Love Letter to Music Listings," published by The Atlantic, which reflected on the cultural significance and disappearing art of comprehensive local concert schedules.

Broadcasts, Podcasts, and Archival Liner Notes

In the realm of broadcast media, top honors went to Gail Wein for her podcast series "Classical Gas," produced by Classical Voice North America. The series features engaging, in-depth interviews with classical musicians distributed across multiple digital platforms. A special recognition honor in the broadcast category was also awarded to prominent creator Rick Beato for his popular YouTube series "Everything Music," which explores music theory, production technology, and the pressing economic and creative issues facing modern artists in today’s digital industry.

Archival projects and visual media also received high praise from the committee. Percussionist Ruth Komanoff Underwood was honored with the ASCAP Foundation Paul Williams "Loved the Liner Notes" Award for her deeply personal essay included in the boxed set for "Cheaper than Cheep," a live concert film documenting a 1974 performance by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, released via Zappa Records and UMe.

In the pop music broadcast and media category, directors Isaac Gale, Ryan Olson, and David McMurry were recognized for their feature documentary "Swamp Dogg Gets His Pool Painted." Released recently, the film offers a unique, character-driven look at the daily creative lives and domestic eccentricities of cult R&B singer-songwriter Jerry "Swamp Dogg" Williams and his community of housemates in Los Angeles centered around his residential swimming pool.