ASCAP Foundation Recognizes Music Books, Documentaries and Podcasts
The ASCAP Foundation revealed the winners of its 77th Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards, which spotlight books, articles, liner notes and broadcast programs about music. This year’s recipients include biographies of composers John Williams and Bernard Herrmann, a documentary on Swamp Dogg, liner notes for a Frank Zappa archival release, Rick Beato’s podcasts, and books on Broadway musicals and Black opera innovators. A four-person ASCAP committee selected the honorees.
The ASCAP Foundation has announced the 77th Deems Taylor/Virgil Thomson Awards, honoring work that examines music through writing and broadcast media. A four-member ASCAP panel chose the recipients across categories including books, essays, album notes and audio/video programs.
Among the selected works are biographies of film composers John Williams and Bernard Herrmann, a documentary about Swamp Dogg, and annotations for a Frank Zappa archival set. The list also includes Rick Beato’s podcasts and volumes on Broadway musicals and Black opera trailblazers.
The awards could draw new attention to music journalism, documentary film and podcasts, potentially widening audiences for the honored creators and subjects. Listeners and readers may discover archival releases or histories they otherwise would miss, while educators and students could use these works as entry points into film scoring, Broadway, and Black opera. The recognition may also encourage publishers and broadcasters to invest in serious music coverage, though its broader cultural effect will likely depend on how widely the selected works reach general audiences.