SONGWRITERS AND COMPOSERS BEHIND GLOBAL HITS ALSO HONOURED INCLUDING FLO, LOLA YOUNG, CONOR DICKINSON, FLORENCE WELCH, CLEMENTINE DOUGLAS, SKEPTA, JONNY GREENWOOD AND MORE
EVENT IMAGES WILL BE AVAILABLE HERE
LONDON, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, today celebrates the achievements of its UK songwriters and composers, recognising the creators behind some of the year’s biggest global hits across music, film and television, while also honouring rock icon Sir Roger Daltrey with the ASCAP Founders Award, acclaimed actor, DJ and rapper Sir Idris Elba with the ASCAP Creative Voice Award and British R&B trio FLO with the ASCAP Vanguard Award.
One of rock’s preeminent vocalists, Daltrey, solo artist and lead singer of The Who, is presented with the ASCAP Founders Award for his legendary career. The award is bestowed upon ASCAP creators who have made pioneering contributions to music by inspiring and influencing their fellow music creators with a unique style of creative genius that will enrich generations to come. Previous recipients include Sir Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Carly Simon, Billy Joel, Jeff Lynne, Diane Warren, Quincy Jones and more.
As co-founder and lead vocalist of The Who, Daltrey shaped the sound and spirit of rock music for generations. From his decades of electrifying performances and hit songs, to the groundbreaking rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia, on to his innovative solo work, Daltrey’s voice is one of the most unmistakable in music history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and has consistently used that voice to support worthy causes, particularly as Honorary Patron of Teenage Cancer Trust and with Teen Cancer America. He created and curated the long-running week of Teenage Cancer Trust shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London, raising millions for the charity, to build specialist wards for young people with cancer.
He was knighted last December for his services to music and charity. Daltrey launches a US solo tour in August starting in Mesa, Arizona – www.thewho.com/tour/.
Globally celebrated actor, rapper, DJ and advocate Sir Idris Elba is presented with the ASCAP Creative Voice. The special honour is presented to ASCAP members whose significant career achievements are informed by both their creative spirit and their contributions to the role that a creator can play in the community. Elba joins a list of previous recipients including musical innovators and philanthropists like Questlove, Wyclef Jean, Laufey and more.
As an actor, Elba’s credits are vast and critically acclaimed, spanning prestige cinema and career-defining television roles. But as a musician, he is a sonic explorer who moves fluidly between genres. His love of hip-hop led to two EPs and an opening poem on Jay-Z’s American Gangster (2007). He’s also found ways to remix and reinterpret the stories he’s told on screen with Idris Elba Presents Mi Mandela (2014), Murdah Loves John (2015) and YARDIE (2022), and branched into indiepop on Cordi Elba (2022) with Australian band Lime Cordiale. More recently, Elba has released a remix of his single “An African” with Angelique Kidjo and a series of club tracks on his own label Sound International, “The Drum” and “Chasing Fire.” Elba was knighted in the 2026 New Year Honours list for his services to young people through his charity the Elba Hope Foundation.
ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams said, “Roger’s cultural impact is legendary. His extraordinary music career has been defined by his unstoppable energy, passion, authenticity and a voice that has shaped the sound of rock and roll. He is undoubtedly one of rock’s most influential icons.”
Williams continued, “Idris Elba has inspired audiences around the world through his acclaimed portrayals as an actor and his dynamic artistry as both a rapper and DJ, but his impact reaches beyond entertainment through his advocacy and philanthropic work.”
He emphasised, “We are delighted to celebrate both Roger and Idris with two of our highest ASCAP honours for their remarkable talent, global influence and philanthropic visions.”
Additional honours presented include songwriters Lola Young and Conor Dickinson, who receive ASCAP’s Song of the Year award for “Messy.” The breakthrough hit has become one of the defining songs of the year, further cementing both writers as major forces in contemporary songwriting.
Songwriter Clementine Douglas is recognised for Top Hot Dance/Electronic Song of the Year for “Blessings,” the collaboration with Calvin Harris, following the track’s widespread international success and continued dominance across dance music audiences worldwide.
ASCAP also celebrated a number of winning songs across the Hot 100 and dance categories. Budgie, John McGeoch, Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin of legendary rockers Siouxsie and the Banshees were recognised for the global success of Lady Gaga’s “Abracadabra,” while Matt Zara received a Winning Hot 100 Song award for Teddy Swims’s “Bad Dreams.”
In the dance and electronic music category, Skepta earned recognition for “Victory Lap;” Sam Gellaitry was honoured for “Assumptions;” and Florence Welch received a Winning Hot Dance/Electronic Song award for her contributions to the hit Morgan Seatree remix of her 2011 song, “Say My Name.”
In film, acclaimed composer Daniel Pemberton was recognised with Top Box Office Film of the Year for The Bad Guys 2. Pemberton was also honoured for his work on Materialists and received a Top Streaming Film award for Deep Cover, underscoring another standout year across both theatrical and streaming releases.
Among the film composers celebrated were Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood for One Battle After Another, Dario Marianelli for Paddington in Peru, and John Lunn for Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. ASCAP also recognised the music of Young Fathers for their contribution to 28 Years Later.
Television and streaming composers were also honoured for their achievements. Paul Leonard-Morgan received Top Network Series for Watson, while Arthur Sharpe was recognised with Top Streaming Series for Prime Target. Mat Davidson earned a Top Streaming Series award for Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, while Aaron May was honoured for his work on the critically acclaimed Adolescence. Additional recognition in the streaming film category went to Chris Benstead for Fountain of Youth.
At the invite-only celebration, British trio FLO were honoured with the ASCAP Vanguard Award, recognising breakthrough artists who are shaping the future of music. Following their UK R&B chart-topping debut album Access All Areas and a recent MOBO Award win for Best R&B/Soul Act, FLO have emerged as leading voices in the UK’s R&B resurgence. The award places them among previous ASCAP Vanguard honourees including Dua Lipa, Victoria Monét and St. Vincent.
The awards once again highlight the extraordinary influence of UK songwriters and composers across the global entertainment industry, from chart-topping songs and dance anthems to some of the year’s most celebrated films and television productions.
Follow #ASCAPAwards and @ascaplondon on Instagram, and @ASCAP on Facebook and X.
A full list of the songwriters and composers celebrated is available at: https://www.ascap.com/londonawards26.
About ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 1.1 million songwriters, composers and music publishers, and represents some of the world’s most talented music creators. Founded and governed by songwriters, composers and publishers, it returns nearly 90 cents of every dollar collected to its members as royalties and has the lowest overhead rate of any U.S. PRO. ASCAP licenses a repertory of over 20 million musical works to hundreds of thousands of businesses that use music, including streaming services, cable television, radio and satellite radio and brick and mortar businesses such as retail stores, hotels, clubs, restaurants and bars. ASCAP collects the licensing fees and identifies, matches, processes and pays royalties to its members for trillions of performances every year. The ASCAP blanket license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. ASCAP puts music creators first, advocating for their rights and the value of music on Capitol Hill, driving innovation that moves the industry forward, building community and providing the resources and support that creators need to succeed in their careers. Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com, on X and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook.
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SOURCE ASCAP – American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
