Country United States Last awarded 2006 | First awarded 1983 Official website www.ascap.com | |
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Awarded for lifetime achievement in musical theatre Presented by American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) | ||
The ASCAP Foundation Richard Rodgers Award is an annual award presented by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), in recognition of lifetime achievement by composers and lyricists in musical theatre. Established by Dorothy Rodgers in honor of her late husband Richard Rodgers, the award was first presented to Howard Dietz in 1983. The honor was not presented in 1992, 1994, 2004, or 2005, and years with more than one recipient include 1984, 1990, 1993, 1995, and 1997.
The most recent recipient is Stephen Schwartz, who was presented the award in 2011. Betty Comden is the only female to receive the award. American composers or lyricists have received the Richard Rodgers Award each year it has been presented except in 1988 when British-born Jule Styne won the honor.