Annie Lennox and Tom Morello to lead SONA Awards honours
Annie Lennox and Tom Morello will lead the honours at the SONA Awards next month.
Songwriters of North America, known as SONA, has confirmed Lennox for its Artist Songwriter Award and Morello for its Freedom of Expression Warrior Award, Billboard reported. The announcement covers the organisation's main awards night for writers. The ceremony will take place on 29 October at the Skirball Cultural Center.
Lennox is recognised here as both a performer and a writer. The Artist Songwriter Award is for recording artists noted for their songwriting. Morello's award carries a different focus. The Freedom of Expression Warrior Award is linked to advocacy and free speech.
Three more honours complete the list. Desmond Child, a long-running writer for other performers, will receive the Songwriter Warrior Award. Laurent Hubert, a music publishing executive, will be named Executive of the Year. The writers behind the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack will receive the Global Impact Award, which reflects music reaching audiences across countries.
The ceremony will be hosted by Bonnie McKee and Shane Stevens. Both hosts are known as pop songwriters. They will lead the evening on 29 October. The show was previously called the SONA Warrior Awards. The new name is the SONA Awards.
The awards sit within SONA Awards Week in October. The week brings several events under one banner. It gives writers, publishers and guests more than a single night. It also keeps the focus on the people who create songs.
Part of that week is the SONA Songwriters Summit. It will be held on 28 October at Village Studios in Hollywood. The summit is a daytime meeting point. It runs the day before the awards ceremony. Writers can gather, talk and share ideas before the celebration.
Billboard will return as a media partner for the event. A media partner helps carry news and coverage. Its return keeps continuity from past years.
What makes this stand out is the spread. One award goes to a performer recognised for writing. One goes to a musician recognised for campaigning. One goes to a writer's writer. One goes to the business side. One goes to a screen project with worldwide reach.
